white crane canoes

We took our 6 and 8 year old on a canoe adventure with our guide Mark from White Crane. Mark did an excellent job of taking us to the best places along the Cache River Canoe trail. During the outing, Mark let us know about the history of the river along with a number of other interesting bits of information about the area. Note: You will need to make sure you call ahead for a reservation.

We rented a canoe and had Mark as our guide. It was so helpful to have him out on the river with us as it would have been very easy to miss the arrows showing which way to go. We were out on the river for about 1.5 hours. There was no one else out there - perfect! We saw beautiful scenery with many heron and egrets. Mark gave us some history lessons as well as pointing out different trees, birds, and plants. One word of caution would be to watch the "flying fish". The Asian carp have found this river and when paddling along, they will jump out of the water. As this was our first experience with this we found them to be fascinating. Enjoy!

We went on a guided tour with our 7 year old and 11 year old. We had a great time! The canoes are clean and in good shape, same with the life jackets. We went way out onto the lower Cache river and really saw some amazing trees, turtles and birds. Our guide was friendly and very knowledgeable. He knew about all the animals and plants and also about the history and ecology of the area. It was very cool, educational, and seemed very safe. We'll go back!

I have been visiting Southern Illinois for years and never made it to the Cache River. The Cache River represents some of the best undisturbed swamp in the southeastern part of the United States. The Cache watershed is also the northern-most reach of the Mississippi Valley's cypress-tupelo swamps.We went in the morning and the coolness was perfect. Going by canoe was so serene and Mark Denzer was a very knowledgeable guide. His discussion did not seem forced or rote. It was clear that he had great admiration and respect for the river. He was very experienced and answered our questions and provided information about all the unique attributes of this area.. Without having Mark as a guide it would not have been such a memorable experience. Beside that, I am sure we would still be out there lost. Canoeing made it so a relaxing and time passed so quickly. We were able to take in nature in its glory. The quiet takes you away from the everyday rush of life and the unique setting is not like any other river trip I have been on. Where do you see 820 year old cypress trees in the Midwest? I would definitely recommend the Cache River and I would highly recommend doing the guided tour with White Crane.

We took the guided in late August 2013. This isn't the sort of river you'll be swimming in most likely, it has lots of duck week, and it shallow. That being said, I believe that is the appeal, the swampiness, surprisingly un-riverlike for being, well, a river in Southern Illinois. It was a great experience, and Mark was very helpful. His dog came along, and another couple on the tour also brought their dog. I thought that was a cozy touch. Pretty cool.

Rented a canoe to experience the Cache River I've heard so much about. Didn't think it was going to be that cool based on the drive there, but once we got into the swamp, wow! This place literally looks like you are in a Louisiana bayou, but in Illinois! We had Mark, the owner of White Crane, guide us, and his knowledge of the wildlife, history, and ecosystem of the swamp made it well worth it. Saw lots of wildlife among the cypress trees. Highly recommend it.

The area where you rent the canoes from doesn't look like much but they have good canoes and supplies. They gave great suggestions for places to go. If in Southern Illinois, this is something you should really consider doing. The Cache River Wetlands are amazing. It is like visiting bayou without traveling very far (and there are no alligators). I feel the cost was very good. For my wife and I, it cost $30 for the day.

the guide was friendly informative and the price was right we had another couple with us and the guide made sure both of or needs were met took us down the river to places i would have never found i really enjoyed he did not hurry us along we took our time

This is such a unique area, and getting in a canoe is perhaps the best way to really see it. The owner/guide is incredibly knowledgeable, and I was very glad we decided to have him give us the tour instead of go out alone.

We made the phone call and easily set up the appointment to meet Mark at the lower Cache River. Introductions made and instructions given and off we went into the swamp via canoe. We had a little trouble following the 'arrows' and Mark very kindly let us 'tag along' behind a guided tour he was giving. The entire experience was everything we could have wished for - complete with a bald eagle which we were able to photograph!! Seeing the state champion cypress tree and realizing it had been there for over 1000 years was mind boggling! If you are in southern Illinois and have three or four hours available don't miss this amazing expereince!!