Mountain Valley Guides

We purchased a groupon for $ 60 for two people but it would have been well worth the full price. We took the 10:30 tour from Hastings across the Hudson to Sneden’s Landing. Kenji and Brent were great guides keeping a fairly large group together and pointing out interesting tips and facts. The highlight was a bald eagle’s nest with two bald eagles hanging out. The trip takes about two hours and is fairly easy paddling on a calm day. Would like to do again.

We took a two hour tour on Memorial Day and it was great! The guides are knowledgeable and patient. The views are amazing and there is a good chance of seeing wildlife! This is our second trip with MVG and the Cornwall location was more enjoyable than the Hastings location mainly due to the differences in boat traffic and scenery so getting to Cornwall was worth the extra drive time! We will definitely be returning to this location.

A group of 28 of us went on the three hour Bannerman Island tour which included a delicious bbq on the sandbar. It was an absolutely beautiful day. The guides were so friendly and helpful. We had all levels of expertise in our group, but the guides were so attentive to all of us. We first paddled to Bannerman Island and the guide told us about the history of the island. It was a great place to just sit in the kayak and listen (and rest up). Next we paddled to the sandbar for a bbq. This part of the trip was probably the most tiring, but so worth it as we were able to get out at the sandbar and eat. The bbq consisted of fresh fruit and a cold salad and hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken and grilled shrimp, chips and cold drinks (soda, water and beer). There was music playing and games you could play like jarts and frisbee. Then there was a short paddle back to where we started (20 minutes). This was an amazing day and I highly recommend this 3 hour bbq trip.

These guys are my favorite. They know how to make you feel special and have fun on a trip. Amazing service and soo fun thing to do in summer.

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about this group. We had such an awesome time today, and the sandbar BBQ was great. Tom & Bill are some of the best kayaking guides I have ever had, very knowledge and fun. The tour met all my expectations, including seeing a bald eagle, which was a real treat. The tour was for all paddling levels so it was leisurely, allowing you to take in your surroundings. Thank you guys again for a great trip! Will definitely be doing more next summer!

This was such a FUN tour! I found a Groupon for kayaking for two people and chose the Bannerman Island tour at 3−5pm. You meet at the company’s location and then they hand out parking passes and you meet them down by the water. It was a little confusing getting to the correct place on the Hudson, so we were late meeting the group down there and missed the instructional portion. It would have been nice if the company handed out some type of map to get from their location down to the water.
The tour should have started by 3pm, but by the time everyone got in their kayaks and into the water it was probably closer to 3:20. Luckily, the tour itself was awesome! If you’ve never been kayaking before, this is a great way to start out. There were at least 2 employees with the group, so if you’re having trouble someone was there to help. Plus, kayaking in itself is pretty easy to get the hang of.
I’m so glad we did the Bannerman Island tour, it was really cool seeing the castle and learning a little history about the place. I highly recommend this tour, especially if you purchase the Groupon.

Our group had a wonderful time kayaking with Mountain Valley Guides. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable, the 2-​hours was just right (we were pretty tired coming back from the island), the kayaks were comfortable, and the views were great. I highly recommended doing their kayak tour on a beautiful day

The guides are very knowledgeable and helpful to everyone. They made sure that stragglers were supported and encouraged and helped everyone get comfortable in the boats. The equipment was in excellent condition and the training was just enough to keep people safe, but not overdone. Excellent excursion!

This is a great place to experience kayaking the Hudson. The staff are really friendly and easily move from beginner– to experienced-​level instruction in the blink of an eye, which was helpful for my mixed group of friends who ranged from noobs to pros. Our equipment was sturdy and well-​maintained as well.
Docked a star because none of the wildlife they promised we’d see was there during our tour. I know it’s not something they can really control, but a little warning would have been nice.

Went on the Bannerman Island tour this past Saturday and it was such a great experience. Our guide, Kyle, was not only a great instructor/​guide, he knew LOTS about the island and its history. Will definitely come back for more.

Great guide company from start to finish. A group of 4 of us used a group on coupon for a 2 hour kayak paddle from cornwall to bannermans castle. Service was great. New good condition equipment was provided, kayaks, paddle, and life vest. The paddle and kayak were super smooth and fast.
Guides provided great history about the hudson river, the area, and bannermans island and castle and kept everyone safe and together. 2 groups broke apart a slower group and faster group but we were all maintained together. They gave a short instructional paddle lesson as well. The kayak docking and casting off area was well maintained and super easy to dock to get in and out.
Make sure to bring sunscreen, a hat, water, and some clothes you don’t mind getting wet as well as water shoes. I’ll be back to try their other trips as well.

We did the Sneden’s Landing tour from Hastings on Hudson. Super convenient if you don’t have a car, as it is under a 5 minute walk from the train station. Kenji was our guide and he gave some good safety tips before we went out and did a good job, with one other guide, of keeping our group of 20 together and on track. We paddled over to the waterfall on the NJ shore, at the bottom of the State Line Lookout trail. The only drawback was that, because the group was so big, it took a long time to get going and to get everybody in and out of their kayaks at the waterfall. I’d suggest limiting the groups to a smaller # (It’s currently 25), but I know that may not be cost effective for them. I would check out their other tours, though. We got a coupon through Amazon so it was only $ 60 for 2 hours for 2 people – a really great deal.

I ordered the «$ 59 for Three-​Hour Kayak Adventure for Two ($ 120 Value)» deal on groupon and finally used it yesterday for the 3hr bannerman island tour. Before I say anything else, it was a GREAT time. Paul, our guide, was excellent. He directed us where to go, kept us in a group, and shared the history of bannerman island with us. I would definitely recommend this to others. One thing I noticed though was the trip was only two hours instead of three. We never stopped at Plum Point which was described. I’m not sure if there was just some miscommunication or if it was because there was someone not feeling well on the trip. There was also some scattered showers which hit us too, which could have impacted the timing.

A group of 6 of us bought a groupon for this place. We ended up taking a 3 hour kayak tour of Bannerman Island. Our guide, Louie, was great. He was fun, informative, and friendly. One of our friends lost her water camera in the water and he actually tried going under a bunch of times trying to find it. Also he brought us to this cliff where we were able to jump from a cliff. Such a thrill!
Tip your guides– they work hard !

Excellent Kayak tour at Cornwall-​on-​Hudson. Our guide took us down river to some small cliffs for Cliff Jumping (best, most exhilarating part of the trip), across the river for some beach time, and for a tour of Bannerman’s Island. I thoroughly enjoyed three hours on the water. I highly recommend this tour to anyone in the area.

I went on the Bannerman Island tour and YES it was a great experience, but a very tiring one as well. The staff was very professional, but a little bit unorganized in the beginning.
The one thing I do not like about this tour is you starve to death. I do not like to complain but just be prepared to get really tired and hungry. This tour is perfect if you are into sightseeing and live an active lifestyle.
I really give this a 3.5 out of 5 stars.