Morgan’s Canoe and Outdoor Adventures

I rate 4 stars because some people not very nice put the trip is wonderful and the senery is incredible very wonderful place

We enjoyed our trip, but then waited 40 minutes for a shuttle to pick us up. The life vests are extremely worn and ragged. Honestly we had a great time, but sitting around for so long waiting for a shuttle left us with a bad taste. Will likely go elsewhere next time where customer service matters

We camped at their riverside campgrounds with a group of our friends over the fourth of July weekend. We were told by our friends that the campsite was paid in full but upon arrival we were charged $ 52 for two nights of camping. We did not remember the last name of our friend that reserved the campsite and they would not let us go back and find her. We finally got back to our campsite and it was plenty big enough for the large group that was camping. However there was only ONE porta potty for at least 6 large campsites. My husband wanted to take my six year old daughter to look at the river and wanted to borrow a life jacket due to the high rushing water. They wanted to charge him FIVE dollars for her to wear it 20 minutes. They also kept driving by our site to make sure people had their parking sticker. Then on top of it, I found out that our friends had to put a $ 100 deposit down on our campsite and it was refunded based on an inspection of our campsite. All of these extra charges and rules and regulations really makes you think they do not trust their campers. My family are avid campers but I would not go back to this campground on our own.

Went here for the first time since the Cincy places were all closed due to river conditions. The ladies at the desk were very nice and explained things well. We have our own kayaks so we were just looking for the transport. No one helped us put in on the river, the guys just stood talking to each other. When we got out at the 6 mile point we were again disappointed with the service. There were a bunch of canoes on the shore and hardly any room to get out safely. No one offered to help, there was only one «crew» guy and he just stood and watched the canoes pile up on the shore. We waited ½ hour to get on the shuttle. We then had to wait ANOTHER ½ hour waiting for our kayaks to make it back. Super disappointed and won’t be back! Going to try out Little Miami instead for this portion of the river.

I went here for the first time a few weeks ago and had a blast. I went with a group of 7 people and I was able to share a canoe comfortably with 2 others. 2 rowers and 1 sat in the middle.
The canoe rentals are very reasonably priced, especially if you’re splitting amongst a group. We did a 6-​mile route and spent about 3 hours on the river with a few stops along the way. It was very easy to navigate and is good for beginners as well as more frequent rowers, since there are small splits throughout the river that you can choose to navigate to your own level. We were able to stop at a rope swing that was securely tied onto a tree about 10 feet upwards and we all swung off and jumped in, which was a nice and fun stop along the way. The scenery was very beautiful and we were able to see tons of turtles and a few herons. It was also very clean throughout! The staff were also super friendly, helpful, and laid back. At the end of the course, theyll come pick you up in their van to drive you back to the main center.
I would highly recommend Morgan’s to anyone who wants a little break for adventure.

So, so rude!
I’m a seasoned canoe/​kayak-​er and I’ve never come across a company that is so consistently rude.
If the website specifically says to call before you go out there… you should expect a lot of phone calls. Have a little courtesy.
We took our business to Little Miami Canoe Rental. So much better. And cheaper.

It has been years since I have been to Morgans and I am not 100% convinced that I would be back any time soon. Went this past Saturday with my husband, and 2 friends. Girls at the front desk were not very personable, and did not ask if we wanted to upgrade to the «better» canoe. We didn’t even realize there was another option until we were getting into our metal canoe and everyone else was getting into an obviously nicer canoe. We went to get in our canoes and waited for someone to push us off into the water, since they were pushing everyone else in and nobody helped, a couple that was waiting ended up pushing both of our canoes off. Only had to deal with one group of drunk people on the river, and the guy asked me if I wanted to get splashed I told him no, then he took his oar and slammed it into the water, getting my pretty wet. Um ok thanks random drunk guy. We decided to stay back a little bit until they were far enough ahead of us. When we finished our trip we came back on the shore and pulled our canoe in, after nobody offered to help. We stood around, not sure what to do, do we keep our oar, life vest? What? We finally heard staff telling a family what to do, so then we got on the bus and were on our way back. Picked up our keys from the front desk and the same girls were still there and kinda tossed my keys on the counter, oh um ok thats how it is. With so many other places to canoe in the area I would think that customer service would be a little better. Oh well. Going canoeing in a few weeks, and we are going to try another place, if they are worse we wil be back at Morgans I suppose…

Pick either the Ohio or Indiana location — both are beautiful. If you kayak, it’s a great deal — $ 25 rental fee for the day. Go early in the day to bypass the cabrewers and it feels like the river belongs to you. One of my favorite things to do in Cincinnati.

On my recent trip to Morgan’s I was very excited to do a little relaxing canoeing with my group of family and friends. I halfway got what I wanted.
We decided to do the longest available trip they had which was the 12 mile trek down the Little Miami River which eventually ended with us back at Ft. Ancient. The price was decent. We ended up getting a group rate which ended up being around 37 dollars a canoe. That price included a $ 5 upgrade to the ‘Old Town’ or, fiberglass boats which are lighter and easier to control. Also included everything you needed to get started, like the 15 minute drive to the launching location, equipment, and canoe transportation. There is a coupon in the yellow pages that will give you buy one canoe, get one free on the weekdays and $ 6 off a canoe on the weekends.
The people at the front desk were not very helpful. They didn’t offer an explanation of how long each amount of mileage would take, what kind of boat (fiberglass or metal) to buy, when to leave, or anything that a newcomer would need to even get started. We were even left to just figure out when and where to get our equipment like lifejackets and paddles.
One of the first problems that we ran into was that the 12 mile trip takes around 5 hours to complete with minimal stopping and having left at 1:00 due to some delay we weren’t able to stop all that much and relax and swim or eat because of the 6:00 curfew. Also there is a $ 20 charge for each hour you are late for curfue which we weren’t informed of either and luckily were able to get in before the set time. I recommend getting there closer to 9 or 10 if you plan on doing the 12 mile option.
Initially the trip did not start out good. The first three or so miles of the trip was pretty much a bunch of stop and go with me getting out to push the canoe because it was so shallow and we continually kept getting stuck on the rocks. After about 3 – 4 miles we stopped for lunch at one of the many rocky beach locations. We then launched off again on what was more of the «rapids» strip of the river. Less rocks but still a couple the getting out and pushing scenarios.
After our second snack stop and some football throwing we left on what was the better half of the trip. This part of the river was wider, deeper and more relaxing as we basically just coasted the whole rest of the way to the end.
If you plan on going to Morgan’s I would say first, get there early, second, bring a coupon, third ask a lot of questions as we were almost stuck with the inferior canoes. And last, go with the 6 or 9 mile option as the first three miles of the 12 mile choice are just a bunch or rocks. I know it’s not Morgan’s fault that it was so shallow but they could warn you about it before you pay.
I have yet to try out Little Miami canoeing but I think that I will try them out next time just to compare. I wouldn’t avoid Morgan’s but I just think there are a number of easy things they could do to make the whole experience a lot more comfortable.

This is a great place to spend a lazy weekend day with the family, or perhaps just with a special someone (or by yourself — whatever blows your skirt up). I’ve been a couple of times now and really enjoy it. The river is clean, deep enough almost the entire way without having to get out of the canoe/​kayak (unless it’s been really dry). It’s a really nice 6 mile trip, and I’m looking forward to trying the 12 and spending the whole day on the river.
The only downsides are the funky life jackets (you are now wearing the sweat and funk of the last 2000 people who used it), and the volume of people that can be found on the river if it’s really nice and in the dead of summer. I have to agree with Lauren, if you’re planning on having some brewskis on the trip keep it discreet, I’ve seen plain clothes cops in kayaks, and they’re supposed to hang out on the bike path that runs along the river as well.
All in all a fun time and worth the trip.

Morgan’s has two location in the area. One in Brookville, Indiana and one in Oregonia, Ohio. It had been years since my last canoe trip, almost every time I went when I was younger we traveled West to the Brookville location. I think all of my friends and family were a little more familiar with the area and if I remember correctly the Brookville route on the Little Miami River has a few more perfect places to wipe out.
Regardless we arrived to a mess of families with coolers and dogs waiting for the next bus. Most of our party was running late so I heard the phrase «The days of cabrewing are over, people.» a few too many time for comfort. It’s sort of true, if you plan to drink anything on the river without being caught, issued a ticket and potentially arrested it’s a great idea to use a great amount of discretion. Disguise your beverages and stay sober enough to make it back in time. While the signs indicated that all coolers would be searched, I didn’t see any evidence that this was the case but that could certainly be a day to day decision.

I’m not a big outdoors person (I’m done with camping), but one thing I have always enjoyed is canoeing on the Little Miami River. Over the years I’ve gone to Morgan’s Canoe Livery several times, which is near Lebanon and about a 10 minute drive past Kings Island and The Beach Waterpark.
Morgan’s was established by Bob Morgan in 1969 in the Ft. Ancient Gorge of the Little Miami River, and although it’s a bit removed from actual towns and suburbs, people from all over Southwest Ohio – and probably a bit beyond – have been heading to Morgan’s for years.
Although it’s in a secluded area of the Little Miami, I always feel very safe going out on the scenic river. Seeing that Morgan’s has now been in business for almost 40 years is always assuring, and they closely monitor river conditions and have more than enough life jackets too. They are very friendly and have a large stock of not only canoes, but kayaks and rafts too. It is very peaceful out on the river and it’s a lot of fun to go in large groups, especially with a camp or other organization.
Morgan’s also has a campground and cabins, and with that comes camping and canoeing specials. There are also nearby trails and other outdoor/​nature options, although I’d prefer to stick with the canoeing. Morgan’s also offers up some history and safety-​related programs, and they even have a climbing wall.
Rates vary with the different boats and different paddling distances/​times, but they are all reasonable and worth it for the fun.