Waters Edge Canoe Livery

Water’s Edge canoe livery is very unprofessional. Their website looks fantastic, but when you get to their disheveled barn cluttered with papers and trash, you’ll likely want to reconsider. They don’t *really* take any forms of payment other than cash, but they never tell you that… even if you call ahead. When my husband and I arrived without cash, they shoved piles of paper around looking for the «phone» they use to take credit cards. The two seventeen year old boys working there couldn’t find it, so I had to give the boss man my credit card number over the phone. Scary, right? But we came to the area to go kayaking, so I did it.
The boys loaded up our boats (we brought our own) and we climbed in to their trash-​filled van, watching them spit their chew into Gatorade bottles the whole way. It seemed like we were driving kind of far for a 2 – 4 hour trip (according to their website that’s how long it is), but I figured the river just flows fast.
We got in the river and began moseying along. We quickly got stuck in inch deep water. I got out and dragged our boats to deeper water, but we promptly got stuck again… and again… and again. We spent more time scraping the bottom than floating — not that the canoe livery can control the river depth, but perhaps they could warn travelers that they WILL NOT HAVE A GOOD TIME BECAUSE THERE’S NO WATER IN THE RIVER.
After THREE hours of pretty hard paddling, we made it back. Upon arrival, they finally decided to tell us how low the river was and how long the trip takes. They were actually surprised we got back as quickly as we did because «most folks take five hours.» Recall, however, that the website claims the trip is done in 2 – 4 hours.
Zac and I are good paddlers; we go out often and for fun and we’re good at it. We like kayaking. But when you plan on being out PADDLING (not walking through an inch deep river) for 1 or 2 hours and end up dragging your boat across rocks for three hours, you will not have a good time.
Paddlers be warned — six miles on this river is way too far for most casual kayakers or canoers… especially if you are not physically strong or if you have kids or animals with you (which, fortunately, we did not). If you’re looking to float around the Chillicothe area, GO ELSEWHERE!