Pictured Rocks Kayak Trip 2022 (PHOTO GALLERY) – Michigan Bucket List Adventure
Uncle Ducky and Paddling Michigan have started Black Friday sales early and are currently offering 2 for 1 deals on the Paddler’s Choice and Taste of the Rocks packages, or 30% off the Paddle and Hike package! Book now and schedule later – you can see below why this is a can’t-miss summer trip!
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and there are many reasons for that. The park boasts 42 miles of Lake Superior shoreline, sandstone cliffs that reach heights up to 200 feet, waterfalls, wildlife, hiking trails, and more. When it comes to “bucket list” adventure in the U.P., visiting Pictured Rocks should be at the top of the list. In June, we had the chance to kayak along a section of the lakeshore with Uncle Ducky Outdoors/Paddling Michigan and had an amazing time. This was the second time I have been able to go a trip like this and both times I have been fortunate to have perfect weather and an overall great experience. Today we’ll be sharing a lot of photos from our Pictured Rocks kayak adventure and giving you all the details you need to book a trip of your own. When I’m asked what my favorite thing I’ve ever done on vacation in Michigan this is always my answer, and hopefully you’ll see why after checking out this photo gallery!
We chose to do our 2022 Pictured Rocks kayak tour with Uncle Ducky Outdoors/Paddling Michigan. Thanks to a Black Friday sale I had gotten a good deal on a two-person outing. We did the “Taste of the Rocks” paddle which is a three hour trip that heads east from Miners Beach and visits the Painted Coves, Bridalveil Falls, and more. All groups meet up at the office on H-58 about five miles east of downtown Munising, then take a shuttle bus down to Miners Beach. All trips are in tandem sea kayaks and we had a relatively small group of ten people plus a guide.
Our guide Trent was fantastic and did a great job making sure we were safe on the water while also letting us have some fun. We couldn’t have asked for better weather, as Lake Superior was mostly flat and the sun was shining. After launching from Miners Beach we paddled past Bridalveil Falls (a seasonal, 140 foot waterfall that slides down the cliff) and into the first of several coves.
If you’ve been on a boat trip with Pictured Rocks Cruises then you know seeing the colorful sandstone cliffs up close is a pretty magical experience. Getting up next to them in a kayak and being close enough to touch them is even better!
We were able to pop our kayaks into a few small sea caves and slide through some narrow openings between fallen rocks since the weather conditions were right. We venture out to the rockfall site of the viral “back up, Brad!!” video from 2021. We passed over a shipwreck as well.
The calm water helped us run ahead of schedule and as we started the trip back Trent threw out the option of us paddling under Miners Castle. This has always been on my list of things to do at Pictured Rocks and it ended up being the highlight of the trip. Paddling around Miners Castle and being able to see the observation platform we’ve stood on many times from down in the lake was pretty cool. We even got to go into a sea cave that is directly under Miners Castle. What a way to wrap up an amazing trip!
Enjoy this photo gallery and remember that no photos do a trip like this justice. We love Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and think everyone who is able should experience seeing it from the water.
