Best Of The Rocks Tour

The 4 miles of cliffs between Chapel and Mosquito beaches are arguably the most impressive in all of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Battleship Row, Grand Portal, Indian Head, Rainbow Caves, and Lovers Leap, provide a stunning backdrop for this world class standup paddleboard adventure.

Your trip will begin with a hike from the trailhead at the Chapel Basin Parking Lot through the forest and along the Chapel Creek Gorge. You’ll pass Chapel Falls, one of the parks more impressive waterfalls, on your way to Chapel Beach where we’ll meet you with all the gear for you paddleboarding adventure. The hike covers a distance of 3 miles over rolling terrain, and takes the average hiker about an hour and forty-five minutes.

On the beach, we will conduct a brief safety and paddleboard technique overview before we set off along the Pictured Rocks for Mosquito Beach. We will be snapping pictures from the water, and from our support vessel, the “Ollie Rodger” the entire way, and they’ll be free to download on our website a few days after the trip.

From Mosquito Beach it’s a 1.9 mile hike through the forest along a relatively flat trail, back to the Chapel Basin Parking lot.

All of our paddleboards are equipped with a kayak conversion option. If at any time during the trip you decide you’d like to sit down and paddle, we can clip on a seat, modify your paddle, and transform your paddleboard into a sit-on-top kayak.

You can find detailed directions to Chapel Beach by following this link to the Park Service website, https://www.nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/scenicsites.htm#CP_JUMP_3031898 , or give us a call at 906-202-0144 and we’ll talk you through.

Category
Tour
Total Time
5-6 hrs. Hiking/Paddling
Price Per Person
$ 145

12:30 pm or earlier

Arrive at the Chapel Basin Parking Area. Hike along Chapel Creek, past the falls, to Chapel Beach. The hike is about 3 miles and takes the average hiker 1 hour and 45 minutes. Give yourself ample time and don't forget to bring some water.

2:30 pm

Meet North Coast Guides on Chapel Beach. Safety gear and wetsuits will be issued, followed by a safety talk and paddleboarding overview.

3:00 pm

Depart for Mosquito Beach

5:30 - 6:00pm

Arrive at Mosquito Beach, guests return gear, and enjoy the rest of their day on Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

All of our SUPs and paddles are equipped with a kayak conversion option. Just clip on the kayak seat, convert your paddle, and cruise in style on a sit-on-top kayak. The kayak conversion can be done at any time. Remember, it’s your trip and it’s all about fun. So, whether you’re standing up, or more comfortable sitting down, we’ll gladly take you out on the water. Trip is weather dependent and subject to cancellation. If your trip is cancelled due to weather, you have the choice to receive a full refund, or, if you still want to get on the water, we will offer an alternate trip and refund the difference in price.

What WE Provide (All or any combination of the following is available at no extra cost):

AURORA paddleboards (and all related paddleboard gear)
Life-jackets
Farmer John wetsuit
Neoprene wetsuit jacket
Splash jacket
Drybag (for dry clothes, snacks or anything else you may need to keep dry during your trip)

What YOU Should Bring

Drinking water (at least 16 oz.) Water for refilling bottles will be available on the support vessel.
Snacks
Comfortable footwear for hiking
Sandals or shoes that can get wet
Swimming suit or boardshorts
Insulating base layers and warm socks for early season trips. (mid July) Polypropylene, wool, or other synthetic long underwear. NO COTTON
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Towel and a change of clothes for the ride home.