Hawks Nest Outfitters

The new tubes (with cup holders and headrests) are excellent and comfortable. The staff were friendly and generous in helping us get set while also being mindful of social distancing and mask-wearing while indoors. It is clear that the owners have put a lot of time and energy into making improvements to the business.nnThe float itself was great and we saw a few deer, eagles, hawks, and fish en route. They offer rope clips that allow riders to float in a circle or line without worrying about losing your party up or downriver. The river was high during our float in July 2020 so it took us about 1.5 hours (rather than the usual 2 hours) to finish the stretch of river.

We had looked at a couple similar places before deciding on Hawk's Nest, because they offered a discount for large groups. The staff was super helpful and friendly! One shuttle to our launch spot. We were given plenty of straps to strap our tubes together in different configurations. While floating, we came upon a group from Wilderness, a similar local company we had also looked at and most of their tubes were only half inflated, leaving people sunken, and a couple tubes were completely deflated where the rider couldn't even sit on it and had to just walk along and drag the group. So glad we decided on Hawk's Nest!nnDuring our trip it ended up raining a couple times and then stormed pretty badly at the end. One of the employees kayaked out to us to drag us in safely, though at that point we were close to the finish. We had been floating for 2+ hours already. We ended up getting out at another company's check point to get picked up safely. The employee had jumped in the water, fully clothed to help us all out and stood with us in the rain until the shuttle could get us. Then offered coffee and hot chocolate to warm up back at the office.nnThe whole trip was hilariously fun and the staff were so great. Even though it ended in a storm, we had a blast and were so happy with our choice of similar places. It would have been far more miserable with deflated tubes and less friendly staff. HIGHLY RECOMMEND HAWKS NEST!

Hawk's Nest was great! They provided a great experience for us...this was our first visit to Eagle River and we so enjoyed our paddle down the Wisconsin River! Bought a nice headband there too.

Finding Hawks’s Nest was like discovering a wonderful venue off the beaten path. The moment we walked into the cool artsy office, we noticed that everything is clean, their equipment is well maintained, their staff is very professional and attentive. A big plus is that you get out of the water right where you check in, so you can go to the restroom and head straight to your car.nnThey sanitize with hydrogen peroxide, so nothing smells toxic. I bought some healthy snacks and a cool bandana on my way out the door. We will definitely be returning!

Great ride down the Wisconsin River! We had no reservation, but David squeezed us in on a very busy day. Ender furnished us with adjustable straps repurposed from old life jackets so we could all float together. Clever. He also suggested a paddle so we could keep ourselves moving in the direction we wanted.nThis was our first time taking our two young girls down the river, and it was so peaceful and calm that my husband and I swam the first half mile while our girls relaxed in the tubes! There was a spot about a mile into the trip where we paddled over to a large rock, and after checking the water depth, all cannon balled off. Great fun!nShortly before our trip ended, we caught up with the folks in the orange tubes that had been floating ahead of us. We felt bad that they had to get out of the river at an inconspicuous spot along the bank and drag their tubes through the woods to the highway. Didn't seem very safe for them to be waiting along side the highway for their ride back. Needless to say, we were very happy to land directly at Hawk's Nest where the staff helped us off the river and offered our girls free stickers as a thank you. Nice touch.nIf you're looking for a down-to-earth outfitter, Hawk's Nest is it. We've been coming to Eagle River for almost 40 years, and this is a true North Woods experience . . . definitely not a tourist trap!