Our Tennessee Float Trips

Caney Fork River – Most Popular River Float

Our 3-5 hour river float is the perfect choice for those who like to spend the day on the water! Depending on water flow and launch location, this trip can be paddled in 3-5 hours on average while also allowing time to stop at sand bars along the way. This is also a great option for those looking to fish along the way and are in search of the larger elusive Rainbow Trout. With several nests along the Caney Fork River, bald eagles frequently fly overhead while Blue Herons guide your way downriver.

With the beautiful sights and wildlife, this river excursion will give you plenty to see and plenty to do with your day spent canoeing or kayaking the Caney Fork River!

Trip times vary depending on water and weather conditions:

Weekdays: 10am, and 12pm

Weekends: Hourly from 9am-2pm

Self Servicing canoe and kayak rentals are Coming Soon to Canoe the Caney. If you have transportation to and from wherever you are going but seem to be a boat or two short then we now have you covered! Book your self service rental where you get to choose how many canoes, kayaks, and even tandem kayaks you will be needing. Then just come here to us and pick them up, all we ask is you have them back by the end of the day.

Happy Hollow is the shortest trip option, offering up 6 miles of full-on nature. Starting at Center Hill Dam, this is a great stretch of water that serves up a whole lot of nature in a little bit of time. You’ll float under magnificent treetops and over colorful brown and rainbow trout. Your adventure takes you between towering rock bluffs and wide-open green pastures of farmland before ending at the first pick-up point. Whether you’re looking for an easy paddle or a chance to hook the big one, this is the easiest way to immerse yourself in this amazing natural habitat and soak up a small dose of the rustic river known as the Caney Fork. Come on out and get your dose of nature today!

The Bettys Island float trip is our most popular float trip we offer at Canoe the Caney. This trip takes you 9 miles downriver from just below Center Hill Dam. In addition to the magnificent Happy Hollow scenery, you’ll pass under the 1800s train bridge, famous for its appearance in The Green Mile movie. Take time to search out a nest of bald eagles and watch the world zip by as you float lazily underneath 3 sets of interstate bridges. Keep an eye on the water too. You might just see the reflection of rainbow or brown trout zipping around your vessel. It’s easy to let your mind wander as you float on down the river. Come on out, clear your mind and treat yourself to some much-needed nature.

The Stonewall River trip, an easy paddle, takes you from Happy Hollow downriver to the old historic Stonewall Bridge, built in 1901 and famous for its unique 90-degree turn. This is a great stretch of water that serves up a whole lot of nature in a little bit of time. You’ll float under magnificent treetops and over colorful brown and rainbow trout. This rustic river adventure takes you between towering rock bluffs and wide-open green pastures of farmland. Paddling under the old 1800s train bridge filmed in the movie The Green Mile, starring Tom Hanks, gives this stretch of water its own star quality. And from there, it’s likely you’ll see bald eagles nesting near Goat Mountain. Statuesque great blue herons leads you down river as they play cat and mouse, stopping alongside the edge of the river to give you just enough time to spot them and catch up. Keep you eyes peeled, because high up along the bluff you’ll spot the Yuchi Caverns as well as lost mines tucked in tight. Further downstream of Betty’s Island you’ll see old Sebowisha Plantation, the former home site of Tennessee Central Railroad Tycoon, Jere Baxter.

This Fall at Canoe the Caney, bring your friends and climb aboard for a spine-tingling, after-dark, historic ghost tour.

Setting the stage for this chilling adventure, The Haunted Canoe Trip takes you into the spooky world of  Center Hill Lake after dark. This haunting venture is an epic, spine-tingling ghost tour that first wanders to the old cemetery. Stay close as you hear the accounts of a flooded town with lost graves, ghostly encounters, unexplained voices, and eerie sounds.

Are you brave enough to paddle these waters as your tour takes you deep into the Cove? It’s frightening, it’s unbelievably dark, and….it’s real! Join us — if you dare.

Get ready for one of the most exciting adventures Canoe the Caney has ever offered! The Hidden Falls excursion takes paddlers on a six mile round trip excursion into secluded coves leading up to a beautiful waterfall.

*Pro Tip: As this paddle is a flat water lake paddle with some pushback from the waterfall, the paddle to and from can require some extra effort, especially if you are use to the gentle flow of the Caney Fork River… We suggest you share the effort with a paddle partner. This trip is most enjoyable when paddling with a partner in either a canoe or tandem kayak!

This trip is available at limited times only, as water levels have to be just right to offer it. When this trip is available, bring your friends and family for one of the most scenic and breathtaking adventures you’ve ever experienced.

The trip starts on Center Hill Lake where you will begin the 6 mile 3-5 hour paddle on open water. At the end of the cove guests will reach the destination of the massive waterfall standing over 50 feet tall! Since the “Upper” Caney Fork has some larger areas, it is also great for your next large scout group or church outing. Both guided and self guided trip options are available.

Canoe the Caney is proud to offer some of the most beautiful trips along the riverbanks of the “Upper” Caney Fork River (Center Hill Lake). On these trips paddlers will enjoy either a 6-mile, 9-mile or 12-mile round trip along the banks of the upper Caney as they explore beautiful coves, waterfalls and an abundance of wildlife and nature. Unlike our “lower” river excursions, the  “upper” excursions allow guests to explore the waterfalls of the Caney as well as other beautiful secluded coves,  and islands. These trips are very subjective to time of year and water levels.

The second trip begins at the beautiful Lakeside Resort complex where paddlers can book their nights stay  and wake up to enjoy a 6-mile trip around Davies Island and to “picnic bay”, where if you prepared ahead, you can enjoy a relaxing picnic lunch on the banks of the island. This trip is very popular in April and May as well as September and October.

Canoeing or Kayaking a new river is always an adventure and we’re here to help make it the best day possible. Our short river float is the perfect choice for those who like a slower, meandering pace. Depending on water flow and launch location, this trip can be paddled in 1 -3 hours on average while also allowing time to stop at sand bars along the way. This is also a great option for those with small kids, first-time paddlers, or those looking to fish.

With the beautiful sights and wildlife, this short river paddle will give you plenty to enjoy as well as the excitement to come back and experience our longer excursion on your next visit!

Trip times vary depending on water and weather conditions:

Weekdays: 10am, and 12pm

Weekends: Hourly from 9am-2pm

This year brings a brand-new experience to the Caney Fork River, as Canoe the Caney introduces for the first time ever The Pirate’s Dinner and Sunset River Cruise!

Your evening begins with a Capt’n Jabeez dinner of hearty grub, served up by the galley crew, all while you enjoy some family-friendly, swashbuckling entertainment of music, comedy, and tales of the Caney Fork River told by our resident sea dog, Pirate Sam.

Then climb aboard our nostalgic trolley for a brief historic tour as you pass through the deserted ghost Town of Buffalo Valley, once a large shipping port during the 19^th Century. Hear stories of how the steamboats and log rafts that made their way up and down the Caney Fork, and about the pirates that trailed them. You’ll then board your canoe and enjoy one of the most scenic stretches of river in Tennessee. As evening arrives, scan the treetops for the magnificent birds of prey: eagles, hawks and owls. Listen to the sounds of evening as the rainbow trout leap and twist, splashing into the cool water. Watch as the playful river otters glide in front, or alongside your canoe, and enjoy the beautiful sunset as colors of pink, orange and purple paint the sky.

Join us for our Jet Ski Waterfall Tour on Center Hill Lake. This guided tour of Center Hill Lake takes 3-4 hours and explores some of the most popular destinations along the lake. See some of the best spots on the lake including 2 gorgeous towering waterfalls right on the water. One of the most popular canoe and kayak trips, now on Jet Skis!

The Stonewall River trip from Long Branch (just below Center Hill) is a full day of fun. This 9:00 to 5:00 excursion is NOT your typical day of work. Here, you’ll be reaching for your camera instead of your mouse or phone.

As the river unfolds past beautiful landscapes like a tapestry of brilliant shapes and colors, history comes alive with old train bridges and hidden caverns, while green pastures come into view, dotted with robust, shiny-coated horses and meandering cows feasting in the distance. All from the comfort of your seat….not at your desk or in a car…but above the cool water softly rippling underneath.

A magnificent 1800s train bridge gives you a glimpse of what life was like in years past, while soaring bald eagles gliding overhead invite your mind to focus on this timeless picture of majestic grace. Down below, rainbow and brown trout scurry alongside your vessel looking for their next big bug, while great blue heron play cat and mouse as you both move along in perfect harmony immersed in this natural and rustic habitat.

Sit back and enjoy your job for the day—the best kind of 9 to 5.