Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals of Tidioute, Pennsylvania

Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals, owned and operated by Piper and Josh Lindell is where my friend Crystal and I go to get our canoes for our annual canoe trip. I have been going on these trips and using this rental location for about seven years, and wouldn't considering going anywhere else for my canoe rental or for the canoe trip itself.

The upper Allegheny is where you will start. It is full of swirling waters, small rapids, and sections of the upper Allegheny where fast currents sweep by hitting plenty of rocks. It may sound a little adventurous, but trust me, it's a perfect place for all skilled or non skilled paddlers.

Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals offers many different trips and rates for their customers, and they now even offer a guide book for newcomers or for regulars if you want to explore a different area or find some new gift shop for souvenirs. The guide is full of suggestions of historical places to visit, cool restaurants, and local events. The guide is water resistant too, just in case you get clumsy and it even floats which I believe is due to the heavy laminate. Another feature of the guide is a comprehensive list of rules and regulations that you need to follow on your travel around the upper Allegheny River.

Trips and rates start off at under $40 per canoe for one day trips, and under $120 for four day, three night trips.

The first trip available on the day trip starts out at Indian Waters itself, and goes down river as far as Tidioute , Pennsylvania. It's about a five mile trip, more like a five mile lazy drift, that can take between one and a half to two hours to navigate and costs about $25 per canoe. This is the shortest trip that they have to offer and gives a lot to explore, especially if you brought the kids.

The second day trip available starts from Buckaloons Recreation Center and ending atthe Indian Waters. This trip is roughly 10 miles and takes anywhere from three and a half hours tofour hours to complete and costs $30 per canoe. With this tour you get to see Wilderness Islands . Wilderness Islands are seven islands at around 368 acres of willows, silver maples, and even an Island called Thompson's Island that is the only Revolutionary War battle ground in northwestern Pennsylvania. Seeing this island would make a great school report for any grade.

The third day trip is from Betts Park to Indian Waters and is a 15 mile trip. It can take anywhere from four to five hours to reach Indian waters, and costs $35 per canoe. This is the perfect get-away-from-it-all trip to take if you want to get away the day and just float about and relax while looking at the scenery and watching the wildlife.

They also have overnight trips available and are the ones that are the most expensive. Overnight trips aren't just a night or two, some of them can be a few weeks. As normal, all of the costs for the overnight trips have taxes attached to them, which are included in the prices.

The first trip is from Betts Park to Indian Waters, which can also be done asa one day trip. The distance is the same, but for a two day one night trip, you will pay $50 per canoe, or you can make it a three day two night trip and pay $65 per canoe. This trip will take you to Wilderness Islands as well, but now you can pitch the tents and go and do some exploring! Then paddle back the next day.

The second overnight trip Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals has to offer is from the historical Kinzua Dam, located just above the city of Warren, Pennsylvania, to Indian Waters. The trip is 26 miles long, and can be a two day, one night trip for $65 per canoe. Or it can be a three day, two night tip for $70 per canoe. This particular trip has a minimum of three canoes for the prices given. If you make the decision to pick this trip, you will all of the aforementioned sights, and even more along the gently winding waters of the Upper Allegheny River.

The last trip also begins at Kinzua Dam, but ends in Tionesta, Pennsylvania. This trip is 45 mile, and can be split up for a three day two night trip at $90 per canoe, or a four day three night trip at $105 per canoe. This trip also has a minimum canoe rental of three for these prices as well.

These 6 trips are their most popular trips, but you can come up with your own trip as long as it revolves around the Allegheny River. Each trip is also listed with an estimated length of time to finish the trip depending on what you do. You can stay in the canoe the whole time, or you can pull off to the side of the river to explore. You could also take a trip all the way to Pittsburgh, but plan on spending a pretty penny. There are discounts offered as well depending on how many canoes you want to take on your trip.

The canoe trip I go on every year isn't listed as one of the most popular trips, and I believe that is because it's the one that Crystal's family has been on for several years longer than I've been going. My trip starts off at Buckaloons, and continues on to Tionesta. It's roughly about 40 miles, and could be done in two days, but we always take three days simply for the extra day of relaxation.

One place that we always stop at every year is what we affectionately refer to as "Jump Rock," and there is a path that leads to where you can jump. It's only about 20 yards or so from our favorite spot on the island we camp on. It's a large boulder than juts out of the water about 7 feet, and there is a varying depth around the rock itself. If you happen to stop there and jump of, you need to be careful about where you jump. When looking out straight ahead of you, take a very small turn to the left. The water is about 6 feet deep where you will land, and I always touch the bottom. It doesn't hurt, but just be aware that you shouldn't jump anywhere where you see even a faint outline of a rock in the water.

My favorite part of the canoe trip is just being able to spend time with my friends and have fun, although camping on the islands is great. It's so quite at night, and there are no phones or TV's running too loud to affect the immeasurably stress free environment. Just remember to bring sunscreen, or it won't stay stress free for long!

All prices for Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals include the canoe, paddles, life vests and sales tax.

Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals is located in Tidioute, Pennsylvania along route 62. Piper and Josh Lindell are friendly and very helpfully with any and all questions you might have regarding their rental services and reservation requirements. For more information, please check out their website at www.alleghenyindianwaters.com

All in all, a canoe trip is a fun way to spend a weekend and a great vacation that doesn't require breaking the bank just to have a wonderful time for a dew days. I would recommend taking a trip with Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals if you are ever in that area. The countryside is beautiful, the water is always relaxing, and if you like being outdoors, this is the place for you. Even if you're not the outdoorsy type, you'll still love it. Trust me when I say you won't be sorry.