Shuttle System

Shuttle Systems

If you have a friend who fishes with you perhaps you can arrange a vehicle shuttle system to have a vehicle waiting for you at the end of your river float. If you're fishing alone, or only have one vehicle, you may also want to consider using a bicycle shuttle system to allow you to have your vehicle waiting for you at the end of your floating excursion. This process involves dropping your canoe or kayak off at the put in point, driving your vehicle to the take out point, and then riding a bicycle back to the put in point. These options will be explored and shown with a bike shuttle map on river trip descriptions where feasible.

An issue with bicycle shuttling is that you have to leave your canoe or kayak unattended while you perform the self-shuttle. If there are two or more people in your party, one or more can stay with the vessels while someone fulfills the shuttle run. If you are alone it is suggested that you attempt to hide your canoe or kayak at the put in point while you're on your bicycle shuttle, and likewise, hide and lock your bicycle to a tree at the put in point upon completion of the bicycles shuttle. As added protection, lockable cables equipped with alarms are available to secure your vessel and bicycle. River trips, utilizing bicycle shuttles, have been selected for minimum shuttle times and usually in more remote areas. Doing these shuttle runs during the weekdays can also reduce the number of people that may stumble across your unattended water vessel.

On some popular rivers there are outfitters that will rent canoes or kayaks and some provide shuttle services for rentals or even shuttle your own vessel for a fee. The issue here is that you are tied to their time schedule which may, or may not, work for you. When available, I will attempt to list outfitters who offer such services on the river information page. Click here for a list of outfitters in Minnesota located near some of the river trails throughout the state.

Bicycle or vehicle shuttle routes (with distance and time) are shown for all river trips described on this site.