Ashley & Pete saved the day when the Apostle Islands Kayak canceled on us only after we showed up…read morefor our kayak tour of Devil's Island and was not able to reschedule us for the remaining three days of our trip. We joined another couple that day (cutting the price in half) for a glorious private speed boat tour of Bear and Devil's Island. We didn't have to navigate the challenging waves with kayaks, were able to cover much ground in significantly less time and were still able to get an intimate tour of the best sea caves as Pete deftly navigated the vessel in and out of the caves. We wound up having a much better tour and saved enough money to pay for the previous nights dinner in the process. HIGHLY RECOMMENED!!!

A big thank you to Ashley and Captain Pete. This was our first time up in the Bayfield / Madeline…read moreIsland area and there is much to see and do. Ashley helped recommend a list of islands and lighthouses to visit and Captain Pete made our time on the water / islands a blast. Thank you!!

We took the 3 hour Grand Tour and had a great day viewing and learning about the Apostle Islands…read more Book your reservations 1-2 days early if possible so weather forecasts are accurate enough, but seats are still available. We tried to book at 10am same day and only a few seats were remaining on the last cruise of the day (4:30pm departure). Seats are first come first served so we came 45 minutes early to line up and were able to get 4 seats together "upstairs" on the boat which had the best views and minimal engine noise. However, bring a jacket or sweatshirt since it gets so windy and cold once you're in the middle of Lake Superior (Yes, I was cold in the middle of July). There is a small concession stand inside the boat, but I chose to just bring some drinks and snacks.

Our captain was very knowledgeable of the Apostle Islands and entertaining. The Grand Tour was 55…read moremiles, 2 1/2 hours and the best way to see the islands. It's best to remember a jacket, even if you think you don't need one.

Chartered a boat from these crooks and nothing was ready, prepped or cleaned. A huge crap was still…read morein the toilet. Everything was broken. There was no water in the tanks and they couldn't solve why the battery kept draining. This dead battery caused us to be marooned for 7 hours one day and run aground the next. When we crashed into shore my son almost drowned, telling me he didn't know if he'd come up for air again. When I complained about his boat, the owner called me rudely and acted like a huge dick. Of course he took no responsibility. A loser outfit. Don't support these crooks.

Wonderful sailing experience. The Apostle Islands staff are exceptional people to work with, very…read morehonest, responsive and accommodating. Comparatively, the charter cost was substantially lower than local competition. The on shore Pikes Bay Marina facilities are excellent - nicest in the area. I am looking forward to another charter season with Apostle Islands Charters! Jeff

Updated 7/20/2017 - visiting Ashland/Bayfield area. Had such a great time last year at good earth,…read moredecided to do it again. It was fantastic! Captain mike does a great job. We had a wonderful time. Be sure to give them a try and also check out their shop. Thanks!! July 2016 - We discovered these folks from a pamphlet we picked up in a restaurant down in Ashland. We had planned on going to Michigan for a day trip, but with the terrible storm damage and wash outs - decided to change our plans. Let me just say our Sea Cave trip with captain Mike could not have been any better! We had such a great time. The boat was so fun and fast. The lake and caves were great. And Mike was very personable and knowledgeable. Also, their gift shop is very nice too. I highly recommend. And the only thing I'm disappointed about, is the fact that we didn't discover them sooner. Our trip was ABSOLUTELY GREAT. Hard working people - helping families build lasting vacation memories. Highly recommend!!!!!!! Thanks again!!!!! Jamie Independence Iowa

Y'all were fantastic! I hope that your business grows because this place is great! I recommendread more

We booked a sea caves kayak tour with Rustic Makwa over Labor Day weekend, and my experience could…read morehave definitely been better. The good - Our guide was excellent - he showed great care in talking about safety while on land, he was patient with the people on the tour who were new to kayaking, and he made sure to lead us to all the sea caves and point out great pictures spots without making the tour feel rushed. The experience on the water was good, and the beauty of the sea caves is just breathtaking. The bad - The communication prior to the start of the tour. We arrived at Meyers Beach around 15 minutes before our 3 PM tour (per the instructions in the confirmation email), and we did not see anyone there associated with Rustic Makwa. Time passes until 2:55, and we still do not see anyone. I check my email: nothing. I eventually call the phone number on the email, and I am assured the guide is "on his way, will be there shortly after 3". We waited until about 3:10, and nobody had arrived. I call the number again and am told that the guide will be there by 3:20. We wait until 3:30, and I text the number: I am told the guide is close by. Finally, around 3:40, just as we are about to leave, our guide finally arrived. Apparently, the guide was waiting for the winds to die down a bit before starting the tour - hence the delay. While I appreciated the tour's commitment to safety, the lack of communication was disheartening. There were only three groups on our tour. The time it would have taken to update us on the tour's current conditions/status (via email/text/phone call) would not have taken long. I understand the weather is unpredictable, and it isn't easy to make the call sometimes on whether or not tours can safely be conducted. However, providing information and updates (without having me chase the information down) would have allowed us to better use our limited time in Bayfield by not having us wait in the parking lot area for almost an hour.

This place was the only Kayaking service still running in October. I did have an issue with this…read morebeing my first time kayaking and I was really far back in water in the group. Leader should have looked back and waited as I was learning how to propel and maneuver a kayak for the first time. We had a great time. The Meyers Beach tour is over by Sept, and the Red Cliff Sea Cave Tour is the only one left. While this was great, I would like to go to the other tour cause I think they have more sea caves. We did get to see how serene everything is, and got very fortunate with the calm waters and warm weather 2 weeks into October. The massive arch at the end is great and the lead takes photos for everyone. The kayaking into the caves is exciting and a little creepy. It's challenging to take photos and kayak.

We went on a 5 hour tour with the captain, Marlin. He was very informative and good natured. He…read morereally turned the experience into an extraordinary experience. the scenery was gorgeous!

We had a fantastic time. There was a small group of us, and…read morethat's cause it was the end of the 2nd week of October. We got to actually sail the ship and enjoy being 'sailors.' I think our sailor/tour guide's name was Matt and he deserves recognition. He takes great photos. The cost was worth it for me because of the experience, and the small group size. This does cost more than the Apostle Islands Tour, but it's almost like a private sailing session. I would advise sunscreen due to exposure, even if you're not white. We were fortunate that autumn had a late ending, until the start of the 3rd week of October. Peak colors and perfect weather.

I've kayaked with Trek&Trail three times! Love them. Well organized, good experience. The sea…read morecaves are amazing!

Just returned from a fantastic four day three night trip in the Apostle Islands. Everything was…read morewonderful including the food, the guide, the campsites and this time around even the weather was great. A perfect adventure with a very reputable company. Highly recommend.

We had a great time on a private sailing charter for our group of 6. They happily accommodated our…read moretwo kids and taught our 3-year-old to steer the boat (which he loved!). They were very flexible when it looked like bad weather on our scheduled date and accommodated us another time when the sun and wind were more favorable. Our captain, Dusty, was wonderful. I would highly recommend them!

Abe was absolutely the best host and captain - friendly, professional, and a wealth of knowledge…read moreabout the area and islands with great suggestions to match our schedule!

The only way to get from Bayfield to Madeline Island so you gotta make the most of it!! As a first…read moretimer, I had more enthusiasm round 1 as opposed to round 5. Upon entry, you can purchase your ticket directly on the dock in either a 1-way or round trip. If you're good with keeping a ticketed piece of paper, you can attempt the round trip if you need to come back. Otherwise, we didn't like the idea that our ticket could get lost so we always did a 1-way. Vehicles of all kinds load onto the ferry with an extremely efficient staff and then magic happens as you are transported in about 20 minutes. Dogs are welcomed on the ferry along with bikes, scooters and walk-ons. Our lesson learned was that we didn't need to take our vehicle everywhere and the next time we visit, we plan to do a lot more commuting via foot. In addition, it's way cheaper to travel without a vehicle. There is a ferry schedule posted online and lots of hard copy handouts around town. Once the ferry is going across Lake Superior, if you can exit the car (sometimes you can't depending on how tight parking is), you can walk up the steps to the observation deck or stand near your vehicle. I like that there's a variety of ways to travel and I imagine locals see this is just another bus or train route like any other means of transportation. Contrary, visitors will always be in awe as it's not something you see everyday. Shout out to the staff and operations as the ferry was always on time, on schedule and staff were kind. We had beautiful weather in late September / early October so the air and colors were poppin'. Thank you!!

Unless you have a boat, this is your only option to get from the shore to Madeline Island. However,…read morethe prices this year were increased from$16 to $21 per person round trip. The ferry is fairly quick and convenient. During this time of year/day, they were running every 30 minutes. We literalist walked up, bought our tickets and boarded the ferry. We waited about 10 minutes as other people and vehicles boarded before departing the dock. We arrived about 20 minutes after departure.

We decided to take the boat ride to the apostle islands and chose the brand new glass bottom boat…read moretour. I found it to be a lovely day, but to be honest felt the tour was a bit boring and there wasn't really much to look at. I would have loved to have had more time to visit the shops in the area which seemed nice. NOTE: There is NO parking so you really need to arrive early to get a parking spot somewhere. Most places have a 2 hour limit so we had to park several blocks away. The office doesn't have a bathroom so you need to walk to a brick building down the street where there are only 2 stalls. The boat does have a bathroom on board which is helpful, and snacks like candy and bottled water, etc to purchase.

The Apostle Islands Marina does not operate a boat tour service, it is a marina where boat owners…read moredock their vessels when not in use. It also offers other marina related services including pump out, fuel and winter storage. I'm afraid that Paula has mistaken the marina for one of the Apostle Islands boat tour companies. She's correct about the restroom and showers at the marina, they are for boat owners who rent slips at the marina and their guests. She's also correct about general parking in Bayfield. The next time Paula visits Bayfield, she can stop by the Ship's Store, operated by the marina on the corner of Manypenny and 1st