Pictured Rocks
Paddling and Hiking
Miners Beach to Chapel Beach
"The Complete Pictured Rocks Experience."

The actual Cliff and Rocks area of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Park encompasses an area of about 14 miles of the total distance of the park which is about 42 miles long. The other 28 remaining miles are Sand Cliffs from Munising to Miners Beach, the Grand Sable Dunes near Grand Marais, and low woodlands that extend out to the lake (12 mile Beach).

There are only two places in the park that you can get a vehicle close enough to launch and retrieve kayaks. Miners Beach and the far eastern end of 12 Mile Beach and they are 25 miles apart. Therefore, unless you are a very experienced paddler and want to paddle very hard and fast, a one way day trip is just not possible in one direction using a land vehicle to transport the kayaks.

In 2012 we are introducing "Kayak Shuttle" which is a pontoon boat designed to make beach landings and transport kayaks. This makes possible the "Complete Pictured Rocks Experience" where you may now paddle the entire Rocks section of the park from Miners Beach to Chapel Beach or vice versa by hiking in or out the 2 miles down the path from the Chapel Falls Parking lot to Chapel Beach. We can either end or start the trip at Chapel Beach. If you like exercise then this trip is your ticket for hiking and paddling experiences at the same time. You may also camp at Chapel Beach prior to or after the paddling trip. Reservations are necessary and can be made through the Pictured Rocks Visitors Center or we can make them for you.

The Complete Pictured Rocks Experience covers a distance in the water of roughly 14 miles with a one hour lunch break along the way. We normally stop at the Mosquito River. You'll see Spray Falls, Battleship Row, the Grand Portal Arch, Chapel Rock, the Cave of the Bloody Chiefs, Indian Head Rock, Lovers Leap Arch, Mosquito River, the colored cliffs 200 foot cliffs, sea caves and Miners Castle. Expect to be on the water about 6 hours which is about the same timeline as our regular day trip but you'll see many more features and formations of this shoreline that due to the distance make it impossible to see on the regular out and back paddling trip.

If you do not want to hike one way you will need to, or we can arrange for you, a shuttling service to either transport your group to The Chapel Falls parking lot from Miners Beach or From Miners Beach back to the Chapel Falls parking lot to retrieve vehicles.About 2 miles. Or, you may preposition a vehicle. Trailspotters Shuttle Company will shuttle your group from Chapel Falls to miners Beach for $15 per person. You can hike along and camp on the North Country Trail between the two points if you choose. If you would like to camp overnight reservations must be made with the Pictured Rocks Visitors Center 906-387-3700. There are campsites at Chapel Beach and Mosquito Beach on the hike back to your vehicle at Miners Beach. Distance from Chapel Beach to Mosquito is 4.4 miles and from Chapel to Miners beach is 7.4 miles. Most people walk at about 2 mph

As you can imagine, this trip will require some planning and coordination for the meeting places and times. For this reason, once you schedule the trip please contact us at least a couple days prior so we can work out the details.

The cost for this trip is $175 per person for 4-6 people, and $199 for 1-3 people not including the shuttle service if required.