shotgun eddy

Ok it started out with me, my girlfriend and a couple of friends just wanting to go rafting for the day. It started out alright, we went down a couple rapids and then we realized that our raft had a slow leak in it. By the the time we got to the first big rapids by the first consession stands the raft deflated so much that when we went over the fall our raft literally folded in half and was so weighed down by water that we could barely pull it ashore. We went up to the consession stand and asked for an air pump or some kind of help. They said that they rent out for a different company so they wouldnt help us. We waited and tried to figure something but we decided to continue so that way we didnt miss the bus at the end of the day. By this time we were constantly having to dump the raft because it was so deflated. We finally made it to the next consession stands and they werent willing to help either. They had a bunch of rafts stacked up on the side and they said we werent able to take them. At this point we were thinking about just taking one and finishing down river. We got lucky enough to be offered a ride by a woman at the consession stand. When we got back to get a refund the guy said we were at the half way point so we werent able to get a refund. It was a complete joke. Oh and this was mine and my girlfriends 7 year anniversary, what a great day huh? Either way youve all been warned and ill know better than to go down shotgun eddies again.

Net, net: the Staff was impressive.Asked to use their land-line to catch up with remainder of bachelor party because there is zero ATT coverage; Staff made it happen.Accidentally locked keys in car; Staff came to rescue and wouldn't take a thank you tip after opening door.Staff ROCKED, period.Rarely see that intentional high level of customer service these days; lost art. Thanks, guys!

We went on this trip for a weekend trip, it wasn't very expensive only 40$ a person for five hours of entertainment I admit the safety isn't the best they just give you a crash course but they hit the main points the falls were great water level was up when we went I believe there were 6. Most of the rafts are new and self bailers.overall a "Great Time"

This was my 1st time ever whitewater rafting. We went on a cloudy Saturday in mid August & there were no lines. The campground & facilities were very dirty but we didn't camp there thankfully. There were 2 trips, the shorter/easier 3 hour trip & the harder 5 hour trip, we took the hard one (called smokey river falls) It didn't take us 5 hours (more like 4) but it depends on how much paddling you want to do v.s. leisurely floating. There were long stretches of calm water that were relaxing, great for soaking up the sun & having a drink with friends. There were a few places we had to portage the raft because of low water but that's no biggie. There were also 2 official stops along the way with concession stands/outhouses. There were multiple falls on the trip (4-6? can't remember exactly). The 1st ones were all fairly small &, while not perfect, were easy enough for us 1st time rafters to manage. The last major falls is fairly large, with the last drop in the large falls being 6 feet straight down (the entire distance down the large falls is further then 6' but at the end the last drop gets you straight off an edge 6-7' up) We fell out of our raft but only at the very end, last drop, & there were lots of other rafters at the bottom of the falls who helped us out. I will say be careful because anything not secured can & will fall off/out at the end (glasses, coolers, etc.) I would not recommend this for very small kids, & any children or inexperienced adults should wear a helmet (available for rent) on all of the falls, & you will absolutely get soaked. For our 1st time, over all (with the exception of the last falls) the rapids were easy enough for anyone with basic common sense to be able to handle when the water level is low. If you don't want to go down the large falls at the end you can take the left route & walk, or pay less & take the shorter trip. The busy driver was a bit crazy, scary. Also no glass bottles or cans are allowed but plastic bottles, reusable water bottles, & coolers are allowed.Over all it was a good ride & I would go back.

A group of 6 us used Shotgun Eddy's to go on a rafting trip. We are in our 30s. We went on a Saturday so it was busy it took an hour before we were on the river. Make sure u get a self bailing raft if u go otherwise u have to consistently dump your raft. Everything is very casual with them. They hardly give you any instructions. You have to have a lift jacket but grab a helmet also and just wear both when u are going through the rapids. When the water is low which it was when we went there were rocks sticking up everywhere in the rapids. We saw three people who had hit their heads while going through the rapids. I would NOT recommend any kids go on this trip. The last rapid we fell out of our raft. You do a lot of floating but when the rapids come up make sure u are ready and u pay attention. Also, their were big groups drinking on the river I would not recommend this. I think if we went again we would go with a different rafting company. It was a 5 out of 10 experience. Also, I would not recommend camping at Shotgun Eddy's it was very loud there and the bathroom facilities were disgusting. There are plenty of other campgrounds in the area that are a lot better.

Shotgun Eddie's should be shut down!! They have no regard for people's safety! We were a party of 2 using a raft. We had our 2 minute safety course from a guy drinking a beer(at 12:30 p.m) He said you'll have to paddle during the rapids and keep your feet in front of you if you fall out of your boat. That's about it. So off we go and it's nice and peaceful until you hit the rapids! Then watch out! We faced drops of 6-9 feet and tons of boulders. On the 2nd rapids we hit a boulder sideways and were thrown out of our raft. It was terrifying! I've never been so scared! We were tossed down the rocks and drops, gasping for air, not knowing for how long we could keep our heads up or if we wouldn't just bash our skull pass out and drown right there! Other rafters eventually assisted us in retrieving our raft and giving us an oar we'd lost. Thankfully! For you will definitely be needing BOTH oars when you get to the end of the route! You'll see a sign that says danger! Stay left. If you don't stay left in that narrow area of approx. 20 ft. you could be sucked into 1 of 2 openings that lead to a HUGE drop of 60 to 70 ft long with giant boulders and fallen trees. By the looks of it I'm thinking it would be fatal! Why isn't it blocked off?? If 5 rafters wound up finishing at the same time it would be very hard NOT to come close to these openings! It is very, very, dangerous! The opposite side of this area (at the bridge) is the last rapids. So at least you have the option to avoid that one. The others are unavoidable. There aren't safety checks or any assistance once you head out, your on your own! Aside from all this they encourage a party atmosphere and everybody is drinking. I like to party myself but honestly feel that in this environment it's just asking for more deaths. Look them up, there's been plenty. It's on the reservation and they obviously can do what ever they want. We signed a waiver and I'm sure that's the end of the story if we had been seriously injured. We left battered and bruised, grateful to be alive! Stay away from this place!!

Shotgun Eddy is not the place to go! The rafts are not properly equipped as there are no ropes around as there should be. They did not provide helmets and the river is too dangerous to go without. They provide no instruction and simply leave you on your own. Certain rapids are very dangerous and they provide no support. We would never go there again and I strongly recommend against it.

Thank you to the great staff, they really talked to us about our options, as we had 4 kids under the age of 16 and they were concerned. So we went on the North trip instead and that was plenty enough for us to handle, the manager was super friendly and very very knowledgeable of his river. The water was rockin and we had a blast they took us up twice as it was shorter than we wanted and he worked with us on price. The drivers were a little quiet they need to have fun with the customers as we were having fun so should they. We will be back no question. So a 5 star vote from Northern Illinois!!

a very good ride on the week of June 4 with the Wolf River at a high level. Over the last 15years I've rafted the wolf five times maybe, all SGE. Problem is there isn't much else provided by the outfitter besides the late pickup at the end of the trip. The water level being high made this a memorable rafting trip, but waiting with cold feet to be picked up for 40 minutes takes the upside off the experience. This was about the third time over the years this has happened.

This is a great ride with huge drop offs and not for the faint of heart. You may need to portage in places but there are a couple of spots that are just rough. You need to be a strong swimmer and have a clear mind to take this ride, especially when the water is high. I've taken this trip three times and every time there is someone in trouble somewhere along the way. This is a great trip but you need to be ready for it! If you'd like to raft but want a smoother ride go on up a few miles and take Buettner's Wild Wolf raft trips. That is more of a "float" rather than a rapids situation.

A group of friends and I went tubing (not rafting) at Shotgun Eddy's and they failed to tell us about the huge rapid at the end. It was very dangerous and lucky to still be alive. We went tubing and not rafting for a reason. At the end we saw the rapid too late and it flipped us over, half of us went down under our tubes getting bounced off rocks and some of us got sucked under the water and shot out with bruises, scratches and blood everywhere. TWO PEOPLE DIED ON THE WOLF RIVER THIS SUMMER ALONE!!! This place should be shut down, they are uninformative and sketchy. Our driver to the drop off was on drugs and told us he didn't even have a drivers license. Seriously the scariest experience of my life. Please be safe and take caution if you still choose to go.

Be prepared to make it an all day experience if the water level is low. We had 3 adults in the raft and thank goodness for the guys! They did most of the paddling. Would have been a little better if the water level was a bit higher so there was more of a current and we didn't have to paddle so much. All in all we had a great time! It is what you make of it. Shotgun Eddy's has out houses so be prepared if you are camping. It is pretty rustic. They have separate changing rooms though. If you are looking for a shower they have them 3 mile up the road. FYI..They cost $1.00 for 2-21/2 minutes, better take $2.00 or more(it was freezing cold and it was in the 70's outside..wouldn't have minded if it was 85 or warmer)and the outlet for the blow dryer is $.25..plenty of time to get the hair dry:) Also remember to sit inside the raft(not on top) when going down the falls or rapids or you might get tossed out like us on the first one. I recommend taking a life jacket and wearing them for the falls. You can always take them off in between the falls or larger rapids. Enjoy!

We did the 4 1/2 hour trip from Otter Slide to Sullivan Rapids. The first hour was just paddling down the river, very peaceful and scenic. The first drop is unbelievable and tough to control your raft. You must avoid going down the rapids sideways because you will dump your raft and will be sucked down the river uncontrollably. We got a little banged up but it was still a great experience. If your looking to avoid long lines, go during the week, it was really fast and the people working there were very nice. The changing facilities are a little rough, but it's a campground, so I didn't expect much.

Rafting on the Wolf River was fun!! BUT, there are A LOT of things they don't tell you when you rent from them. Here is the scoop:>Get there early - lines starts forming early (Saturday)>They drop you off about 1 1/2 hr up the river BEFORE you reach the first rapids>When you encounter the first rapids - STAY TO THE LEFT. Do not raft down the rapids at the right. If you do, you will be stuck in the side creek. And there is NOONE is there to help you get out.>HOLD ONTO your paddle when you go down the rapids. I saw many people loose them when going down the rapids. If you do, you are kinda screwed.>ALWAYS wear your life jacket when you approach a rapid. Some are rough and WILL throw you out of the boat (especially the last one).>There are two concession areas along the river to stop and get drinks, etc. So, bring some money with you.>WARNING: if you get hurt while on the River, there is noone from Shotgun Eddy's to help you. Unfortunately, it's every man for himself. You would have to paddle to one of the concession areas if you can are hurt and/or can't continue.>YOU WILL GET SOAKED. Wear throwaway shoes and socks.

Rafting on the Wolf River is something I have been participating in for the last 7 years. This year we rafted out of Shotgun Eddy. I am beyond dissappointed in them. Despite the fact that I had pre-registered and sent in a deposit we were herded like cattle, waited in a 1.5 hour line to get to the river then once we were finished we were stuck waiting 1.5 hours for a bus to pick up us and the rest of the people stuck waiting. I will never use Shotgun Eddy ever again.