The boat was clean, warm, and had 2 bathrooms. The tour guides were nice and valued safety. They made sure you're set in your kayak before launching you into the lake which is nice. Their kayaks were in good condition. I would like to share my experience and clear up some of the FAQs listed on their website. I read these prior to booking our trip as it is quite expensive at $160pp. I felt that some of them were misleading... What if it rains? "We paddle in light rain, however, the tour will run weather permitting with a safety first mindset. A back up trip will be offered in case of a weather day where we cannot safely kayak the Pictured Rocks. Paddling will be done with the wind at the paddlers back whenever possible." After boarding we were speaking to a guides who mentioned they hadn't been out in 6 days due to weather but wanted to give it a shot since it had been so long. This concerned us a bit given the weather of our trip. He said it was unlikely we'd go out on the rocks. Then the waves were too big and the captain started offering alternative options. The alternative option is at a reduced rate ($100 pp rather than $160pp). If you're not interested in the alternative trip or it is not what you expected they will offer a full refund, BUT they will not bring you back to the dock until the tour's normal end time. You waste a half day either sitting on their boat or kayaking an area you don't care about or maybe already had a similar kayak experience earlier in your vacation. What is your refund policy? "A purchased tour ticket will be eligible for a refund or an exchange up to 48 hours before the scheduled tour time. If Pictured Rocks Kayaking cancels a kayak trip, you will be provided with a full refund or an alternative* tour may be offered at a reduced rate if weather permits. All exchanges are dependent on availability. NO REFUNDS or EXCHANGES will be granted after the time of your scheduled tour. NO EXCEPTIONS. To exchange or refund your ticket for another time, please call us immediately at (906) 387-5500. If a cruise is cancelled due to weather, an alternative option may include a tour of Grand Island if weather permits. This tour will be offered at a reduced rate. No tour will be refunded once they have started." We spoke to multiple other paddlers who called ahead multiple times to see if the trip was cancelled due to weather. They were told the trip was still on. The morning of the tour the captain explained that "we'd see what it looks like out there and go from there". At no point did they share that if you weren't interested in alternative options that you'd still be committing 4-5 hours of your day. On top of that, based on the above from their website, if you are confident that the water is too rough and wanted to cancel same day then you'd have to forfeit all of your money. The only option to get your money back in a situation of inclement weather is to take a gamble (since the company won't actually cancel the trip unless maybe their boat can't even go out). Lastly, What is your cancellation policy? "PRK reserves the right to cancel a scheduled cruise for any reason up until the time of departure. Cancellations are unlikely EXCEPT in the event of inclement weather. Typical weather conditions that warrant cancellations are high winds on Lake Superior causing high waves along the lakeshore, dense fog along the lakeshore, or severe lightning nearby on Lake Superior. Weather conditions on Lake Superior do change quickly and while we are pleased to make as many trips as possible, safety is our greatest concern. Please be advised of this especially if you are traveling from a long distance or have an extremely inflexible schedule. You may call our ticket office with concerns about a cancellation the day of your cruise." They dock the boat in the calmer bay and use it to their advantage. The captain mentioned, again after boarding all passengers, talking with the Pictured Rocks Cruises before our tour who told her the water was really rough. For some reason that intel wasn't enough to cancel. They boarded everyone knowing they'd likely offer an alternative of kayaking in the bay. PRK does not seem to value your time. They assume you are looking to do ANY type of kayaking. What they should do is seriously assess the weather BEFORE boarding all passengers. They should offer options BEFORE everyone is stuck on the boat. That way passengers could CHOOSE the alternative route if interested and if not interested they could get a refund and go on with the rest of their vacation. Overall, I'm sure this is a great experience during prime weather, but I would be nervous to take a gamble on this a second time due to a waste of time/not getting what we expected. In the end, we got a full refund, but we can't get lost time back. read more

The team was very organized, informative, and kind. Because safety is their #1 priority, they were very upfront before starting the trip. We were informed that the fog may prevent us from doing our original tour plan but an alternative tour was a possibility. We went out on the boat, which was very nice and clean, and the captain/team decided that the fog was too heavy and dense. They decided to call off the trip and we got our full refund immediately. I hope to come back another time and actually do the tour! read more

We were scheduled for the picture rock kayak tour but the wind would make the trip unsafe so the grand island tour was offered at a reduced rate you could get a refund ect.. We took the offered tour as well as 99%of the other passengers. The grand island tour was awesome. We had a wonderful time. Our guide was from the area. She was able to give us history about the island. Staff was so friendly and helpful if you needed it :) I'd book your reservations early for this establishment. read more

I had a trip scheduled for Friday, 30 August. The excursion had to be canceled due to weather. They sent me a follow-up email letting me know the trip was canceled. This seemed professional and I was happy with the service so far. Please see below as I copied the email verbatim that was received that morning: little did I know... "Good Morning: We regret to inform you that your Pictured Rocks Kayak trip, scheduled for today (Friday, August 30, 2019) has been cancelled. The zone of Lake Superior which includes Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is under a Small Craft Advisory until late this evening. Wave heights are predicted to reach heights of 8 to 10 feet. Obviously, these conditions make it completely unsafe to kayak or even to operate a boat along the Pictured Rocks. See the National Weather Service Small Craft Advisory here: https://marine.weather.gov/showsigwx.php?warnzone=LSZ250&warncounty=marine&firewxzone=&local_place1=12NM%20NE%20Munising%20MI&product1=Small+Craft+Advisory&lat=46.5834&lon=-86.4881#.XWjwmuhKjIU A full refund for your kayak trip will be processed today, and should appear on your bank statement within 3 to 5 business days. If you have questions, or would like to reschedule your kayak trip, please call our office at (906) 387-5500 or respond to this email. Our office will be staffed from 9am to 4pm today." Email clearly states that a full refund for my kayak trip was supposed to be processed the same day. A week later no transaction had taken place. Their team instructed me that they have a new manager and they don't call client anymore, only email. In contradiction to the email, they also don't issue refunds immediately. You need to call them and tell them you *want* a refund. They either need to change their email language to explain that you need to call, or credit the refunds on the same day as the email promises their clients. Business practices as they are seem asinine and only cause further frustration. Now the 3 to 5 day waiting period has begun seven days from the date the trip was canceled. Pictured Rocks Kayaking was eager to take $300 from my wife and I, but hesitant to refund it. Only after I frustratedly called and explained that my bank has evidence of no refund the transaction was this company willing to process my refund. If you are using this company to see the rocks, make sure you call to get your money! read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Refund Email Screenshot. - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

Professional crew, easy launch from boat, beautiful scenery and we didn't flip the kayak! Excellent day on the water! Glad we booked online since they were sold out week we visited. read more

We have now gone twice on this adventure. It's about five miles in a tandem kayak & takes about 2 hours. The boat takes you out on a 30-40 minute boat-ride & then places you in the water. It's the only way to really see the beauty up close of Picture Rocks. Staff is very professional & goes with a safety first mentality which is important as the waters can change quickly. A must see read more

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Pictured Rocks Kayaking was a great experience and I definitely recommend doing a kayaking tour. There is ample parking, portable toilets on ground and bathrooms on the boat. Yes, boat. What makes them different is that they take you out on a boat and follow the tour from a distance. This way, if you get tired, cold, need to use the restroom, they are there for you. There are 2 seater kayaks available. If you go alone, you'll be paired with another loner or a guide. They sent out 2 guides...1 per every 6 boats. We had 24 people total on the tour. Pricing is decent, especially when surrounding companies charge more. They have a gift shop area in their offices which sells clothing (sweat pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets, blankets, hats, dry bags, cellular dry bags, etc) The team is great! Very friendly and helpful, especially to travellers. The reason for my 4 star review is because our guide, who I won't name, didn't seem to be very interested in the tour. He made small talk to everyone which makes him super personable, but when you pay for a tour you hope to hear about what you're seeing. We we're supposed to see 13 different points of interest but he never said what they were or explained them. Also, he didn't take very many photos. We were hoping to purchase them..but I think I'm in only a handful. So of the 13 points, I found myself googling afterwards to figure out what I saw. Lastly, and not by fault of the crew, it was extremely foggy and the first half of the tour wasn't really exciting. All the vibrant colors that we would have seen without the fog, were just dull. Other than that, great tour. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

We went on the 5 hour kayak tour and really enjoyed it! We were not very experienced kayakers but the our guide Charlie gave us great instructions! We all went at our own pace and Charlie would have us make stops to tell us about the history of the area, local myths, and facts about the rock formations. The guides were all very kind and enthusiastic! read more

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My wife and I both went to Northern and are avid kayakers. This was one of the best experiences we have ever had. The views are breathtaking. Our guide was very funny entertaining and full of knowledge about the pictures rocks. The tour is $135.00, a piece and last for about 4-5 hours. If you get the chance to do this don't pass it up. It takes about 1 hour to get out to the pictures rocks. The large boats are always near by for safety reasons. All equipment is provided and instruction given. read more

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Great Kyacking our tour guide was amazing! Highly recommend. Need to have moderate skill with kyacks but very accommodating to new kyackers.

We had a great captain and guides who made sure we had fun and stayed safe. We will be back! The scenery up close was beautiful and going through the caves, arches and inlets was awesome. read more

I'm so glad we chose Pictured Rocks Kayaking tour to see the pictured rocks! Our tour guide Charlie was very informed on the history, myths, and geology of the area. All of the tour guides were really friendly and gave us tips on what to do locally after the tour. This is a tour you should definitely do. They take you out to where the picturesque scenery is so that you aren't spending all day paddling. We now have a great plan for what we want to hike tomorrow! Highly recommend, nothing bad to say! My favorite part was going through the small cave :) read more

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Great trip. Perfect weather. Great crew. We all get prepared to get in the water and do 5 miles. Nice job. Very safe operations. 5 stars.

Wanted a quick getaway weekend up North-- and away we went up to Pictured Rocks. Looking online, I was trying to figure out the best way for my amateur photographer soul to view and capture the beautiful landscape. I found them on TripAdvisor and looking between a couple of options for kayaking. As someone who is not innately skilled at kayaking, their group seemed very organized. We chose a morning trip (afternoon wasn't available when we had looked initially), which overall about 5 hours in total. You arrive 30-60 minutes prior to the scheduled time (for us, 9am) to sign your life away, get your equipment (life jacket and spray skirt), and getting briefed on the morning schedule. Since you travel by boat to the place you start kayaking (45-60 mins), you can bring a small bag of snacks, dry clothes, water. Definitely recommend bringing snacks and water. I didn't mind sitting in wet clothes for the ride home-- but as a heads up, your abdomen and low back will be damp by the end of it. They split you up into groups with probably about 6 or 8 tandem kayaks in our group. So it's a good size group. Our guide (Chad) was young, cheerful, and calm so felt quite secure as a newbie to kayaking. He was very knowledgeable about the rock features, and we had a great time on the tour. This was really the best way to see Pictured Rocks up close. I risked my Nikon on the trip-- did not capsize or get it wet. They do sell waterproof phone cases-- which I did also buy, but in the end decided to risk my DSLR. The kayaking itself was probably about 2.5 hrs. You can walk around the back deck on the boat ride there and back, so you can take additional pictures or just enjoy the views of the lakeshore. The other nice thing about having the boat nearby means that in case of any concerns for safety or fatigue, you are able to retire to the boat if needed. (Bathrooms on the boat too.) This is their 3rd season open. Albeit it runs on the pricey side ($149 per adult), I think it's valued appropriately for the excellent experience, security, and guidance that they provide. read more

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What an awesome staff! We had a great time today. This is the only way to kayak if you are a beginner or are traveling with the family. They watch out for your safety & make sure you have fun! We said we'd give them 6 stars if we could!!! read more

We loved our experience with Pictured Rocks Kayaking! Vinny was knowledgeable, entertaining, and made us feel safe during our paddle. We had such a great day on the water with him! Everything operated smoothly and the staff were helpful and friendly. Definitely recommend! read more

This is our first activity in Munising, the wind was light, sun was out and staff was impeccable. Jordan, our guide was knowledgeable not only about the formations, but also the region. I'm not sure if the day could get better. I can't wait to share the GoPro videos with friends and family. A must do if your here on vacation. All the equipment was either new or in great condition. Well worth the cost. read more

Worth the time and money (5 hrs $149). My wife had never kayaked before but loved the experience once she got into it. A boat gets you right to the prime viewing spots and drops you in the water. Tandem sea kayaks are all they use and they are very stable, maneuverable, dry (with skirt), and FUN! This GUIDED tour beats the in-boat tours. More fun and much closer to the rocks. We would do it again! Bring your camera. Leave everything else back on the boat. read more

Amazing experience! Super professional, fun, safe, and absolutely stunning views. Thanks for helping me check off this bucket list item! Highly recommend. read more

Everything was top notch. Excellent experience. Great guides. Very pro. Would highly recommend as a nice half-day excursion.

Highly recommend. We did the ultimate kayak tour and paddled for about 2-1/2 hours. It's a fairly easy paddle with lots of breaks to see the rocks or just rest. Fun and informative guides and having the boat on the water with you for bathroom breaks and any other need was wonderful. They also positioned our drop off so that we would paddle downwind. read more

Best experience ever!! I've never been kayaking before so I was a little nervous at how things would workout, but when the end came I didn't want to get out of my kayak! They take you for about an hour boat ride, then you launch your kayak off the back of the boat. It's about a 6 mile kayak tour, about 2 hours. They divided us up into groups of 3, therefore each guide was responsible for 6 kayaks (they are all doubles, so 12 people total). Our guide was awesome! We went through caves and he was so informative. There were times we just got to sit there and float around. I thought I would be worn out but I wasn't at all. After it was over we had another hour boat ride back. We packed a lunch and ate it on the boat ride back. Not really much room to bring snacks on your actual kayak. I brought a water bottle and that was all I needed. The views were great! We did the morning tour so the water was nice and calm. They do have restrooms on the boat as well which is really nice. We did get a little wet. Next time I would probably bring an extra shirt and shorts to change into afterwards. I brought my GoPro and attached it to my selfie stick for some awesome pictures!!! So glad I did this tour. read more

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Had a great experience there last weekend. Plenty of staff to accompany the kayaking groups. Our guide, Derin, made sure to check on every kayak in her group. Captain Rudy was a gem. We weren't sure that the weather would cooperate but it turned into a beautiful day to kayak. Staff emphasizes that the big boat is always nearby if you need anything. Strongly recommend this company! read more

The price per person is worth every cent. A comfortable, custom built boat takes you out 45 minutes, drops you into the water in 2-person kayaks (provided), and a guide takes you on a five-mile paddle for close-up views of the best of Pictured Rocks. No kayak experience required, but helpful. Four hours start-to-finish. Amazing. Great staff. read more

My first time to the UP and I wanted to do something mildly athletic but that gave me a good feel for something unique. I made the right decision by booking my 4 hour after tour through this company! I was able to book and pay for my tour online quickly and easily. A group of 10 of us went plus two knowledgeable, funny and laid back tour guides. The boat that drove us to our destination was clean, in good condition and have rest rooms aboard. The kayaks were comfortable, clean and looked new. The tour guides gave good information and kept the group going at a steady but laid back pace. It was one of the best experiences I've had and would use this company again. read more

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This was a great experience! The captain had to change our plans as the waves were too rough to go out to Pictured Rocks. He offered a refund or the option of a safer more protected area. We were eager to do this and so glad we did! It was rainy and cold but they provided rain gear for us. It was a breathtaking experience to be on the lake. We even saw a nesting eagle! The captain on the boat always kept us in sight as we kayaked. Would highly recommend this group, very professional and loads of fun! Brianna was a terrific guide. read more

Pictured Rocks Kayaking - Kayaking Lake Superior - Tours Near Me - Munising, Michigan

Great tour guides! They should get to keep the tips they make instead of sharing tips with everyone on shift including the owner. Their hard earned tips shouldn't be shared with others. The owner should not be taking tips either as he owns the business and makes the most money regardless. The experience was great! Definitely recommend. read more

Going kayaking here is a great way to get good views of pictured rocks. You can get really close to the rocks and the guides are super friendly and did everything they could to help you navigate not only pictured rocks but also tourism around Munising. read more

The price of the tour is worth it! They escort you to the drop off point by boat, which has bathrooms, and are there the whole time to meet unexpected needs (bathroom, sea sick, tired, etc.) the guides were very fun and informative! They all took the time to explain different sites of the tour and also get to know each couplet in their group by first name. The views were incredible. We had a 4 some and did the morning tour, the water was crystal clear and not a lot of water traffic yet. It lasted from around 9-2! They allow small coolers for snacks and water if needed. Even with the skirt to keep you dry, you do get a little wet and are able to bring a set of dry clothes as they have bathrooms you can use to change after the tour ends. The boat captain was also great! At the end of the tour he made a point to talk to each couplet and ask if there were any recommendations he could give based on their tourist/weekend interests! We are from Wisconsin so this was super helpful! Definitely looking to go to this area again and have recommended to many! read more

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The receptionist, guides, and captain were so nice and welcoming!! The tour itself was absolutely beautiful. read more

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We were very excited about doing the Pictured Rock kayak tour through this company, and a lot of locals recommended this company. We scheduled the 2:30pm tour. The day of the tour, the weather seemed iffy as it was windy and the water was choppy. We waited all day expecting the trip to be cancelled. We then called an hour before our trip and were told by the receptionist that the tour was still scheduled "as far as she knew." Once we arrived, the guide said that the waves were predicted to be 1 foot, however were reading at 2-3 foot waves. The guide then said we were going to move forward with the trip and decide to cancel once they were able to get a feel for the water. We loaded onto the boat, and immediately one of the crew members reported an issue with the boats generator. They still proceeded with the trip. We got about half way out into Lake Superior before the crew decided to cancel the trip due to the waves and mechanical issues with the boat. One of the guides reported that the waves were expected to continue to build into the evening and overnight. While Im grateful that they finally decided to turn around, I wish they would have cancelled before-hand and not put our safety at risk or wasted our time. Especially if they knew the waves were going to continue to build. While we were frustrated with a wasted day, they did refund 100% of our money. read more

My wife & I have been wanting to kayak Pictured Rocks & decided to pull the trigger with Pictured Rocks Kayaking. The boat ride before & after the paddle is a little long but totally worth it as the views are amazing (bonus is the boat has two bathrooms for anyone a little nervous about the experience). The staff was great & did a good job leading us through the entire experience. The kayaks are nice & they provide you with life jackets & spray skirts to keep you as dry as possible. My wife & I are in our early 30's and loved the entire paddle. One couple in our group was in their late 60's & made it all the way through without needing any breaks from fatigue. It isn't the cheapest experience in the world but if you want an extreme close up of the beautiful pictured rocks, this is definitely worth it. read more

We really enjoyed our kayak trip, the only down side mother nature chose to kick up some waves and the captain decided it was not safe to take us on the typical route. He drove past the pictured rocks but then headed to Grand Island. We did get to kayak around the island, light house, we even got to see a baby bald eagle by the eagle nest. I appreciate the captain keeping our saftey at heart. We were given a small refund for the different kayak experience. It was great. I hope to do it again. FYI bring a change of clothes because you do get soaking wet! read more

Drove 6 hours for a tour of pictured rocks with this business only for them to cancel with only an hour's notice. They also said I'd have to wait 10-12 business days for a full refund! The lady to call me and give me this news was very unprofessional and was almost snarky about it. Would not recommend doing a tour with this place AT ALL!! read more

We had a wonderful time kayaking Pictured Rocks with Colton, our guide. He is from the area and is going to NMU. He had some fun and interesting information along the way. The kayaks were well taken care of and we could easily navigate throughout the tour. The ferry was easy and super clean. Bathrooms on the boat were better than I expected. Joe, the Captain, was very friendly and even helped us find a great restaurant in town making a reservation for us. Definitely make reservations, some walk ups were turned away. read more

Such an incredible experience, worth every penny! The tour guides are helpful and know so much information about the landmarks! You get so close to so many beautiful sights, water was crystal clear, we had the best time! Totally beginner friendly, and just overall incredible! 10/10 would recommend, we had an absolutely amazing time! You can leave belongings on the boat when you're kayaking, would recommend getting a lanyard with a waterproof case to take with you on the kayak for some amazing pictures! The employees are so kind and you can tell they love what they do. Their passion makes the trip even better, you'll have a blast! read more

Our guide Franky was fun and knowledgeable. This is the best way to see Pictured Rocks

Really great experience! Very professional and outstanding views. Soo happy we did this on our trip! Only qualms would be that for the amount of $$$ the experience was, a provided snack after the expedition would have been most appreciated. We ended up at the Book Store/Cafe afterwards and it was delicious! Additionally, may want to think twice about bringing kids under 10. They're kind of useless and will have you as the caboose of the group when it's recommended to stay near the tour guide. Just wasn't possible. Highly recommend doing this on your visit to Munising! Very unique and memorable experience. read more

The boat and equipment are great. The staff is super friendly and very chill. Vanessa and Linda did a great job leading and keeping us all together while also letting us know about the points along the way. It was relaxing and everyone had a great time in our group. Would absolutely go again! read more

Excellent customer service. I booked a tour then found out i couldn't make it and they refunded my money right away. Very nice people. I will definitely book another trip when i am able to go. read more