Canoe Alaska — Local services in Fairbanks

Overall it was a fun experience, but not sure if I would do it again without some changes being implemented.

Good: -Reasonable Prices -Provide Life jackets -Kayak & Paddle board in good condition

Opportunities for improvement: -Provide a safety briefing before renting (Some are new to Kayaking, canoeing, etc. Having a safety briefing whether it be video format and/or face-to-face brief is not only reassuring for beginners like myself but a refresher might be nice for individuals with more experience)

-Poor communication. Tried calling to coordinate the shuttle service after finishing the kayak ride, but the phone went straight to a prompt asking me to leave a voicemail or email which was extremely frustrating. I suggest even doing WhatsApp or some or form of contacting a shuttle driver. Also, if something goes wrong there is no way to contact anyone.

-Provide better signage/reminders on where to undock. I’m visiting from out of state, so I’m not very familiar with the area. My friend and I were not sure where to undock as the directions were somewhat clear, but after almost getting bulldozed by a boat traveling quickly through the river we were unable to recollect where we needed to undock. My suggestion is maybe putting a reminder sticker on the kayak on where to undock or some flags along the river to direct you to undocking location.

Something to note: Not really a complaint but just be advised if you fall off your kayak there was little to no safe spots to swim to at certain points during the trip so be careful. I recommend having at least one friend join you and avoid solo trips just so you have a hand with recovering the kayak if you...

There are a couple things to keep in mind when renting from these guys.

1)Yes the view was good but there were something about these kayaks that made them feel unstable. I’ve kayaked in the ocean and that felt more stable than these kayaks in the calm water.

2. They give you 2 landmarks to look out for, one was a building that looks like it’s made out of tin and the other being the Love Alaska sign. Most buildings looked like tin and the love Alaska sign was hidden greatly by overgrown vegetation.

3. Because of the poor landmarks we had missed the doc but we tried calling the company to see if they would redirect the shuttle to where we were at but it went straight to voicemail every time which was very frustrating. They had basically disabled any call during work hours which makes no sense to me.

4. The water had several eddy currents that caused the canoes to turn unexpectedly but this didn’t cause major concern, just something to look out for.

5. There are boats that go by here at high speed! We had two boats that went by us and one went right by me which caused a very unsettling wake. Luckily none of...

Living in Alaska, we can’t really complain about the prices businesses charges. Don’t get me wrong… we can but it’s a business and they need to survive just as much as everyone else. My family enjoyed floating down the river. We had a mini competition between my husband and I and he won… go figure lol.

The customer that we experienced on 7/13/24 was friendly, accommodating, service was fast, and they assisted in carrying our canoes to the start area. No reservations required. Their price is good and fair. Our pick up time was at 4:30pm and they arrived before the time and left on time. Don’t forget to let them know you want pick up included. Unless you have other means of someone else picking you up at the end location. Our trip was from Canoe Alaska to The Pump House.

Just to be clear, we are a family of 5 and 2 canoe was enough. 2 adults, 1 teenager, 1 child and a 2 year old. I recommend trying at least once. We had a smooth ride down the river....