This was a great experience. The staff was so helpful. We had Zach as our guide on the Ultimate Tour he was such a nice young man and was very knowledgeable and told us great stories about each of the formations. He also took pictures of us. Captain Keith also did a great job getting us back to the ock using the sonar/radar since visibility was bad due to the smoke from the wild fires. I can't wait to go again! read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Zach our guide - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

My husband and I took a long weekend and had a great trip. The tour was amazing. The instructions and guidance were thorough and easy to follow. They are very safety conscience. Our guide was Sam (male, tall, mustache). He did an amazing job. He gave the story behind all the different rocks and legends. He also gave different food recommendations around town. He really made the trip fun and informative. read more

So we found ourselves with a kid free week, and UP Michigan was on our list to revisit. We lucked out booking this - we missed the storms, there was a little rain, and Faith O. Kayaked backwards the entire trip, keeping the group moving and calling out the geology and history (and she got jokes). You get on a boat, and they take you out - and you get in the kayak on the rack on the boat and they guide you out. Super easy. PFDs and sea skirts are provided and required! We stayed dry. Also - tandem kayaks! Less nimble than recreational kayaks, but also more stable. Assuming your partner doesn't lean over the edge. It's a nice trip! (When the wildfires aren't obstructing the views/air) read more

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Beautiful day to kayaking. This trip was ok...the water was very choppy so we didn't get to kayak picture rocks and was diverted to a different location. The guides are great. The boat to ge there and boat captain was nice. Just being diverted was a bummer because it just didn't have the Beautiful rock formation that picture rocks has. read more

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Took the Miner's Castle kayak trip this morning with Captain Katie as our guide and had a terrific time. So beautiful and we had a wonderful day for it. I highly recommend this!!; read more

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Highly recommended! The tour was efficient and well organized; we left and returned on time; everyone was friendly and helpful. Especially our guide, Valerie! Tons of information and interesting facts, along with a few jokes. read more

Great experience! Took the 3:30p Ultimate Tour and giving kudos to the captain who expertly steered us through dense fog that sheeted the whole ride out. My guide, Elle, was wonderful and shared lots of helpful facts and stories along the paddle. She also offered to take pictures at different spots which was great since I was solo. I am very glad I decided to see the picture rocks this way since the fog prevented seeing them from the Miners Castle viewing decks in the National Park earlier that day and even from the water you could not see them at times until you got much closer to them. read more

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Best and most convenient/organized kayak tour, ever! We were impressed with the knowledge, professionalism and friendliness of the staff, the cleanliness, comfort and the cool design of the boat. Another cool thing was how seamless they launched us from the boat into our kayaks. None of us got the slightest bit wet at any part of the tour. We had fun learning about the history of Lake Superior and the geology of the pictured rocks (I promise, it was fascinating!). AJ, our kayak guide, his name was AJ. AJ had a great sense of humor and kept us laughing. Note: I believe AJ was in a competition with the other guides (who were not nearly as awesome as AJ) I hope he gets extra credit for the number of times AJ appears in one review of AJ. We booked the Ultimate Kayak tour, it was about an hour boat ride out to the rocks, about a 3 hour kayak experience and another hour back. Make sure you bring your sunscreen, even if the temp is cool. There is a restroom onboard the boat, guides are able to radio the boat (as it follows the kayak groups) if someone needs to use the bathroom or needs to return to the boat for any reason. Also, it was so nice to see so much of the rocks and for the length of the kayaking it was one way, we never had to turn around and paddle back upstream. So smart! We highly recommend this tour! read more

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The tour was great. Juils was the best tour guide I have ever had in my whole entire life. 10 out of 10 recommend with only juils

My family of 3 went on 8/3 and had Sawyer as our guide. He did a great job keeping us moving along the shoreline and educating/ entertaining along the way. The whole crew made sure we were safe and this tour was a highlight for all 3 of us! Thanks for a great trip! read more

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We couldn't have asked for better weather or a better kayaking tour experience! Ajay was an incredible tour guide, knowledgeable, engaging, and genuinely funny which made the trip even more enjoyable. The pictures truly don't do this experience justice. If you're considering it, it's an absolute must-do. Captain Keith was fantastic as well, and the entire team made safety a top priority while ensuring everyone had an amazing time from start to finish. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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Calvin J was a great guide! He was a good time and exceptional at karaoke! The waves were minimal so I felt safe kayaking. Sadly, they're not letting kayakers paddle under the arches or in caves this summer because the sandstone is degrading and falling. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

Incredible day guided by Val-the best! Beautiful views, very safe! Highly recommend Pictured Rocks Kayaking where the vessel takes you to the best spots. Bucket list!! read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Kayaking through Mini Portal - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

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Valerie is such a wonderful guide, made the trip 5 stars! She had so many funny jokes and is great to be around all types of crowds!

It had been years since I was last in a kayak and was a little nervous about the 5 mile excursion my children picked as a birthday trip for me. But we had the best day! It was SO much fun and our guides Bobby and Hayden were so supportive and encouraging! read more

We had an incredible experience on the Ultimate Kayak Tour with Pictured Rocks Kayaking! From start to finish, the entire crew was outstanding. The captain, deckhands, and guides were professional, friendly, and clearly committed to helping everyone have a great experience. A special shoutout to our guide, Valerie. She was absolutely fantastic. Our 11-year-old rode in her kayak, and Valerie did an amazing job making all of our kids (ages 7, 9, and 11) feel included, seen, heard, and part of the adventure. She was knowledgeable, entertaining, full of dad jokes, and kept the entire group engaged throughout the tour. She also took some incredible photos for our family! As parents, we really appreciated how Valerie connected with our kids and made them feel like they belonged. That small detail made a great experience truly memorable. One of the things we appreciated most was having the support boat nearby throughout the paddle. Knowing it was there if anyone needed assistance or a restroom break added an extra level of comfort and confidence, especially with younger kids. The kayaking itself was very manageable for our family, but what really set this experience apart were the views. Being in a kayak puts you right at the base of the cliffs, giving you an up-close perspective of Pictured Rocks that you simply can't get from one of the larger sightseeing cruises. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking. This was easily one of the highlights of our Upper Peninsula trip. We highly recommend Pictured Rocks Kayaking and would book with them again in a heartbeat! read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Great photo from Valerie at Lover's Leap - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

Had a phenomenal time out on the water today with Valerie! definitely recommend this tour.

Hayden was a great kayaking guide at Pictured Rocks! He was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the experience really fun and enjoyable. He did a great job making sure everyone was comfortable and had a good time. Definitely recommend kayaking with Hayden! read more

This is just one of those experiences you realize you aren't going to forget as you're doing it. That's what makes it all the more important that you pick an organization that knows what they're doing. I have no experience with any of the other tour groups, but I definitely CAN say these guys were professional, fun, and knowledgable. Safety is their first priority, but their procedures and people are so good, and it's so well planned, that they CAN also make sure having fun is what you feel. The equipment was clearly VERY well cared for. We had an EXCELLENT time. We had the Ultimate package. The boatful of people gets broken up into 4 groups and each group had a group leader. All this really means is that you're in a small enough group that you're not only kayaking comfortably, but you can interact with and are able to hear your group leader give you the facts and history of the pictured rocks. It's clear they've been doing this long enough to know how to do it right. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

Valerie was an amazing guide! We had the best time with her. She had lots of interesting facts, trivia, and of course her dad jokes. She had excellent recommendations for hikes and sunset spotting for the rest of our trip. She made the trip so enjoyable for us and took great pictures. read more

Great trip! Excellent guides, especially Kennedy! Bad weather was coming in and they got us all on the boat efficiently and safely.

Can't recommend enough! Our guide Valerie was super knowledgeable, friendly and funny. We had the best experience!

Me and my wife went on this kayaking tour. Everything was taken care of and very thorough. Great for novice paddlers. The safety brief was very thorough. We went to Lake superior and paddled at a leisurely pace along pictured rock Lakeshore. Our guide was Sam. He did a great job with everyone and explained all the different sites and pointed out different birds that were along the coast. Everyone was very friendly and welcoming. I recommend this trip to get an up close and personal experience along this Lakeshore. You guys need to give Sam a raise. read more

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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

Absolutely amazing experience, there isn't a single thing they could've done better! Our guide, Rachel, was so friendly and helpful. The views are breathtaking and Rachel made sure we all got pictures and took some for us. They made sure everyone was safe while still having a great time. I hope I get to do this again some day! read more

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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Valerie was great!!! Would recommend to anyone. Great experience. We took the ultimate tour and was definitely worth it!!

-- 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

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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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 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