Additional Info
Press Releases
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Cave Country Canoes / Blue River State Scenic River
Fact Sheet
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Media Contact: Carol Groves - (888) 70-CAVES
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History:
The Blue River has provided transportation first to native American's then for pioneers and early settlers, who also set up grist mills on the river including the one at Milltown where Cave Country Canoes is now located. Private paddlers began using the river for recreation after WWII. The first canoes were rented in 1969. The Blue River Marina, one of the predecessor businesses to Cave Country Canoes, started at this time as an outgrowth of a fishing boat rental and bait shop. In 1983, Murphy's Canoe Rental, a competitor of Blue River Marina was purchased by the owners of Marengo Cave and renamed Cave Country Canoes. In 1985, the owner of Blue River Marina retired and sold it to Cave Country Canoes. The facilities have been operated jointly since then.
Rental Fleet:
Over 400 canoes and kayaks. A fleet of 10 vans and 6 buses provides transportation.
Customer Base:
Cave Country Canoes outfit's 30,000 guests per season depending on the weather and water levels.
Trips Offered:
Cave Country Canoes offers trips from 7 miles to 58 miles in length. The livery uses different sections of the river depending on water levels to provide both half and full day trips throughout the May-October operating season.
Other Facilities:
The livery offers a 4 ½ acre camping area along the river for use by organized groups and guests taking multi-day trips only at the Milltown Base. The Leavenworth base, opened in 2001, offers access to the lower river.
Operating Season:
Cave Country Canoes operates from May 1 to October 31. Weather and water levels permitting. Because of river and weather conditions, guests should always call a day ahead of time from an update on conditions expected.
The Blue River:
The Blue River is Indiana's first designated state scenic river. The river is considered Indiana's cleanest and highest quality stream. It is a superior small mouth bass fishery and home to several endangered species including the Hellbender, one of the world's largest salamanders. The river is noted for its great natural beauty, abundant wildlife, and its great family canoeing through numerous Class I riffles. The river is controlled by the Blue River Commission, which limits access and development along the river corridor. The river is the most spring fed of all Indiana streams as it drains one of Indiana's largest cave areas, although it flows less than 100 miles from its headwaters northeast of Salem to its confluence with the Ohio River near Leavenworth.
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