Have a question?

Not yet—we offer tours from a variety of locations so it has made the most sense for us to meet guests on-site.

Check your booking confirmation email for the meeting location and time. Your guide should also be in touch before your trip to confirm the meeting time, location, and parking information.

Please arrive 5-10 minutes early.

The only things you’ll need are:

■ Lightweight clothing and footwear that you wouldn’t mind getting wet. Hot tip! Have a dry layer in your car to change into after.

■ Hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for the glare off of the water

■ Snacks and a water bottle to stay energized and hydrated. Our guides have extra, but we encourage the use of reusable water bottles to lessen the reliance on single-use plastics.

■ Consider bringing cash to tip your guide(s). Tipping is customary for service industry professions. You can show your guide(s) appreciation with a gratuity. Cash is generally easiest and many guides also accept Venmo.

We’ve got you covered for boats, paddles and life preservers!

Our guides always appreciate tips. Guests typically do 15-20%. Cash is generally easiest and many guides also accept e-payment methods like Venmo or PayPal.

The route and duration of all our tours are subject to flexibility depending on weather conditions, water level, flow-rate, and group dynamics. Our guides take all of these elements into account in order to make everyone’s experience enjoyable and safe. We will be in communication at least 24 hours before a trip if we foresee needing to adjust, reschedule or cancel.

We recommend 16 years or older for single kayaks. At least one paddler in a tandem (double) kayak should be 16 or older. Any paddlers under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. While we'll always try to accommodate your preferences, our guides reserve the right to arrange boat types based on inventory needs, weather and water conditions.

You sure can! We take private groups small and large down the river all the time with the option to customize your tour route. Call 612.423.3838 or email info@paddlebridge.com to inquire.

We’ll try to work with your availability. If you don’t see what you’re looking for on the calendar, we welcome you to inquire and we’ll try to make it happen!

We start guide training at the end of April and offer tours May through mid-October, weather- and river conditions-permitting.

We do occasionally host special events and community programming at nearby lakes, such as our monthly Full Moon and bi-monthly free Wirth It paddles. Facebook, Instagram and our monthly newsletter, the bridge, are the best places to stay informed about special events.

When you sign up for a private lesson, you can also work with your instructor to select a location suitable for everyone.

Absolutely! Though that’s still a bit down the river for us, yet. We’re working to build out our core presence on the Mississippi in the Twin Cities first before turning our bows (maritime lingo for nose of the boat) and paddles onto other projects.

Everyone at Paddle Bridge shares in our collective mission to connect Twin Cities communities to the Mississippi River by creating an active, equitable and sustainable river community.

Through our work as guides, we aim to be better stewards of the river and help bridge barriers of entry so that everyone feels welcome and safe to enjoy the river.

Calling ourselves a collective wasn’t a move to sound trendy among young people (though it doesn’t hurt, either). We believe in our mission and look at it to guide our work on the river. Our tour routes, community programming and partnerships are all intentionally thought through and uniquely contribute to the river community that we are trying to build.

More accomplices are always welcome! Reach out to kalen@paddlebridge.com with your experience and interest and we’ll see what our staffing needs are.