A Family-owned Legacy

Foote Brothers Canoes & Kayaks has been a family-run gateway to the Ipswich River for three generations. What began as a simple way to help people get out on the water has grown into a long-standing North Shore tradition, connecting families, students, visitors, and local residents with one of the region’s most beautiful natural resources.

For decades, our shop has served as a starting point for exploration. From first-time paddlers and summer families to school groups, scouts, naturalists, and lifelong river lovers, generations of guests have launched from our docks to experience the quiet bends, forested banks, wetlands, and wildlife of the Ipswich River. We believe that time on the river does more than create a good day outside; it builds connection, curiosity, and care for the natural world.

As the business continues into its third generation, our focus is expanding beyond recreation alone. We see Foote Brothers as a local hub for outdoor education, ecological stewardship, and meaningful partnerships with schools and community organizations. By helping young people and families experience the river firsthand, we hope to inspire a deeper understanding of the watershed, the wildlife it supports, and the responsibility we all share in protecting it.

Our history is rooted in family, place, and the simple joy of paddling. Our future is guided by the belief that access to nature can shape how people see their home, their community, and the living systems that sustain them.