Voyageurs Outfitters — Local services in Ranier

Make note that many of the local boating-related businesses will ask not to be paid until the full service has been received because they understand the power this system has to encourage good service. This is not one of those companies - we paid in full upfront only to receive defective rental equipment and get left behind at the dock for a scheduled tour, both without any offer of recompense. Communication from this company is vague, misleading, and often simply ill-mannered. We will not consider them in the future and will be advising our friends to do the same.

Edit: Eric, thanks for reminding me. I missed the part where we were late because you decided to wait until 40 minutes prior to departure to tell us that we had to bring our own lunch to the tour. You may want to change the description on your website that states "we will be visiting the historical Kettle Falls Hotel for lunch." Although if you had tried contacting us, then you would have known we were actually on site before you departed (assuming you waited five minutes like you claim). Also, your statement about not being contacted regarding a refund was because you already blew us off once in person when we tried to address the lesser issue of the broken equipment. Since you clearly can't be bothered to take care of even the minor issues, how can we trust you to handle...

This is a mixed review because we loved our 2 hour tour around Rainy Lake with Captain Tim. He is great, knowledgeable and loves what he does. We cannot say enough good things about Tim.

But the reason we did the 2 hour tour was because the night before the 6 hour tour to Kettle Falls was cancelled due to expected windy/rough conditions. We understood and were offered the 2 hour tour and were told we would be refunded the difference. Sounded good and the tour was great. But 3 weeks after the tour, I had to inquire about the refund. Though very quickly I received an email stating I was getting a $300 refund. However, the difference between the 6 hour tour and the 2 hour tour was almost $415 for the 3 of us. They are already way more expensive than the national park tours, but they are more private and run on days the park doesn't. So we were good paying more, but we wound up paying $495 for a 2 hour tour instead of $381.86. So, I followed up requesting the full refund amount, but no reply. They make you pay way in advance, don't offer full refunds more than few months out and there's no discount for children. And the crazy thing is we found a 4 hour evening tour to Kettle Falls with another guide service the same day and only paid $375. I'm glad we did the Rainy Lake tour with Tim, but there are...

Wow! What a great way to get to know the park! The tour was amazing, Captain Tim has native knowledge of the park, its cast of characters and its geological history. Was so nice to have someone local who is passionate about the traditions and about nature. The boat is very comfortable, and covered with closures in case of weather. Cap Tim has equipped it with blankets, treats, drinks, sunscreen, insect spray, life jackets, towels, and even hand sanitizer: every thing you need! It was nice to head out on an excursion without packing a bag of stuff! The tour has a nice pace to it, while Cap Tim notes landmarks, stories, and history throughout. The day passed so quickly, we could have done another 2 hours easily! Kettle Falls hotel was nice also. Food was good and the history of the building and tour was fun to see. We didn't know what to expect at Voyageurs, we were looking for hiking. A bit disappointed in the hiking scene, we were recommended to this tour by the Rainy Lake Visitors center. This really changed our entire outlook on the area, and on our one-week vacation there. THANK YOU CAPTAIN TIM! Would do this again in...