Canoe Rentals - MSU Bikes

Rental News:

We will be renting starting the week of April 21, 2008

Rainfall in excess of 1/3 inch closes our rental services for 48 hrs. Click here for up-to-date rainfall data. Click image above for more details. Click here for actual river testing results and here for explanations of the testing results.

Check back here or call for up-to-date renting information.

Click the photo above to view a "Friday Night Tailgate" segment by the Big Ten Network about our canoe services on the Red Cedar River (10/4/07). View more photos from the session here.

MSU Canoes in early summer. Click to enlarge for computer wallpaper.

MSU canoes in their autumn glory. Click to enlarge.

Three visiting Korean teachers (Wui-Jun Yu, Jong-Yun Kim, and Sang-Mok Han from Korean National Univ. of Edu) enjoy a peaceful canoe ride down the Red Cedar River this summer. The English Language Center has been doing the teacher training for KNUE for the past five summers.

MSU Bikes is proud to continue the tradition of renting canoes on the Red Cedar River. Canoes are now available for renting (water conditions permitting; see note below re: water quality testing).

Rates: $8 per canoe/ hour; 3 people max./ canoe.

Hours: See our home page for current public hours (towards the top). Call (517/432-3400) before coming to confirm rental status as the weather is not predictable. See info. below on additional canoe rentals for evening/ weekend canoe rentals.

Where? Click here for a map showing the Bikes Service Center, the closest metered parking & free (summer only) visitor parking on campus. This page gives info. on all visitor parking lots on campus including rates. This page will give you current construction/ detour information for campus this summer (2007).

More Questions? Call 517/432-3400 or email: bikes@msu.edu with any further questions.

Notes:
- Rainfall in excess of 1/2 an inch will cause our rental services to close. Click here for up-to-date rainfall data.
- Free lockers and restrooms are available.
- 6 canoes are available for rent.
- The start/ end is here at our dock, since just down river from here are the rapids by the Admin. bldg. which we don't recommend you go over for your safety.
- We provide no transportation for canoeists; you just paddle up stream as far as you want and return.
- The depth of the river varies considerably; many places are very shallow and other areas have deeper pools that are much deeper.
- Life jackets for children, youth and adults are available although in limited quantities.
- The river water is tested weekly by the Ingham Co. Health Dept. ; the results of those tests determines our renting status which is then posted on the display board outside the Center and to our web site above.

The MSU Bikes Service Center also offers a full range of bike repair services, summer bike storage services, bike accessories (locks, tires, lubes, helmets, etc.), a free air station just outside the shop for 24/7 air for your tires, canoe rentals (starting in late April), a Do-it-Yourself work bench ($10/hr) that gives you access to professional bike tools, bike assembly service (if you bought a bike on eBay, etc. and need it put together correctly), a free bike-related DVD & book library and more. Go back to our home page to learn more!

Additional Canoe Rental Services:
The MSU Sailing Center on Lake Lansing offers additional canoes for rent to the public for the same pricing. They offer evening and weekend hours (details here). Contact them at 517-339-8269 or via email here.
Burchfield Park (Ingham Co. Park) also has canoe and kayak rentals. Go to this web page for details (half-way down that page).
Go to the Michigan Association of Paddlesport Providers web site for an online directory.
For a free directory of canoe liveries in the state of Michigan contact the Recreational Canoeing Association, PO Box 668, Indian River, MI 49749, (616) 238-7868.