desert river kayak

Called Kayak center on Friday 10-10-14 to arrange a trip for two canoeing on the Colorado for the next day. Talked to Chris. Asked for canoe but was told they didn't have any available. Was told to show up between 8am and 10 am and they would get us on the river in kayaks. Arrived at their location at 8:30 ready to go. Was surprised to see two trailers full of aluminum canoes. After a confused shuffle with a nice lady behind the desk and some phone calls she found a driver to take us up the river. Waited 30 minutes, gruff older gentleman showed up and after inspecting the truck said "trips off!" I guess there was no gas in the vehicle and he questioned it's road worthiness. Was really looking forward to this trip. Maybe next time with a different outfitter.

It was so nice to kayak in the clorado river. Real value for only 40 $. We stopped by different beaches. The boats were very stabile. Would do this again if I could.

Desert River Kayak provides your safety gear, transportation and the latest equipment for your adventure. We had people of all ages in our group and all levels of physically fitness. Truly a magical experience on the beautiful Colorado River!

The staff came picked us up and dropped us off at our motel. They were very helpful. We rented tubes and paddle boards. If I had to do it over again I would rent a canoe or kayak instead of the tubes. I had to paddle more because the current was slow at first.

This was such a new experience to us. We can kayak in the east but the canyon was awesome. The calm water with perfect reflections of the above canyons walls was breaktaking. It was a Monday. No powerboats. No crowds. We saw less than ten people the whole trip. We could have gotten a map and tried to find things ourselves but decided we wanted someone else to lead us so we could enjoy it more. So we hired "Jacob." He knew the canyon very well. My kids loved talking to him and asking lots of questions. He was closer to their age than ours. My kids were 13 and 15. Loved hiking to the two hot spring areas. Also the kids and my husband really like the adventure of jumping off the cliff into the 50 degree water! We would never have found some of these trails if he had not shown us. We met a couple later that said "wow, we didn't see that, or could not find that.... wish we had hired a guide too." The first half of the trip was so amazing. The second half was border torture. The head winds started up. You can see it coming toward you with the ripples. You paddle with all your might and move half the distance as before. Fortunately, we had Jacob. He kept us moving. I think we would have given up several times if it hadn't been for his "lies" saying, just around this bend, just around the next bend ...... I saw some reviews that said it was calm but no current; ha! Try paddling in the waves and wind. We have kayaked the ocean and it felt just like that! No kidding. Thank you Jacob a hundred times. It was a beautiful place but tough and big character building experience. My husband is still saying a week later "I can't believe you made it." Hire a guide!! Don't miss the great experiences.When you land at Willow Beach, know that you will have to wait for the rest of your party if they rode out with you. It was a beautiful beach and there is food to buy.

Desert River Kayak's Black Canyon tour down the Colorado River is a must-see if you like the outdoors and especially if you enjoy river kayaking. The river below Hoover Dam is very calm with almost no current downstream so paddling the 11 miles for novices may take some time. Plan on spending 5 to 8 hours touring down the river depending how often you want/need to stop to check out the amazing sites along the way to Willow Beach. You will see hot springs and waterfalls pouring out of the canyon walls as well as many caves to explore. Some of the more interesting things to see are a short hike off of the river so take some footwear that can handle a trek and still get wet. The scenic beauty that you will see along the way is breathtaking and at times you will find yourself in complete solitude.Thanks to owner Helen for helping us get booked quickly on very short notice and to our driver Chris who gave us invaluable tips for taking the self-guided tour and was punctual for the pickups in Laughlin and Willow Beach. This is a trip that I won't forget anytime soon!

I had never kayaked before, but this was good even for beginners. We had a party of 6 ranging in age from 13-74. It was a long 11 miles with interesting sights along the way. Be prepared to work since there was not much current and occasionally the wind worked against us. All in all it was a wonderful experience. The pick up and drop off went smoothly. The kayaks, paddles and life vests were all in good condition too.

If you have any sense of adventure and play at all, love the water, and want to do much more in the Laughlin/Bullhead City area other than sit in a casino - be sure to find what tickles your pickle with Desert River. They offer trips at reasonable prices for all levels and lengths of personal non-motorized water sports. My wife and I were very pleased with the flexible paddle at your own speed and interest and then call us at specific way points so we can time your personalized pick up. We enjoyed a 4 plus hour kayak paddle around Lake Mohave, near Davis Dam - beautiful water and sandy beach area. We also were treated to a personal paddle of Topock Gorge - a very nice scenic canyon along the Colorado River drainage, and timed out to meet our retrieval shuttle after just 5 minutes of relaxing in the shade at the take out point. Can't say enough about how great this operation is and the variety of trips and equipment thy offer - canoes, kayaks, stand up paddle boards, tubing from a few hours to multi day trips. If you like getting your feet wet - try them out next time you are in the area.

Helen and her staff are always great to work with and we spent another glorious day kayaking the Colorado River. Can't believe more people don't do this. It's an easy float with the current and not strenuous at all. I would recommend for people of any age.

9 of us spent $80 each for a full day of fun, all included except lunch. You don't need your own kayak or lifejacket, they supply it all. We met at 7am at Desert River Kayaks and were driven 2 hours to the base of Hoover Dam, spectacular, where we set off. Five hours later, after exploring side canyons and paddling down river, we were met and loaded up and driven back. Wonderful fun, a great company. We WILL do it again.

I book approximately 4 or 5 Kayak trips a year with Desert River Kayak. My groups consist of all ages/sizes. They have many different boats to accomodate everyone, standup as well as the sit down. The staff is a pleasure to work. We usually start at Davis Dam to Rotary Park appx 11 miles (a beginners paddle) but a blast for everyone! All down river. We go right past the Laughlin Casinos, parks and riverfront homes. The quiet atmosphere makes it easy for the group to chat and enjoy the abundant wildlife. Frequently we do the Full Moon paddle. We put in at sunset and watch as the full mooon rises, the moon is so vibrant you can almost read a book out on the water. We book other beautiful trips, the most magnificent, Black Canyon, you put in at the base of Hoover Dam to Willow Beach! Water falls, wildlife and the most beautiful scenery you will ever experience! A bit more difficult but well worth the effort.