The folks at Mad River Adventures opened for business this weekend, kicking off the unofficial start to summer drenched in hot sunshine and cool river water as hundreds of guests took advantage of the weather with a trip downstream.
The Mad River is nearly 20,000 years-old, and was formed by the melting waters of the most recent glacier. The Wisconsinan Glaciation covered the northern portion of the North American continent and traveled south to the fortieth parallel (present-day Route 40) before retreating northward as the glacier melted. As the glacier’s edge reached Bellefontaine—the highest point in the state—the melting water rushed southward, carving out the channel we now call the Mad River.
Native Americans began paddling the Mad in birch bark canoes sometime around 10,000 years ago, and the sport of paddling canoes and kayaks has become quite trendy in recent years.
Mad River Adventures is open on weekends until Memorial Day Weekend, and then seven days per week until September.