One of our favorite activities to do with the family is to get out in nature on Lady Bird Lake and enjoy picturesque, peaceful views of downtown.  Here’s our roundup of where to rent Kayaks, Canoes, SUPs, and more.

Where to Rent Kayaks, Canoes, Stand Up Paddles & more in Austin:

— Austin Paddle Shack
600 E Riverside Drive
Every rental comes with paddles, life vests, instruction, and direct access to the water so that you don’t have to carry or haul the equipment. Their hours are 9 am to 7 pm daily.  Check here for more info and pricing options.

— Adventure Crate by Greenbelt Outdoors
Kiosk locations here
You can rent these self-serve inflatable water rentals via their Shipping Container Kiosk.  You just book online to get your kayak, pack raft, or paddleboard.  There’s no waiting in line – you just pick up your gear when you’re ready at their automated kiosk station, and drop it in the water wherever you want.   They also offer a membership program and you can check that and other rental options here.

— Capital Cruises
208 Barton Springs Road
Capital Cruises at the Hyatt on the south side of Lady Bird Lake offers a wide selection of rental boats, including paddleboards, canoes, one-person, and two-person kayaks, as well as donut boats and swan boats.  They’re open seven days a week from 10 am to dusk.   Get all of the details here.  Reservations are strongly recommended.

— EpicSUP
2200 S Lakeshore Blvd.
Rent standup paddleboards as well as single and double kayaks at this location in the South Shore District on S. Lakeshore Drive. Open Monday – Thursday from 11 am –  7:30 pm, and Friday – Sunday from 9 am –  7:30 pm.  Check here for pricing info and rental details.

— Float On
5019 Capital of Texas Highway N
Float On Boat Rentals prides itself on having great rates, new boats, and a friendly staff. You can get a captained boat, or drive yourself, and they have lots of rental options here. They also have a location on Lake Travis and you can get more info here.

— Ladybird Lake Rentals
20 N Interstate Hwy 35
This new-ish business started in 2021 and offers year-round rentals.  Their walk-up hours are Thursday – Sunday, 10 am – 8 pm, and online booking is here.  Rental pickup is at the Holiday Inn in Downtown Austin.

— Live Love Paddle
1610 E Riverside Dr.
At this family-owned business, you can rent everything from kayaks to SUPs, as well as book guided bat tours. Reservations are required for everything except hourly rentals, which are first-come, first-served.  Check out their days and hours here.

— Peace Paddling
12300 River Bend Austin
All of Peace Paddling’s surf and wakeboard boat rentals come with free lessons and they’re able to teach both kids and adults.  They also rent SUPs, and single and tandem kayak rentals.  Get more info here.

— Rowing Dock ATX
2418 Stratford Dr.
Find all your water adventure needs here, including pedal kayaking, standup paddling, canoeing, lessons, and more!  They also offer yappy hours (there are still toxins in the lake – dogs cannot swim in or drink from the lake and you have to fill out a waiver), college nights, lake clean-ups, and more. Located near the Zilker Nature Preserve and just up the road from the city’s beloved Barton Springs Pool, Rowing Dock is just off the beaten path. The Rowing Dock is open daily from 9 am to 8 pm (The last boat goes out one hour before closing, and they update their site regularly if the weather changes their hours) For pricing, check here.

— Texas Rowing Center
1541 W Cesar Chavez St.
Texas Rowing Center is located on the Hike and Bike Trail on Lady Bird Lake. They’re open every day from 6 am until dusk. They teach sculling and sweep rowing and also offer youth classes and camps. They rent kayaks, canoes, and standup paddleboards with hourly or daily rates that vary from weekday to weekend. Check here for pricing.  Note:  They also offer memberships!

— Vision Paddle Board
Vision Paddle Board delivers SUPs to lakeside Airbnb’s and offers private SUP yoga classes.  Get all the info here.

— Waller Creek Boathouse
74 Trinity St.
Waller Creek Boathouse is located on Lady Bird Lake and is home to Austin Rowing Club, Alta’s Cafe, Retro Boats, and Rō Fitness. You can rent kayaks and standup paddleboards, and check here for more info and pricing.

— Zilker Park Boat Rentals
2101 Andrew Zilker Rd.
Zilker Park Boat Rentals can be found on the banks of Barton Creek, just downstream from Barton Springs swimming pool. They have more than 100 canoes and kayaks and are open from 9 am to dusk every day.  You can check their Facebook page for weather updates affecting their hours and their website here for more info.