Argo Canoe Livery
Argo Canoe Livery
4.5
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4.5
74 reviews
Excellent
47
Very good
25
Average
1
Poor
0
Terrible
1
CMD
United States18 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
We had wanted to do this for a while and an impromptu day off allowed us the opportunity. We couldn't book online due to it being last minute, but a phone call was made and it was booked with ease.
Parking was easy enough, but it was midweek so I imagine the weekends are hit and miss. Check in was simple once we figured out which desk to go to and such.
There are restroom facilities which were clean. Lots of places like this offer nothing more than a porta potty, so this was a bonus!!
The price of $21 per kayak was very reasonable considering there is no time constraints and they give you a ride back to your car at the end! Kayaks were well used but not bad. Paddles were a little heavy but you get what you get in rental places. We brought our own life jackets so can not comment on these.
As soon as you enter the water, you pretty much head straight to the first cascade. They are great fun but you will get wet!! They are fast but short and not challenging. Just remember to go in the way you want to come out, start straight and let the water do the rest. The only issue we had with the cascades was the last one. Kids were lining up on the side to slide down them and it was unpredictable if they would be at the bottom of the cascade when you went down. Not really the safest place for unsupervised kids and lots of kayaks!
There are only about 8 or 9 of these cascades and only take a few minutes to get through. The rest of the time is a lazy paddle down the River for about an hour. It was beautiful and we very much enjoyed it!!
You have to be eagle eyed to see where you to dock! There is a bridge with a small sign on it. Go under the bridge then paddle to the left under another bridge. At first it looks deserted, but keep paddling and you shall see where to go.
The reason for loosing one star on the review is the staff at the end of the trip. We were unsure where to dock. There was a proper kayak dock to the right of the wooden dock, which would have made getting out much easier, but instead we were instructed to pull up to the boat dock and get out there. Not such an easy task! No staff came to hold the kayak or help us out. I have mobility issues and trying to hold onto a kayak and lift yourself onto a dock is not easy when the kayak is trying to float off! This part seemed totally unorganised and I am sure plenty of people have fallen in at this point. Fortunately I was able to struggle out unaided sans dignity!
The ride back to the start point was fine and social distancing rules were carefully obeyed, so big plus here!
Overall a very enjoyable couple of hours of kayaking. I would happily do it again!!
Parking was easy enough, but it was midweek so I imagine the weekends are hit and miss. Check in was simple once we figured out which desk to go to and such.
There are restroom facilities which were clean. Lots of places like this offer nothing more than a porta potty, so this was a bonus!!
The price of $21 per kayak was very reasonable considering there is no time constraints and they give you a ride back to your car at the end! Kayaks were well used but not bad. Paddles were a little heavy but you get what you get in rental places. We brought our own life jackets so can not comment on these.
As soon as you enter the water, you pretty much head straight to the first cascade. They are great fun but you will get wet!! They are fast but short and not challenging. Just remember to go in the way you want to come out, start straight and let the water do the rest. The only issue we had with the cascades was the last one. Kids were lining up on the side to slide down them and it was unpredictable if they would be at the bottom of the cascade when you went down. Not really the safest place for unsupervised kids and lots of kayaks!
There are only about 8 or 9 of these cascades and only take a few minutes to get through. The rest of the time is a lazy paddle down the River for about an hour. It was beautiful and we very much enjoyed it!!
You have to be eagle eyed to see where you to dock! There is a bridge with a small sign on it. Go under the bridge then paddle to the left under another bridge. At first it looks deserted, but keep paddling and you shall see where to go.
The reason for loosing one star on the review is the staff at the end of the trip. We were unsure where to dock. There was a proper kayak dock to the right of the wooden dock, which would have made getting out much easier, but instead we were instructed to pull up to the boat dock and get out there. Not such an easy task! No staff came to hold the kayak or help us out. I have mobility issues and trying to hold onto a kayak and lift yourself onto a dock is not easy when the kayak is trying to float off! This part seemed totally unorganised and I am sure plenty of people have fallen in at this point. Fortunately I was able to struggle out unaided sans dignity!
The ride back to the start point was fine and social distancing rules were carefully obeyed, so big plus here!
Overall a very enjoyable couple of hours of kayaking. I would happily do it again!!
Written August 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NatureLove44
Ann Arbor, MI8 contributions
Jun 2020 • Family
A fun spot to spend a couple of hours cascading down the river. Suggested for kids 8 and up, but I started bringing my son when he was little and held him on my lap on my tube. It’s easy to complete the portion with rapids and walk to repeat as many times as you like. This year they are not renting tubes (due to Covid,) but you can bring your own. It gets pretty busy in the afternoon on weekends so be prepared.
Written August 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JCSmillie
Ann Arbor, MI78 contributions
Aug 2012 • Family
This summer, I had each of my nieces - aged 10 and 13 - for a separate visit and took both to Argo for tubing down the mini-rapids. They each had a BLAST. I may or may not have almost lost my tube at one point, but I'm not sayin'. Either way, it was the highlight of their visits and well worth the rental fee for the tubes.
Written October 2, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle L R
South Lyon, Michigan, United States5 contributions
Horrible horrible horrible ... As you see its 5:03 PM. Went on the website and called. Told us to be there by 5 PM for the river ride. Packed our bags, lunch, etc. Lady was REALLY rude (owner) and basically told us too bad ... you have to PAY before 5 PM and we were too late because it was 4:50 PM. What a disappointing experience for my 12 year old for the holiday.
Written August 31, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Keith K
Brighton, MI384 contributions
Jul 2018 • Family
Came in with our 4 kids on a great 80 degree day. Parking was busy but easy to get to and cost was reasonable $10 per person for tube. Water was clean, cool, and easy for anyone to enjoy. The walk back to the beginning was not bad at all and we went down about 4 times. Great event on a warm day!!
Written July 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark K
Jenison, MI1,954 contributions
Sep 2015 • Family
All three are available at Argo. Canoeing or kayaking in the backwater or portage around the dam and paddle down to Gallup. Kayaks and tubes can take the "Cascades" which is fun and very cool. These are man made rapids around the dam but canoes have to portage around. If you are renting there is a line that can take awhile on the weekends. Parking is limited as well. They will shuttle you back up from Gallup but NOT if you bring your own boat. If this review is helpful please indicate with a vote. Thank You!
Written September 16, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chkyle
Columbiana25 contributions
Jun 2014 • Family
Did the Argo to Gallup Raft trip. The rapids at the beginning were fun. Nothing to be alarmed about if you haven't done it before. The raft and life jackets were in good shape, and the workers were friendly and knowledgeable. Once through the rapids at the beginning, it is a leisurely drift down the river, nice and relaxing. And the van ride back to Argo was prompt.
The only complaints I have are:
Not very good signage to get there, nor good on-line directions. My GPS told me I was there, and I was actually about a 1/4 mile away and hadn't seen a sign yet. Luckily my son saw a small (maybe 10x15" sign on a telephone pole with an arrow).
Maybe most people who go are repeat customers, but they need to be a little more clear on where to go on the river. We didn't realize that after they released you off the dock downriver, you had to immediately go left under a pedestrian bridge through a small opening to start the rapids. We almost missed it and were headed down stream to the dam.
At the end of the trip to Gallup, you had to go left and almost backward through a small inlet (about 15 feet wide) to a cove to end the trip. The river continued straight and if we didn't see someone come out of the inlet, we wouldn't have even seen it and would have continued downstream for who knows how long.
Other than that, a fun time.
The only complaints I have are:
Not very good signage to get there, nor good on-line directions. My GPS told me I was there, and I was actually about a 1/4 mile away and hadn't seen a sign yet. Luckily my son saw a small (maybe 10x15" sign on a telephone pole with an arrow).
Maybe most people who go are repeat customers, but they need to be a little more clear on where to go on the river. We didn't realize that after they released you off the dock downriver, you had to immediately go left under a pedestrian bridge through a small opening to start the rapids. We almost missed it and were headed down stream to the dam.
At the end of the trip to Gallup, you had to go left and almost backward through a small inlet (about 15 feet wide) to a cove to end the trip. The river continued straight and if we didn't see someone come out of the inlet, we wouldn't have even seen it and would have continued downstream for who knows how long.
Other than that, a fun time.
Written June 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jackie s
Williamston, MI45 contributions
Aug 2013 • Friends
Doesn't even feel like you're 10 minutes away from AA! Came here with four adults. Initially was going to start at Gallup, but we accidentally ended up at Argo first. A good thing we did as we had no wait at Argo vs. a 2 hour wait at Gallup. We came with 4 adults, 2 did kayaks, 2 did a canoe. The two of us who did kayaking started at before the Cascades, the 2 of us in a canoe met up with them right afterwards. (Nice option if you have people who don't want to do the Cascades). Pretty calm ride from Argo to Gallup. Took us about 2 hours. Might have been less if we pushed ourselves a bit more, and one of us in the group stopped to help a few people stuck in shallow rocks. Service was decent, laid back college students. Price was reasonable and included a van drive (10 minute wait) back to Argo where our cars were parked. We got to Argo around 1030 am. Any later and we probably would've had to wait to get boats. Great for any age or level. Nice set of options for length of rides and difficulty level.
Written August 22, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
rhermann2016
Ann Arbor, MI12 contributions
Jul 2016
We did the 1.5 hour trip and it was just the right length for our family. The cascades are nothing scary or dangerous but just enough thrill to be fun for novices, fun enough that everyone wished we could do them again. Despite running through Ann Arbor, there is plenty of "wilderness" to be enjoyed. We even saw a young buck crossing the river in front of us. Lots of ducks, geese, fish, etc.
The staff were all friendly and helpful. Note that getting out of a kayak at the dock may be difficult for some folks but we saw all sorts of people doing it one way or another. The return shuttle leaves on the half hour, or it did the day we were there.
The staff were all friendly and helpful. Note that getting out of a kayak at the dock may be difficult for some folks but we saw all sorts of people doing it one way or another. The return shuttle leaves on the half hour, or it did the day we were there.
Written July 25, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Craig Lee
Livonia, MI81 contributions
Had a great time today taking a Kayak ride down the Argo rapids on the Huron River.
Started at Argo Park and went downstream for a 1.5 hour ride with my 4 year old niece and family.
Had a great time ... Especially in the rapids
Started at Argo Park and went downstream for a 1.5 hour ride with my 4 year old niece and family.
Had a great time ... Especially in the rapids
Written September 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Have people taken coolers? If so, how has that worked out?
NatureLove44
Ann Arbor, MI8 contributions
I have seen people with floating coolers, however it is illegal to consume alcoholic beverages on this part of the river (maybe other parts too?) and There is definitely a police presence in the area, especially in weekends when it is busy.
Hello. Is parking free in all the areas they have?
Homer S
3 contributions
Parking at the canoe livery and park are free but they fill up quick, especially on weekends. The Kellog or Kresge eye building is directly across the street and has free parking.
How much to rent a tube ?
NatureLove44
Ann Arbor, MI8 contributions
It is usually $10 for two hours, but they are not renting tubes this year due to Covid-19.
Sandy A
12 contributions
Can I bring a cell phone on the kayak?
JenHen2003
Dallas, TX335 contributions
You can, but make sure you buy a watertight drypouch made to keep things dry. We tried a plain old ziplock bag, tipped over, and that killed our phone. So we have no pictures of our trip on the river.
hdnasrallah
Ann Arbor, MI4 contributions
Is there an electrical outlet at Argo Park where we can blow up our own tubes once we arrive?
rhermann2016
Ann Arbor, MI12 contributions
^ "Cigarette lighter" is the 12 volt power outlet in your car, not a flame-type lighter... Just to be clear. :)
sillyphilly2015
Philadelphia, PA1 contribution
Do you have a printed list and/or pictures of the boats and stand up paddle boards that will be in your public auction on May 9?
Thanks so much. 😊