We did the long tour with Emily, and she took us to so many spots, it was magical and she gave us a bunch of fun stories and jokes. She even took photos of us and air-dropped them to us afterward. It rained in the morning but the water was calm. So cool launching kayaks from the boat. read more

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-- A Bucket-List Experience That Photos Can't Capture Date of Visit: July 21, 2025 If you're even thinking about visiting Munising, MI or the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore -- stop thinking and book with Pictured Rocks Kayaking (@picturedrockskayaking). Our family (my wife, our 15-year-old daughter, and me) did the boat-assisted morning tour on a calm July day, and it was one of the most unforgettable outdoor experiences we've ever had. We've kayaked before (including at Acadia National Park), but nothing compares to this. From Chapel Rock and Lover's Leap to the hidden sea caves, every bend of shoreline revealed a new natural wonder. Photos don't do this place justice -- it's something you truly have to experience firsthand from the seat of a kayak. And our guide? Julia Illy (@JuliaIlly) was phenomenal. She struck the perfect balance between safety-first leadership and fun, filling the journey with geological insights, local history, and witty humor that made the paddle fly by. You can tell she loves what she does and cares about giving people a meaningful, memorable trip. The whole operation is smooth and professional -- from the boat ride out (big energy saver!) to the gear, support team, and route design. Whether you're new to kayaking or a seasoned paddler, this is a can't-miss Michigan adventure. We'll remember this day forever. Huge thanks to the team -- and to Julia, who truly rocks (in every sense of the word ). read more

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Amazing Kayaking Experience on Lake Superior! We took a road trip from Philly around the Great Lakes and decided to kayak on Lake Superior with Pictured Rocks Kayaking--and it was absolutely worth it! The staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, making sure we had all the equipment needed for a fun and safe experience. You're grouped with a guide, and all the guides were college students who really knew what they were doing. They were patient, helpful, and made the trip even more enjoyable. The water was freezing cold but crystal clear, and being able to paddle right up close to the Pictured Rocks was incredible. The colors on the cliffs, created by the minerals in the rocks, were breathtaking--especially when passing through the archways. We had a fantastic time and would highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting the area. Pro tip: bring (or buy) a waterproof case if you plan to take your smartphone with you--if you drop it, it's gone! read more

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If you visit The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, this is the trip you want to do and how you want to see the area. I hiked a few trails the day before and they were great but you don't get to see the scope and the coastline any better than this. We arrived 30 or 40 minutes before our time, signed in and looked around the gift shop until the safety talk. The guides were all professional and personable while explaining what we were going to do, how to paddle correctly and how to wear our kayaking skirt in order to stay dry. Once we got on the boat, we had a 20 minute-ish boat ride to the launch point. They give you group assignments on the boat and there are about 8 people per group. Each group has their own guide and the guides will point out eagles, history of the area, geology facts, etc. Our guide was absolutely great . I wish I could remember her name but she was a 24ish year old petite blonde girl with a dry snarky sense of humor. Her dad jokes were on par with me (48 year old husky fella if you are keeping score) and that made the trip even more enjoyable. We paddled I'm guessing for about 2 hours maybe a little less, I wasn't clock watching because I was watching all of the gorgeous scenery. We were told we kayaked 5 miles and that seems like a solid amount of paddling but they make sure you are following along with the current so you aren't struggling against the wind. In other words you don't have to be in great shape to do this. After the 5 miles, you paddle back to the boat for the ride to shore. The kayaks are all tandem sea kayaks so they are a little larger than the ones I am used to. I also had to get used to paddling along with my dad and resisting the urge to want to take control. That was the only thing that would have come close to a negative and it really wasn't. This was an amazing excursion and I would love to do it again sometime. It's a must if you are anywhere near the U.P. P.S. Shout of to the captain who too was a petite lady for picking my husky ass out of the kayak. I didn't mean for her to have to do that , I wanted her to just hold my bag but she pulled me up like I was a toddler lol. read more

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My friends booked the half day 5 mile kayaking tour. We arrived at the time they told us, and we were given an informative safety and how-to talk. The boat ride out to the drop off spot was lovely, and the whole process of splitting us into groups, dropping the kayaks into the water and loading the people was super quick and seamless. I admit, I was nervous about the trip- I'm not super keen on water and I let our guide know, and he did a great job of making me feel comfortable, I always felt I was in good hands. I have NO kayaking experience but I was given good instructions and felt like I did a pretty good job with the guidance I was given (plus my kayaking partner was it was a tandem kayak). Overall, it was an incredible time and I think the best way to see the amazing landscape. Bobby was our guide and he was the best, took pictures he shared with us later, very calm, funny, we just all thought he took such good care of us and made the day (also my bday) absolutely the best. Can't recommend it enough. read more

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We just spent the morning on their Miners Rock Tour and it couldn't have been better. The boat, kayaks and equipment were all in great shape. They run a streamlined, safe operation. The all women crew was AMAZING! Many thanks to the Lieutenant Dan captain and our group guide Sam G. We highly recommend this tour company and this way of enjoying the beautiful rocks. We are experienced kayaking but a little out of shape...this tour was all with the wind and easy peasy. Thanks so much! read more

Emily, our guide, was AWESOME! Knowledgeable and funny. Super kind too! Our trip was absolutely the Trip of a Lifetime! Kayaking 5 miles on Lake Superior, getting super close to the bluffs of Pictured Rocks National Seashore. Boat ride was about an hour out and an hour back. We kayaked for 2 hours. I had rotator cuff surgery a few months ago and was nervous about getting in/out of the kayak but the crew made it easy! I did get tired of rowing but still loved every second!!! Definitely recommend!! read more

The kayak tour was amazing today! Emily was the best, she took some amazing photos of us with the scenery with no extra cost to buy the photos! I enjoyed your dad jokes Emily! read more

We had a great day with our guide Calvin during our Ultimate Kayak Tour of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The tour was well organized. Staff were pleasant. Our guide was a wealth of knowledge about the geology of the lakeshore. Wasn't aware when I booked (maybe I wasn't paying attention) that we'd all be in tandem kayaks, but it worked out fine. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Ultimate Kayak Tour - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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We took boat to kayak tour today and it was amazing. The company ran everything on time, they were super informative and prepared us well for our trip. The boat, bathrooms and kayaks were spotlessly clean. The captain and crew were friendly and extra helpful. They even took and forwarded pictures of us for free! We saw the most beautiful views and the guide"Rachel for our group" taught us so much!!! I feel my money was spent very well on this trip. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - The boat we took on our trip and a couple others. - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

My friends and I booked the "ultimate kayak tour" for a close-up tour of the majestic shorelines last week. Our boat captain did an excellent job of giving us a run-down of what to expect as well as some of the history of the area and wildlife nearby. Would highly recommend! read more

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We took the kayak tour today and it was so much fun! We saw a lot of rock formations and the beautiful shoreline. Our guide Drew was very upbeat and made everyone feel welcome, at ease and safe. The launch from the boat was seamless and the captain was there to instruct us too. They all worked so well together, a well oiled machine. They even include pictures of you at no extra charge. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

This was hands down our favorite thing we did on this trip! Highly recommend the earliest time-slot, as it meant we had shade for the beginning of our time in the water, followed by sun once it had risen over the cliffs. This is such a user friendly trip for folks who aren't big kayakers, as they send you out in tandem (two person) kayaks in small groups w a guide. The way that they load and unload you into the kayaks is safe and easy, and takes the stress of tipping over a kayak as you try to get in from the shore out of the equation! We did the 3 hour trip (Miner's Castle trip), which we felt was the perfect amount of time with our group, which included two kids (8yrs and 10yrs). The cliffs are gorgeous from a distance, so just think of how amazing they look when you get closer to them. You skirt along the cliffs, able to see through the beautiful, clear Lake Superior water to depths over 20ft. We loved that the trip's culmination was Miner's Castle. What an experience! We can't wait to go again and introduce our other friends to this trip! read more

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We were a bit saddened that we could not fully experience the pictured rocks as the weather had quickly changed and winds picked up causing for unexpected swells. The captain was extremely transparent about the situation and had the option of an alternative tour at a discounted rate or we could receive a full refund if unsatisfied. The alternative tour of Grand Island was spectacular and a great tour. Our guide Sawyer was fun, funny, informative and great overall. The trip was fun and we pretty much had free rein to do whatever we wanted within reason and skill level. The tandem kayaks are extremely stable and would take more effort to tip than it is to stay upright. Thank you sawyer! read more

My wife and I were so excited to experience this. We drove up from Indianapolis and this was the highlight of our trip. Neither of us had ever kayaked before so we were a bit nervous. But, the staff is very good at teaching the proper techniques and made us feel safe. The area is so beautiful that pictures don't do it justice. We did the five mile paddle which was tiring, but rewarding. The kayak could use some padding and support for the lower back for us older folks. lol. We were a bit sore for a couple days. This was something we scratched off our bucket list. Lillian was our fantastic guide. She was very friendly and informative. She even took pics of all of us on the paddle and shared them with us. read more

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We had the perfect morning to kayak pictured rock and Drew was the perfect guide!! Absolutely the best way to view Pictured Rocks! Thanks for a great trip!!!! read more

Great trip with FAITH, we had a wonderful time and the sights were gorgeous, she was a wonderful guide. visiting the U.P. from georgia and some wisconsinites, we drove about an hour from where we were staying and i would say it was definitely worth the drive! i was personally in a "new friends boat" and i enjoyed that, shoutout thomas from connecticut. read more

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Super cool experience! Incredible scenery. The entire crew was awesome and BRICE was an outstanding and knowledgeable guide. Pretty funny dude too read more

We had a great time on our Ultimate kayak tour! We were a little bummed the weather and wind stopped us from safely exploring Pictured Rocks. However, the captain (Rudy) made a safe call, and we still very much enjoyed our kayak tour of trout bay/Grand Island. Hayden Byma was a great guide and made it super fun and shared some cool facts! read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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Emily was the best guide. She gave us so much detail and kept an eagle eye on our group. So much fun and thank you Emily!!! read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Thanks to Emily for our family photo - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

A first rate operation! We did the Ultimate Kayak Tour and loved it. Wonderful scenery and fun experiences along the way. Our guide Sawyer was fun and personable. Highly recommend! read more

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We had a great time on our tour! It's been on my bucket list to visit here and kayak. Sam was our guide, she pointed out the highlights of the tour and also had extra information to add. She was awesome! Thank you Sam and crew for a fantastic time!! read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Lovers Leap - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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An AMAZING EXPERIENCED!!! Ive never kayak before, however this was in my bucket list. Bobby our guide helped my daughter and I after seeing that we were struggling. He was so patient, and gladly helped us gain the confidence we needed to do it ourselves. Thank you for the wonderful experience and support, we're definitely coming back with the rest of our family. Everything was breathtaking and beautiful. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Just beautiful - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

Excellent location, perfect for beginners but tedious if you are experienced. 3 hour trip means 1-1/2 hour paddle including enforced waiting around for other groups to catch up, and 1 hour in tight quarters waiting for slower groups to load in to the boat. Guides are sweet but go on and on about themselves in a self involved way as opposed to talking about the location. Bring food for the trio back so you don't get hangry. Request to tip was a bit much, not a guided tour so much as a limit on how much you can kayak when you get out there l. This review is 2-1/2 stars read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Rock garden - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

100/10 would recommend this company! My husband and I did the 5 hour Ultimate Tour. Having the boat near by the whole time gave me peace of mind. Before boarding the boat they handed out safety equipment and went through safety and basic paddling instructions. The entire staff was kind and helpful. I had major anxiety about getting in and out of my kayak but the kayak launch onboard the boat made things easier and everyone offered a helping hand. Cara was our guide. She was phenomenal! She took the time to interact with each kayak in our group. She is very knowledgeable about Pictured Rocks and the area. Offered restaurant recommendations as well. read more

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This was such an amazing tour! Getting up close and personal with this beautiful shore line was breathtaking. The tour we took was 5 hours, we took about an hour boat ride, then loaded into our kayaks and split up into smaller groups of about 5 to 6 kayaks. The kayak trip last about 2 hours, with our guide who gave us lots of information about the different rock formations and it's history. The entire crew was very accommodating and personable. read more

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Online description was accurate. Boat ride to kayaking point was great--maximized scenic kayaking time. They had to cancel initial appointment due to unsafe weather conditions, but quickly rescheduled us for a day later. Staff very friendly. About 2.5 hours in the kayaks was great for us amateurs. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Kayaking right next to the rock wall. - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

Our guide Andrew was very nice and helped me and my family out many many times when we were struggling. He told us about the land formations and about the history of the land formations. 10/10 experience would absolutely recommend this to people of all ages. Definitely would come back again! read more

Fantastic day! From arriving to returning. amazing beautiful kayaking through the caves and up close picture rocks. worth every penny. Highly recommend for any ages if you can row an oar. Tandem kayaks makes it easy and Elise was our guide and was fantastic. read more

We took the kayak tour today and it was amazing! Our guide Jailen was so fun and made the experience incredible! We wiill definitely recommend it to friends! read more

Just amazing. My wife and I had a great time. Well, mostly me cause I took us into every single crevice and cave. Views are incredible, especially if you look up at the edge from underneath. Past rock slides can be seen. Our guide gave us details, explained a lot and gave us things to do. Nice guy, kind, great guide, lots of fun. You can tell he loves his job. Top notch employee. Boat wasn't that bad at all. Whole staff was great. Very polite, answered questions about landmarks. Captain was amazing. Kept close and convenient. I was worried about back pain but felt zero while kayaking. Hike those skirts way up. Chest high so the water runs down and out. Not puddle in your lap and leak down. Awesome trip. Would do it everyday if I could. Thanks to the whole staff. Great job everyone read more

WOW! This company really has their customer service dialed in! The trip so exceeded my expectations. I was worried it would be like a mass of people but they break everyone up into groups of 6 or so kayaks each with a guide. My guide Ryan was so amazing!! He taught us so much and had a deep knowledge of the area. Even his corny jokes were fun. Haha! Wonderful experience, highly recommend. read more

Beautiful tour, we paddled 5 miles along the shore. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and very fun. My 87 year old grandma got in a kayak and joined, the entire crew was so helpful to make sure she could get in and out of the kayak. Definitely would do this tour again!! read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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We loved this trip! This was an amazing way to see pictured rocks! The staff on this trip was so helpful kind! I can't remember our guide's name but he was interested in bird watching. He had a TON of knowledge at about birds and pointed out some amazing wildlife along the way. My favorite part of the trip was kayaking through the tunnels. We were last off on the boat and last on. The kayaking was an excellent way to experience the park with having to kayak too far. In addition, it was so cool to be able to have the boat near by in the event you need assistance. It made us feel safe. The boat is really clean and new. The loading experience is really cool. They pull the jay sky's down from the top of the boat and use a floating dock to get you out. It was great and made me feel really safe. I was really thankful for that experience. read more

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We had a large party of 6 and booked online without any difficulty. Our trip got cancelled 2x due to weather conditions, but we opted to try to rebook. Rebooking was a smooth process, we were able to reach the office prompty. On the third try, we were able to go out but were told that conditions were still not favorable so we could either get 1) full refund if we didn't want to go kayaking at all or 2) do a detour kayaking trip around the west side of Grand Island for a discounted price per individual. We opted to do the detour kayaking trip, and while it probably wasn't as scenic as the true Pictured Rocks tour, it was still lovely. Our guide Bryce was very nice and helpful. The refund was automatic and hassle-free. We truly appreciated the experience from start to finish. Highly recommend! read more

We did it! Total beginner kayaker here and we paddled the whole 5 miles along pictures rocks - it was amazing! I feel like we got really lucky with the weather as it can change quickly, but it couldn't have been more perfect. The staff were all super knowledgeable, friendly, and fun. Would highly recommend to anyone who wants an experience of a lifetime. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Up close in the most beautiful water. - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

This is a strange review in that we didn't actually take this tour. We had made reservations for the boat/kayaking tour, and paid for the trip online ($352.80 for two adults). Unfortunately, our plans changed and we had to cancel our trip within the company's cancellation window. We contacted the company, and the amount that had been charged to our credit card was refunded -- in full and without any hassle. Kudos to Pictured Rocks Kayaking for its professionalism. We would definitely take this tour with this company if back in northern Michigan. read more

The staff were great! Friendly, safe, and professional. I would definitely go again! The captain was so charismatic. You could tell the staff really liked their jobs. read more

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Disclaimer: I didn't actually get to complete the kayak because of weather. I also tried to do this on 7/2/23 (like another 1 star reviewer) but there was an unexpected temperature inversion in the water that left much of the shoreline socked in fog. Of course everywhere else on land was clear and sunny... They officially canceled for safety reasons (they need to be able to see where everyone is). I know that Uncle Ducky did not cancel as a friend who, unbeknownst to me, was also there did their all day tour - but confirmed that a lot of it was only visible close up anyway. So, safety yes but as a side benefit they didn't waste our time taking us out to get a very stunted view either. Full refund quickly processed. Lake Superior weather is unpredictable. Hopefully I can return to actually do the kayak someday! read more

Absolutely AMAZING. Captain John did a great job getting everyone safely too and from the kayaking area. The guides were incrrdubor as well. Jesse deserves a RAISE! Awesome dude who did an outstanding job with everyone. Got some incredible pictures and had some fun discussions along our 5 mile journey. Wear shoes/water shoes and if you're new asknfornyge rudder! Also wear long sleeves and/or a hoodie (even during the summer) it gets chilly on the lake. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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