Crooked River Adventures, the canoe and kayak livery in Kent, Ohio, operated by the Department of Recreational Services at Kent State University, is now open for the summer. After a successful first season, Crooked River Adventures is expanding upon its previous offerings.

“Last year, we were able to offer the local community something exciting and new, conveniently located right in their neighborhood,” says Dave Herpy, the outdoor adventure coordinator for Kent State’s Department of Recreational Services. “People really embraced us and helped to spread the word about our business. From May through October 2010, we had more than 2,500 participants paddle down the river.”

This year, Crooked River Adventures offer an additional paddling excursion, bringing the number of daily trips to four. All trips include roundtrip transportation to John Brown Tannery Park in downtown Kent. During the week, the facility is open on a reservation basis. Interested participants should call 330-541-7467 or visit www.kent.edu/crookedriver to place their requests. On the weekends, Crooked River Adventures is open to participants on a drop-in basis from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., but reservations are strongly recommended as trips often fill up quickly.

Trip	Destination	Time	Fee*
1	Brust Park (4.5 miles)	8-10 a.m.	Kayak $20, Canoe $30
2	Waterworks Park (6.5 miles)	11 a.m.-2 p.m.	Kayak $25, Canoe $40
3	Brust Park (4.5 miles)	3-5 p.m.	Kayak $20, Canoe $30
4	Middlebury Road (2 miles)	6-7 p.m.	Kayak $15, Canoe $20

*Kayaks can accommodate one person, ages eight and up. Canoes can accommodate up to three people, ages three and up.

“Based on demand, we knew that we needed to expand our paddling options to accommodate more people,” says Chris Hendricks, manager of Crooked River Adventures. “Additionally, we are now offering tubing for those looking for a completely relaxing afternoon.”

Tubing is available for $5 an hour. Participants will walk up river to Heritage Park and float down to Tannery Park. Also new for its second season, the livery is offering guided tours for an additional $10 per person and season passes for $175. Bike rentals and private boat transportation will continue to be offered as they were last year.

For more information about Crooked River Adventures, please call 330-541-7467 or go online to www.kent.edu/crookedriver.