Have more fun on the water this summer at Hinckley Reservation in Hinckley, Ohio. About 1/2 hour north of Akron, Hinckley Reservation offers canoes, single and tandem kayaks, rowboats, stand up paddleboards, two and four-person paddleboats and pontoon rentals by the hour.
There is so much outdoor family fun to be had at Hinckley Reservation including biking, hiking, boating, fishing, horseback riding trails, picnic and pavilions areas, playgrounds, free swimming, wildlife watching, birding. In the winter, enjoy ice fishing, sledding and tobogganing. Read more about Hinckley Reservation here.
We’ve visited Hinckley Reservation many times but this was our first time visiting the Hinckley Lake Boathouse & Store to rent kayaks! We had a hard time choosing between kayaks, rowboats, and paddleboats because they all looked fun. The kids wanted to kayak most, so that’s what we did. You can rent a single or double kayak for the same price, $22 a hour or $24 for two hours.
Life jackets and instructions are provided and then we were off to explore the man-made Hinckley Lake. It’s a large lake with plenty of places to explore! If you are new to boating, I’d suggest just 1 hour. It was 90° out so it felt good to be on the water – I didn’t even mind when my kids decided to splash me! We kayaked for almost 2 hours.
Being on the water is an adventure I highly recommend. Nothing compares to the thrill. It totally brings out the inner kid in all of us. Pure joy!
Next time, we plan to try out the stand up paddle boarding. It looks so much. They have “Try-It” programs where you can try stand up paddleboarding, kayaking, and more at deeply discounted prices ($5) as well as other family events on their events page.
During our kayaking, a quick storm swept through that brought us in a little early. The kids didn’t mind at all!! This added to the excitement and adventure of kayaking at Hinckley Reservation. If thunder and lightening is spotted, they blow an air horn to bring the boaters back to shore and gave us a small discount since we didn’t get the full second hour in. That was really nice.
The Hinckley Lake Boathouse & Store is where you rent canoes, single and tandem kayaks, rowboats, stand up paddleboards, paddleboats and pontoons. It is a really nice new building with plenty of refreshments, fishing tackle, bait, gifts, and more.
Since we got rained-out, we didn’t get to enjoy the FREE swimming area located at the bottom of the dam. This area is tons of fun for families with a spacious swimming area (with lifeguards), sandy beaches, and a rocky stream to walk through and explore!
Hinckley is also home of the Hinckley buzzards!
Plan a day this summer to get outside on the lake with your family and friends at Hinckley Reservation, part of the Cleveland Metroparks.
Hinckley Reservation
1 West Dr
Hinckley, OH 44233
330-278-2160
