foggy bottom canoe

We are visiting the Nashville area from the Southwestern U.S. We were looking for an outdoor activity and thought canoing the Harpeth River sounded like fun. I called Foggy Bottom Canoe rentals the night prior to inquire about availability and river conditions. The lady who answered the phone was very friendly and encouraged us to stop by and take a river trip. Then next morning when we arrived we parked at the designated parking area and started looking for the friendly folks we expected based on the phone call the night before. We spotted a gentleman running a leaf blower at the end of the drive up by what turned out to be the office. As we approached him, he turned and walked away. He returned while rolling up the extension cord to the leaf blower. After we said "Hello" he stopped rolling up the cord and started to become interested in what we wanted. He kindly explained the different river trip options and said "when you figure out what you want just go into the office over there." We then headed over to the office, only to be met by the same gentleman a few minutes later. I was thinking, "OK... this is a really laid back operation" and the guy was nice enough. He just didn't seem like he cared either way if we rented a boat or not. We rented two canoes and chose the "Gossett Tract" Trip which is about 9 miles. The driver was out delivering another group and returned with in about 10 - 15 min. This young fella definitely gave off the vibe of someone who had been dealing with tourist all season and was really tired of it, not someone who enjoyed his job. The boats were of average rental quality with some having molded seats with back supports and others without back supports. Of all the boats on the trailer only one had back supports. We asked the driver if we could get two canoes with back supports since we were planning to be canoing for 4 - 5 hrs. He seemed a bit put out but agreed fix the issue. The river was very calm most of the trip with a few very small rapid to add some excitement. I'm told the river is pretty low right now compared to other times of the year but if you have any river navigation skills at all you won't have to get out of your boat, but if you do it's only to get your boat off the gravel bar or rock and right back in you go. We had a great time on the water and saw plenty of wildlife. If you're a fisherman, take a pole. We saw several bass and even a few large carp. We also saw, a snake with a fish in it's mouth, lots of turtles, a few ducks, turkeys, blue herons, and squirrels.All in all we had a great trip but I would probably rent from someone else next time. We didn't find the supper friendly attitude we have experienced the rest of our trip in the Nashville area.

It was definitely a success thanks to the quick and helpful staff at Foggy Bottom. A friend and I went on a Friday afternoon without a reservation and rented a canoe. It was so great! And only $20 a person. They warned us about the water being low, but we hardly had any trouble with it. It was a smooth trip down Harpeth River and I can't wait for my next canoeing adventure with Foggy Bottom! So much fun!

My husband and I took the 5 mile float down the Harpeth River. The staff at Foggy Bottom's were all very nice and helpful. Only a half hour drive from downtown Nashville, we are so glad we found this place online.

We decided to camp the night before our canoe trip here. They do only have primitive tent camping available for $10 meaning no electric, water hook ups or shower. They do have a bathroom you can use with a sink and toilet that they keep open all night. We chose the 4 hour trip, but we stopped so much along the way it actually took us 6 hours to canoe. Surprisingly, the only wildlife I saw was a cow in the river. The river is definitely docile, but there's a few spots you'll have to decipher your best route to not hit rocks. especially, if the water is down. You can bring alcohol in a cooler just don't act like an idiot. FB has ice, sandwiches and snacks available for purchase. Overall, a great time

We loved Foggy Bottom Rentals! We showed up without a reservation and they just happened to have a cancelation. We rented a canoe for the 5 mile trip on the Harpeth. They drive you to the drop off point and tell you where to pull over for the end of the trip. We had two small children (5 and 8) that had an absolute blast. There were multiple spots to pull over, get out and explore or swim in the river. It is not a scary, fast river (at least when we went), so we took our time, and enjoyed 4 hours of exploring. Plan on at least a half a day to canoe, then take a couple of hours to go check out the Narrows of the Harpeth Park. Finish it all up with a dinner at The Loveless Cafe and you'll make a great memory!