Tippecanoe- Canoe, Kayak, & SUP Rentals

Tippecanoe- Canoe, Kayak, & SUP Rentals Canoe, Kayak, & SUP rentals in Nancy Lake State Recreational Area in Willow, Alaska

Redshirt Lake: Redshirt Lake sits at the end of a three-mile trail — no easy way to get a canoe there. Then one day, two...
09/07/2026

Redshirt Lake: Redshirt Lake sits at the end of a three-mile trail — no easy way to get a canoe there. Then one day, two very fit guys asked Ray if they could hike two of his canoes in themselves. Deal: free use, in exchange for packing them in, cabling them up when done, and dropping the equipment back at South Rolly.
It worked. And it opened the floodgates — suddenly everyone wanted a canoe waiting at Redshirt.
That trade is still alive today. We've given away free rentals for things like putting canoes back on the right locks after someone mixed them up — and this year, for an ice report. Opening weekend, the lake was still iced over, and we couldn't send customers out until we knew it was clear. Someone hiked in, filmed proof the ice was gone, and came back with the video. Free rental earned.

09/06/2026

Four kids, two boats, one unforgettable day on South Rolly Lake! 🎣
As their aunt, I got to take my sister’s four kids out fishing — everyone caught a fish, learned to clean them with Uncle Don, and then ate what they caught. From lake to table in one afternoon!
The wildest part? A loon chased one of the fish underwater trying to steal it right off the line. We’ve seen seals do that before, but never a loon — and we got it all on camera!
This is exactly why we love what we do — giving families a chance to make memories together on the water. 🐟
Book your own family adventure: TippecanoeAlaska.com

09/05/2026

🍂 Fall colors are starting to come out in Willow!

Labor Day weekend is here, and you can already see the seasons changing. Next week should bring even more color, making this one of the best times of year to get out on the water — especially if you love photography. 📸🛶

There are only a few weeks left to enjoy the 2026 Tippecanoe season. We close October 1, and in Alaska we all know what comes next… ❄️😂

Come paddle, explore, take some beautiful fall photos, and enjoy the last of the season before the snow arrives.

📍 Tippecanoe at Nancy Lake State Recreation Area in Willow, Alaska
🍁 Canoes • Kayaks • SUPs

09/05/2026

This September, we’re celebrating 40 years of Tippecanoe by giving back — 10% of every rental goes straight to the Willow Community Food Pantry. Tippecanoe has always been a small, locally owned business, and this is our way of saying thank you to the community that’s carried us this far.

Every canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rented this month helps a neighbor right here in Willow. Can’t make it out to paddle with us? You can still be part of it — donate directly to the food pantry here: https://link.willowumc.org/widget/form/n4vaLk1Ee5Mg44YaqKba
Thank you for being part of our story. 🛶

The first Tippecanoe building: State Parks had never allowed a permanent structure inside the recreation area before. Af...
09/03/2026

The first Tippecanoe building: State Parks had never allowed a permanent structure inside the recreation area before. After several meetings, they said yes to Ray — as long as it stayed small. So the first building was designed to bolt together on site: built modular, hauled out piece by piece on the trailer, and assembled on top of two railroad ties at the South Rolly boat launch.
This little building — with its hand-lettered sign — was Tippecanoe's first real home.

1987: 1986 wasn’t the real test for Ray and Linda — 1987 was. Before Tippecanoe, most paddlers hauled their own canoes i...
09/01/2026

1987: 1986 wasn’t the real test for Ray and Linda — 1987 was. Before Tippecanoe, most paddlers hauled their own canoes into the park, or rented one from Anchorage and strapped it to the roof. Suddenly there were canoes already waiting at the lakes. That made all the difference — it wasn’t long before demand outgrew the original fleet, and Ray doubled it from four canoes to eight.

09/01/2026

There’s nothing quite like a quiet morning on an Alaska lake. 🛶🌲

I was taking in the beautiful morning on Big Noluck Lake when I scanned across the water and spotted a moose on the other side. 🫎

Just another morning on the Nancy (Lynx) Lake Canoe Trail in the Nancy Lake State Recreation Area near Willow, Alaska. This is why I love being out here—you never know what you’re going to see.

08/31/2026

Summer 1986: Four brand-new Coleman canoes, bought from Fred Meyer in Anchorage because there wasn’t money for anything fancier. A truck full of paddles and vests. A hand-painted white sign with big red letters. And Ray, very anxious, bouncing along the dirt loop roads of South Rolly Campground for the first time, fresh off getting the permit to operate in the rec area.
Campers weren’t sure what to make of it. Then someone walked up, asked questions, and rented a canoe. Then another. By the end of the afternoon, three canoes were out on the water — with zero advertising.
That was the first day. Everything else started there.

Four brand-new Coleman canoes, bought from Fred Meyer in Anchorage because there wasn't money for anything fancier. A tr...
08/31/2026

Four brand-new Coleman canoes, bought from Fred Meyer in Anchorage because there wasn't money for anything fancier. A truck full of paddles and vests. A hand-painted white sign with big red letters. And Ray, very anxious, bouncing along the dirt loop roads of South Rolly Campground for the first time, fresh off getting the permit to operate in the rec area.
Campers weren't sure what to make of it. Then someone walked up, asked questions, and rented a canoe. Then another. By the end of the afternoon, three canoes were out on the water — with zero advertising.
That was the first day. Everything else started there.

08/29/2026

☀️ The rain finally stopped and the sun is out in Alaska!

The fishing has been 🔥 lately. Last time I was out, I was getting bite after bite — and hardly anyone was on the water.

Late summer is such a great time to paddle and fish. Come out to Tippecanoe, grab a canoe or kayak, and you might just have the lake almost to yourself. 🎣🛶

📍 South Rolly Campground
🕚 Friday and Saturday: 11 AM–7 PM
🕚 Sunday: 11 AM–4 PM

Reserve your boat at tippecanoealaska.com

Kayaking ExploreAlaska

Address

South Rolly Campgrounds
Willow, AK
99688

Telephone

+19073556687

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