PLANNING YOUR PICTURED ROCKS KAYAK ADVENTURE
Munising, Michigan is a 5-hour drive from Lansing, 5 hours from Madison, and 7 hours from Minneapolis-St. Paul. When you get to Munising, you are still a short drive away, about 20 minutes, from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Miner’s Beach. Our Kayak Tours launch from Miner’s Beach, but you will need to meet your shuttle at Tanglewood Inn 1 hour early, and we shuttle you to the beach. Upon your arrival, there are plenty of choices for food and lodging. Options for shopping are the family fare or IGA for groceries. Dining is also pleasantly prevalent, from Miners Pasties and Ice Cream to Camel Riders, there is an excellent spread to please most palettes. Breakfast at the “Bagel Place“ is customary if you are downtown and need a quick bite to assure you are on time for your shuttle. For a relaxing sit-down meal, we love the Tanglewood on M-28. We will meet right next to the Tanglewood to shuttle you into the park, so breakfast or an after-paddle snack is a great amenity. There is lodging at the Tanglewood as well. Lunch or dinner at Taco Primo is an obligatory stop in for fantastic Mexican food. If you are driving up from Michigan, one stop we love to make on highway 2 is MooFin Fries. They have grass-fed burgers and fish sandwiches that are unreal.
OUR FAVORITE PLACES
Our favorite campground in the area is Catchin Crickets. They are an excellent choice for a rustic campground, and they have a large vacation rental as well. They are located 10 miles from Miner’s Beach for your convenience. The Park’s information station is located 6 miles off Highway H-58. There is an upper overlook and lower overlook near Miner’s Beach. And off to the right roughly 4 miles back is the access to Miner’s Beach. All tours must be shuttled in, and we will coordinate that with you as you book the tour online. After your kayak tour, there are some great sites to see. There are several waterfalls ranging from a trickle at Munising Falls, to the longest in Michigan at Bridal veil Falls. Hike the North Country Trail to get a few extra miles in and catch the sunset from Miner’s Beach, Mosquito Beach, Chapel Beach, or Twelvemile Beach.
THINGS TO KNOW
Things move a little slower in the Upper Penninsula. Everything takes time to get to, driving around a lake instead of a straight line, and cell service is dodgy. If you’re headed out, set the Google maps before you leave. Maybe a screenshot of the directions. Once you leave town, it’s hard to say if you get a signal depending on the carrier. There’s bug seasons too. We have flies and mosquitoes. A variety of bug spray work on the mosquitoes, but the black flies are more persistent, and the best way to prepare for black flies is a mosquito suit or mosquito netting. There are many excellent places to go fishing, and you will need a Michigan Fishing license, which can be obtained online. Whatever your pleasure, we are here to help you plan your vacation and are happy to answer any questions you may have.