The Elk River, Tennessee, United States

4kkibby43 5:00 PM May 23, 2014

I had a good time on the Elk River
I internet searched canoe rentals outta Huntsville AL and this came up as 45 minutes away. It was a little longer than that but not an unpleasant drive as we weaved our way through tornado country to the parking lot adjacent their campground. Looks like the storms hit hard by all the torn apart trees, the weather was just perfect this Saturday before Memorial Day. I was a little irritated that no one returned my e-mails but I found the place to be very low tech upon arrival so I forgave them quickly. We waited in line for a good 30 minutes but once we paid we were soon on a van full of other folks getting dropped off with canoe rentals at Shiloh Bridge. Our trip was over an hour and cost about $17 a head, great for beginners. There was a bit of a bottleneck at the canoe launch site since it appears to be where half the state comes to put in their boats but it just added to the experience. The waters are slow and everything was super safe. We will be returning for sure. These guys could definitely improve their business some but they don't have to, demand is much greater than supply....at least today.

4Robbygreenlawn 5:00 PM Jul 14, 2018

Floating the Elk
Our family drove from Huntsville Alabama to Kelso Tennessee in hopes of a fun day on the Elk. It was the first canoeing/kayaking experience for 6 of our group of 8. We had what we thought was a reservation at 10:30 at Kelso Canoe Rental. When we arrived there we were told they could try to get us in the water by 1:00, using several excuses for their inability to honor our reservation. After a quick phone call to Elk River Canoe Rental (ERCR) we were on our way to see what they could offer. Upon our arrival at ERCR it was evident they were open for business. Although very busy, we found there staff friendly and helpful to get us on the river as quickly as possible. After filling out the proper paperwork we found ourselves in a canoe, floating down the Elk River. As directed, we called their number once we got to our takeout destination. Their van was there to pick us up within 15 minutes. We found the river to provide a clean and fun day for our group. The only down side to ERCR was the fact they had no area to change out of wet clothes. Two portable toilets were located on the grounds, clean but not quite large enough to change clothes in. What started out as a bad experience at Kelso Canoe turned into a fun family outing thanks to Elk River Canoe Rental.