Zaloo’s Canoes

Yesterday we rented 4 tubes from Zaloo’s Canoes and took a raft of our own. Since it was after 1:30 we took the tubes back after hours and put them where we were instructed. The lady who waited on us couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. She gave us a map and told us where to park our car and where to go to get in the river. The day was perfect but this morning all six of us felt like we’d been beat with a stick. Sore muscles from getting whipped by the New River! It was such a fun day. Had an 8 month old baby with us in the raft and he had a blast. We will definitely go back again.

We were first timers at both Zaloo’s and at canoeing yesterday but we had a great day on the 5-​mile trip! I called the day before to make a reservation. The first time I called, no one answered, but when I called back later in the afternoon, a helpful employee answered a bunch of my questions and even gave me tips about the other nearby places we planned to visit on our day in the mountains.
My only complaints were with the employees the day of our trip. There was a young girl working at the counter who gave us *no* direction. We asked enough questions to almost feel comfortable, but other employees were giving people full-​fledged guidance where our girl just shrugged her shoulders and smiled when I jokingly asked, «are we going to die?» Once we checked in, we grabbed our cooler and a thermos we’d brought and wandered until we finally guessed we were supposed to go where the guy was launching canoes and kayaks. The lady behind us was screaming at him about them not having the exact boat she wanted and he was obviously flustered but he also gave us no guidance so hubby got in the front and me in the back of the canoe. When we got a little downstream, we figured out that the back seat seemed to do more work than the front so we found a shallow place and got in the water and changed seats.
The river was crystal clear and there were lots of places to stop and picnic or swim or fish. After we got to the place to get out, we felt like we wanted more, but 10 miles would have been way too much. We wished we’d stopped and taken it a little slower, and played a little more along the way.
There was no one to give direction when we got to the exit point, and not even an employee nearby. We «parked» the canoe in the mud and were dangling our feet in the water waiting for some direction when we saw a little snake swimming very close to us. That was my cue that our trip was over! We pulled the canoe out and another customer helped my husband carry it up the few steps. We were content to just sit and wait but an employee finally came by and asked for our names. We weren’t supposed to be on the shuttle that he was taking then (the next one would have been in about a half hour, which really would have been ok) but he said he had room and we hopped aboard. No ac in the van and cloth seats which i thought was weird since I would expect that most people are at least a little wet/​dirty.
When we got back to the rental area, again no directions about turning in life vests or paddles but we eventually checked out with little problem and sat to have lunch at one of the picnic tables. Employees asked several times if there was anything they could do for us. We woulda liked to get back in the river and cool off before we left but there really isn’t a place for that.
In all, it was a really great day. It would have been perfect with a little more help from employees and we’ll definitely go back now that we know what to expect!

I went with a group from Piedmont hiking and outing club on 6-​29-​2013. I had not done this section in –maybe 20 years! These people are simply wonderful! What a wonderful fun day for families, friends and just even by yourself having a solitary moment. the water was great this weekend! Everyone needs to do this with their kids and grandkids. Much better than an amusement park. LT in HP, NC

My husband camped at the New River State Park in NC. Originally, we went to another place to rent a canoe but felt unwelcome there so we came to this place. Zaloo’s Canoes has great service! Very friendly staff. I feel welcome here. We had a great adventure canoeing down the New River: Very peaceful, gentile flowing water, and beautiful green countryside. I was getting over a flu so I did not do much paddling, and my husband didn’t have to work hard steering down the river. The 5 mile trip took us about 2.5 hours. I feel very safe throughout the trip. Did not have any water splashed into our canoe at all. Bring a large plastic bag for all your belongings just in case it rain. I do recommend this place for family with kids. Bring some bug spray, although I only encounter one fly on me. This is a great place to go tubing with your family. The deepest area I encountered was about 3 – 4 feet. Someone recommended going in the morning for less chances of a thunderstorm and he was right. We were here at 9 AM. deployed at 9:30 AM. FYI, if you miss the pickup site and you want to paddle back upstream toward the pickup site, paddle your canoe closer to the river banks for less strong water current. See my pictures for references.

We rented tubes ($ 10 with a discount) for a trek down the river. My only complaint was to give me a map or any type of instruction as I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I wasn’t sure what to do or how to contact them if it started storming I was the only adult with a couple of kiddos. It was shallow so we felt safe and it was fun. They trek you to a spot in a van then you head back down to where you rented the tubes from.

I trekked up here with a huge group of coworkers and their families in order to do the 5-​mile float down the river. They all rented canoes and kayaks from Zaloo’s and I brought my own yak along with me. Zaloo’s also gives lots of other options including a 10-​mile float and multi-​day long camping trips. I’m honestly eager to hit up one of those camping trips after getting to know the area on the 5-​mile trip.
Along the way you really are out in some scenic necks-​of-​the-​woods. The New River runs through a valley betwixt the mellow Appalachian mountains. The views are beautifully peaceful. You can float casually with the slow pull of the river or mad-​paddle your way down the length of it. There are plenty of times you will want to stop and just take in the beauty of it all, have a swim or prop yourself on a rock in the river for lunch. Also, the river is shallow enough in most spots that you can stand up. Bring a kayak and you can stop and stand just about anywhere and easily hold onto your boat.
There is a fee of course for renting the canoes or kayaks they offer and a fee for the truck to bring you back to the start. (How else would you get back to your car?) Also they will take your picture on a spiffy photographer grade Nikon and sell it to you for $ 15 at the end. Overall even with the per-​canoe price and the picture (which is totally optional to buy) it’s totally worth it. You get a nice drive through the hills to get here and back plus a smooth ride through the valleys on the river. It’s a pretty easy trip for anybody coming from Charlotte or other surrounding areas in the mountains or the Piedmont.