Scenic River Canoe Excursions

We’ve used Scenic River twice for canoe and kayak rentals, and service has been great both times. They had plenty of canoes, kayaks, etc. where some other places we called had booked up. The people on site were friendly and helpful, and the buses ran pretty often so we didn’t have to wait to get on the water. We will definitely be back next year!

There are a few options for canoeing and kayaking in the area, but these guys are so close. With the other companies it feels like you have to take a road trip just to get there.

We had a large group and were beginners at kayaking and the instructors were extremely helpful. They were also very nice and welcoming. The stretch of the river was beautiful. We had such a fun time admiring the beauty of the water and wildlife!

Very disappointing experience with Scenic River Canoe Excursions today. Why, you might ask? Well, there was no «excursion» to be had. I had called this morning and spoke with the owner to confirm that they were open (their Facebook page said they were open today, as did their website). He assured me that they were open, and asked when my group was coming. I told him my wife and I would be coming between 12:30pm-1:00pm, and asked if this was too late. «No, not at all,» he said. Well, you can imagine my surprise when I showed up at 12:45pm and an employee on his way out (Zach) said that they were closed. I explained that I had called ahead, spoke with the owner, etc. (as described above). He apologized, but wouldn’t let us rent a canoe. The trip was supposed to be a surprise for my wife’s birthday, to make matters worse. Lesson learned: go with one of the other outfitters who doesn’t close up without warning when they know the have customers coming.

I did the 2 mile trip which went by pretty quickly. However, it was very peaceful and relaxing. The staff was very friendly and I’m eager to go back and try a longer route. Totally worth $ 15.

I went with a group of friends, there were 13 of us, and SRCE was very accommodating and seem to be pretty used to dealing with big groups. We took out 6 canoes and did the mid-​trip and ended up taking an hour longer than the suggested time of 2 – 3 hours. The staff working didn’t mind at all. You really don’t have to be back until 6pm, but after 6, you are charged $ 15 for every hour over. The Little Miami is a stunning river. It’s clean, homes occasionally dot the hillsides, and the water was refreshing (take a dip!) and there is wildlife and trees of every species. There is a rope swing to jump from some way downriver, and there are lots of little coves and marshes and streams to check out. Some beaches you see are private, but some are not. They aren’t especially sandy, but they can be nice to relax on and perhaps have a picnic. The rapids are minor, but spice up the trip a little bit. You can drink on the river, but BYOB. Also, the staff was very clear: stay off of private property and not to throw trash into the river. Two simple rules to have a great time on the Little Miami!

I’m an avid kayaker and this is my primary location of choice. It’s kind of remote but still close enough to areas like terrace park, milford, anderson, etc.
What I like:
Most canoe/​kayak liveries I have been to in the past start you out at their building location and then you have a pull out point where you wait for a shuttle to take you back to the building and your car. While that works fine, I much prefer how Scenic River does it. They shuttle you up river and drop you off at a drop in point for whichever trip length you are doing (3, 6 or 9 mile) and they all end at the building/​parking lot. No sitting around at the end waiting or having to take a bus ride back when you are finished. Simply run ashore and their employees will pull up your boat and you’re good to go.
The River:
This section of the river is fairly calm on most days but there is a really fun part near the end as you reach the confluence at the end of the island.
Some Advice:
One tip though, don’t forget ice for your coolers. I keep suggesting they could get an ice machine there and make a killing selling it!
A Request:
Lastly, no matter where you go… please treat the river with respect and take your trash back with you so it stays clean and beautiful for years to come!

Had a great experience with this company a few weekends ago. Chose the middle-​range trip, which was running faster than usual, according to the company staff, due to the flow of the river.
Everything was efficiently handled and explained fully. The mini-​bus took us up the river to our drop in point and that let us arrive at the end where we were parked, conveniently located across from a bar/​ballfield.
Mostly the trip was casual-​paddling (forgive my lack of technical terms), but occasionally we ran into more rapid waters that required more strategy. Beautiful home views as you get closer to the drop-​off point.