Riverside Resort (Spring River)

[R_Corter]

Some family, wife and I are staying the weekend of July 27th at Riverside. We stayed at Riverside last year w/o any problems. We didnt use them for our shuttle services cause we had made previous arrangements at 3 Rivers. I dont remember our shuttle fee but it was'nt much. I called Riverside yesterday to see how much the canoe rentals would be with tax for my family members b/c it has to be paid when they are reserved. I asked about the shuttle fee for my canoe and she said $40.00. I couldnt believe it! There web site says $20 for shuttle services. I told the lady that and she said " well its $20 for the shuttle to the put in and $20 for the shuttle out". A double shuttle fee wow!!!!!

Has anyone ever ran into this at Riverside? It is a rip off! If they charge me a double shuttle fee I will not use them again. I will not pay the double shuttle fee either. I will shuttle my own canoe in that morning with all our supplies for the whole group and have an extra person ride with us to take my vehicle back to camp if I have too. Then just pay the $20 shuttle out which is rediculous.

Got this off Spring River Oaks site "Shuttle fees for private canoes is $20.00. If you are part of a group renting our canoes the fee is $15.00. " I cant remember exactly what I paid last year at 3 Rivers but It was around $20.

[Cowper]

Wow! That does sound high for a river trip in your own boat, when you can take the same 8 mile trip in their boat for $43.

After looking at their rates as posted on the website, I think I know why they answered the way they did, it is some kind of “location” thing. They seem to be set up to run their own boats on one of two possibilities:

Option 1 – Short trip; start at Riverside and go down to their private take out which I think is just upstream of Spring River Oaks. $37 in their boat,

Option 2 – Long Float – Start near Dam 3, go past Riverside, all the way to their take out above SRO. $43 in their boat.

So it must have something to do with which vehicles they are using to move boats and people as part of their “regular” routes each day. Maybe they’re using one set of vehicles to move the boats, another to move the people, but at different times. Even if the boats are leaving Riverside each morning and returning each evening, it might not be at the same time the “people moving” vehicles are going.

By asking them to move both you and your boat at the same time, you must be accidentally getting “out of sync” with the trips they were going to make anyway, and without really meaning to you are asking for a new “option 3” that is not part of their regular route. So they’re charging more for what to them is an “extra trip” – 99% of their business is probably the rental boats, they probably don’t hire enough extra staff to handle “custom” shuttles.

If you’re OK with a shorter trip, then just start at Riverside and let them bring you back to Riverside. Ask them if they would do that for the $20. If not, or if you really want the longer trip, then you could stay at Riverside, but drive down to Spring River Oaks in the morning, and then pay SRO to shuttle you up to Dam #3. At the end of the day you can drive back to your camp at Riverside. In other words, camp at Riverside, but work out your shuttles with the SRO folks.

I hope I’m guessing right about why they answered the way they did. I really like the folks at both Riverside and Spring River Oaks; both places have Security folks and really work to keep partying to an acceptable level late at night. Each has advantages. Riverside has more stuff in their store; you can buy key items you forgot and even something to eat. SRO is a little more convenient because you can go from there straight to the put-in, and then take out at your campsite. SRO has also been real good about letting a vehicle enter to pick up folks, while charging us ONLY for the vehicles that are going stay parked there all day. I think most of the other places charge for every vehicle that comes through the gates.

If it is any consolation, I think you run into this same thing on other rivers. Outfitters will have different rates for the same stretch of river, based on how far they have to drive from their primary business location to make the trip happen for you.

Bottom line, I think both Riverside and SRO are good places with good folks running them; you just need to figure out which one works out best for the trips you want to take.

[RiverRummer]

Have you considered SRO? it's much easier because of location. put in at dam3 and float down to sro and get out! no double shuttle. denny and dianne (the owners) are great people and have a nice quiet campground, they are quick to ask people to leave if their being disruptive. It's been my favorite for years. you can spend all the time you want at "dead mans curve" then when you've had enough, your just a few minutes from your campsite at SRO. riverside is nice, but because they are further upstream, they need a lower takeout ( and shuttle fee) We leave a car at campsite drive up to dam3, and later simply drive back to get car at put in. since you takeout at your campground you dont have to worry about loading boats, so you really only need one car that's able to carry the boats up to the put in.
Riverside is nice....(don't get me wrong) but it's their location that makes it difficult on them. They don't have the convienence like SRO and MIC who are able to have paddlers paddle to their takeout/campground and be done! ( no extra shuttle)
Sounds like this would be easier for you.

[R_Corter]

Thanks for the reply Cowper, RiverRummer, I will probably load our canoe, all the ices chest & supplies for everybody the morning of the float in my vehicle. Have an extra ride with us to the put in to bring my vehicle back to Riverside then they can ride on the shuttle since that person would have a canoe rental. Then I will just fish at the put in or piddle around till the rest of the crew shows up. I will pay for the shuttle back to Riverside from the take out. I was just curious if this is how they have always charged, I guess its the norm. We would have just stopped at Riverside on our way down but I really like Saddler Falls. I will definitely look into using SRO next year, I like the benefit of the take out being at my camp. I very adamant about having my own canoe. I like to put in and paddle up or down river about a mile or so to fish when not floating.

I would use SRO this year but some of the family has cabins reserved at Riverside. I am a tent person some are not.

[AR-Nimrod]

You might check to see what the fee is to shuttle your vehicle instead of you and your boat. Quite often ClanCrawford will go the outfitter closest to take-out and get one of their employees to ride to the put-in with us and drive our vehicle back down to take-out. Have gotten this done for as little as $10. Usually it's $20-$30. If we're having the vehicle moved to a remote take-out it's then usually $40-$50.