Bellbrook Canoe Rental

Bellbrook Canoe Rental We rent Canoes, Kayaks, and Tubes. A safe and friendly atmosphere for families and friends to enjoy nature out on the river. (Updated 8-5-15)
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All trips leave from the Canoe Rental at the top of each hour, and we encourage everyone to arrive 40 mins early so you can register before the trip leaves. All boats are dropped off at the Narrows reserve and go down river to the Canoe Rental. The trip is 5.2 Miles and take anywhere between 1.5-3 hours depending on water levels. Tubes are dropped off at a half way point and can take between 2-3 h

ours depending on water levels. We sell snacks and drinks in the registration office as well as flip flops and other amenities.

*Weather Advisory*
Due to the nature of pop up thunderstorms, trips will still go out so long as there is no thunder or lightning. We do not cancel trips if there is only a forecast for thunderstorms, they are only canceled if, at the time of departure, it is lighting or thundering. This means that it is possible for storms to appear while on your trip. It is recommended that you check the weather before you arrive to determine if you want to go out.

*Please Be Advised*
-Any lost, damaged, or stolen equipment will incure a fee that must be paid before leaving the premises.
-Kids ages 10 and under must wear a life jacket at all times. We provide life jackets for everyone (or you may bring your own).
-Every passenger on canoe or kayak must keep a life jacket with them in the boat or on themselves at all times.
-All boats and tubes must be returned to the canoe rental by 7:00 pm or a fee will incure.
-Ohio Law states that no alcohol may be permitted on ALL Ohio waterways.
-Dogs must be leashed on the Bellbrook Canoe Rental property (they may be unleashed on the river).
-All paid passengers must receive a customized stamp on their hands (given after payment is made in full) to be allowed to load the bus that drops off at the Narrows.

09/05/2026

Barring a disaster, we do plan to be open tomorrow (Sat 9/5/26)!

Now, I feel I need to address something. Just so everyone is clear. But before doing that, let me say that I am well aware people have had a bad time paddling at our place. Whether that is our fault, their fault, or a mixture of blame; I get that it happens. Not everyone is going to be happy, and that is okay. I'm generally not going to call someone out on reasons why they had a bad experience. However, when flat out misinformation is being shared, and it could affect everyone, I need to point out the issue. So here I go.

The question: Are pets allowed on canoes and kayaks?

The Answer: YES, in the vast majority of cases. As long as pets are on a leash (or controlled) at the rental and not getting wet before we get you to the drop off spot, that is fine. There are only a handful of cases where pets would not be allowed, and here they are.

1. Most of the time the pets are dogs. However, we've seen a cat go out as well. They are all fine. If you want to bring your rat, guinea pig, hamster, gerbil, go for it... assuming you have confidence in their survival. Shoot, if you want to bring a parrot on your shoulder, and go for the pirate theme, that is fine.
However, if you bring something like an alligator, crocodile, or a python; then yes, we are probably going to say no.... Although, honestly, maybe I would let the python slide as long as I am assured it won't slither away and become a problem.... Actually, no one test that. But I think you get the point. Most pets are welcomed. But yeah, a pet tiger or something exotic, not so much.

2. Back during the COVID period, we had state mandates saying dogs weren't allowed. Apparently, people would be way too tempted to pet them, and that would spread COVID. I personally thought that explanation was a little questionable, but we had to enforce it. By enforcing, I mean paying lip service, and telling people that dogs weren't allowed. However, it seemed like dogs somehow kept sneaking by us, if they were brought to our place. So, if we ever have another disease grip the nation of fear, yes, it might be possible that "you can't bring your pet".

3. If your pet is a menace to society, then we might say no. I understand dogs might have a small scuffle with one another. But if your pet is consistently acting poorly towards other dogs or people then that is a problem. If your pet, unprovoked, is charging at people/other pets, growling, and attempting to bite them; that is a problem. I can think of one possible time where this may have happened. So bad behavior would make us say no to a pet. Which, is another reason why exotic pets might be a problem.

4. Your dog isn't a dog. It's a skinwalker. Really, that could apply to any pet. We don't want a skinwalker lurking at the canoe rental. So keep them away from here. Any pets that are cosmic entities or fall into the supernatural realm should probably remain at home.

There are probably other reasons, but this post is long enough. To sum it up. 99% (maybe higher) of the time, PETS ARE ALLOWED!!!

Let me preface this post with I have not done in depth research on what weather in the month of September will look like...
09/02/2026

Let me preface this post with I have not done in depth research on what weather in the month of September will look like. This is based on current water conditions and what the month of September is typically like. Which if this month is anything like August, who knows if anything I'm saying will hold up.

The water is back to what I would classify as lower levels. Still pretty good for what it is usually like at this time of year, but you will definitely notice it being low if you go out. And barring any massive amounts of rain, it is probably going to get lower. We plan to remain open through September, and usually, during this time of the year, the majority of people do fine. However, there are always exceptions, so here is our low water warning.

First off, single kayaks and tandem kayaks will get through the water with more ease. As of now, we will still rent canoes, but be prepared for a tougher time if you do so.

Secondly, I would come here being fully prepared to drag in quite a few areas, and prepared to possibly have to get out in a few low spots. I find that the average for getting out and moving the kayak/canoe a short distance to higher water is 3 to 5 times, but that can vary depending on two factors. I personally, have to get out on average 1 to 2 times, and that is usually related to the factors that I will mention.

Factor 1- Weight. This should be obvious, but I find many people have been clueless about it in the past. More weight in the kayak/canoe means the kayak/canoe will ride lower in the water. A 170 pound person is going to naturally have an easier time than a 300 pound person assuming all other factors are the same. I personally have a gut that looks like I ate a giant cheeseburger, so yes, I usually get out at least once due to that. Smaller people could possibly avoid that. Unless asked, we are not going to tell you, to your face, that you are too fat or too jacked to go on the river. Most people wouldn't take that well... Actually, maybe the jacked person would appreciate it, but you get the point. So use your own judgment wisely. Making this judgment may require you to be honest with yourself.

Factor 2- How well you navigate the river is a huge factor. Occasionally, I goof this up at times. On the river, some spots will be lower than others. You will need to read the river, and get to the higher areas. In faster moving areas on the river you will be able to see an upside down V (see picture). This is where the water is a little deeper and flowing better. Trying to paddle through the V, can usually get you through most areas with a fair amount of ease (will probably drag). Navigating the river can be the difference between getting out 25 times vesus 3 times. Every year someone comes back telling me that the river was "impossible to get through without walking half of the trip." They scoff whenever I inform them that in that case they probably didn't steer well, but it is the case... Or factor 1 is an issue for them.

Hopefully this post serves as a warning for some, and provides others with advice that will be helpful on the river.

We had a suggestion in the comments of our last post that the employee, whose mistakes were discussed, should be punishe...
08/27/2026

We had a suggestion in the comments of our last post that the employee, whose mistakes were discussed, should be punished by cleaning canoes with a tooth brush. I said that I could arrange that. So here is the picture to show that it happened. I think we'll take away the writer ups.

08/26/2026

Our apologies to those on the "10am" trip today. It managed to become the 11am trip after several blunders. One employee was running late, which already threw things off.... he received a write up. Then upon leaving, said employee had to turn the bus around to get the canoe trailer, which he assumed was attached to the bus... it wasn't. Not sure who took it off...another write up for him. Then the bus overheated on the way to the Narrows. It was a disaster, and made us look like a bunch of amateurs. Hopefully this sequence of events never happens again. Partial refunds were offered to those who took the trip, but I still felt a public apology was owed.

This employee, who may or may not be writing this post is dangerously close to getting fired. It will certainly be strange if he has to fire himself. In all seriousness, though, sorry to the 10am trip.

We are open today (Sunday 8/23/26)! Our place still looks like garbage due to some flood damage we took. Unfortunately, ...
08/23/2026

We are open today (Sunday 8/23/26)!

Our place still looks like garbage due to some flood damage we took. Unfortunately, it won't be fully repaired for a few days. However, that should not affect going down the river! If it does, I'm sorry that your mind was stained by the current ugliness of our place.

Just have some caution when driving in our parking lot (it is a mud hole) and walking around. Hope to see you!

08/22/2026

It has been brought to our attention that our Facebook posts make it difficult to understand whether or not we are closed. So here is a step by step guide on how to read a post about us closing.

Step 1. You must know how to read the English language. I know we have some errors in spelling and grammar, but they should be minor enough that an education in reading can get you through it.

Step 2. Look for the phrase, "We are closed." This phrase is key to finding out if we are closed.

Step 3. Look for the day and date that follow the phrase in step 2. That will give the day that we are closed.

Step 4. Any other information provided is just for additional insight/information. If we have phrases like ,"We might be closed on [insert day], but aren't sure yet." That means that we have not yet declared that we are closed. We are waiting to see.

Hopefully this helps. And I will admit the blunder earlier this week may have been confusing, but the vast majority of the time this guide should work.

08/22/2026

Unfortunately the water did not lower quite enough overnight. We are closed Saturday (8/22) for high water. If you had a reservation, you will be refunded. Sorry for the inconvenience.

We have not yet decided if we will be open on Saturday. The river has receded quite a bit, but it is still running too h...
08/21/2026

We have not yet decided if we will be open on Saturday. The river has receded quite a bit, but it is still running too high as of now. Personally, I doubt we will open, but we will see. I suspect that I won't know until tomorrow morning. We currently do not have many reservations. So if people are considering to go out tomorrow, just hold off, and wait to see if we're open. If we are open you can schedule online for a timeslot 2 hours away, or you can walk in and pay. If this advice backfires and we book out, my apologies, but I'd rather not be refunding 200 people.

Those that have reservations: If we close due to high water, we will refund you. We most likely will not close for any other reason. If we are open, and you come out, be aware it will be pretty messy at our place. We need to get gravel placed in several areas on the property, and clean up debris. It shouldn't drastically affect trip operations or anything, but it will be an eyesore... some of which you can see in the picture.

Figured that I might as well provide an update. The water has receded quite a bit since this morning. You can compare th...
08/20/2026

Figured that I might as well provide an update. The water has receded quite a bit since this morning. You can compare these pictures with those from the previous post. It got high, but thankfully it was far from the worst flooding we've seen... Now that I've said that we'll probably get some random storm that will bury the whole place under 20 feet of water. Anyway, we are closed tomorrow (Friday 8/21), but I'm hoping water levels will be okay on Saturday. I know there is rain in the forecast, but hopefully it won't be 4 to 6 inches. We'll see.

Thank you for going fairly easy on me in the previous post. The vast majority of comments were good natured and pretty funny. I appreciate it.

This is quite awkward after the last post, but WE ARE CLOSED TODAY (Thursday 8/20) due to high water. The writer of the ...
08/20/2026

This is quite awkward after the last post, but WE ARE CLOSED TODAY (Thursday 8/20) due to high water. The writer of the post is fully prepared to be heckled. We had enough heavy rain last night that it finally caused the river to get fairly high. My guess is that we will be closed tomorrow (Friday) as well. We will see about Saturday. As always, those with reservations will be refunded. Sorry for the inconvenience and perhaps the overconfidence of the last post.

Address

3234 Washington Mill Road
Bellbrook, OH
45305

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 3pm
Tuesday 10am - 3pm
Wednesday 10am - 3pm
Thursday 10am - 3pm
Friday 10am - 3pm
Saturday 9am - 3pm
Sunday 9am - 3pm

Telephone

+19378484812

Website

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