On this journey, you will cross the open water of the west channel to discover the wonders of the quarried Basswood Island. Explore the Fedora shipwreck, hike to Basswood’s brownstone quarry, and spend time swimming and eating lunch on the sand beach.
1. Fill out your pre-arrival waivers
2. Arrive at Trek & Trail around 8:45
3. Receive a ~30 min paddling tutorial at the beach
4. Spend ~2 hours on the water exploring shoreline north of Bayfield, crossing to Basswood Island dock for lunch
5. Paddle south down the Island shoreline to the southern tip. Travel on foot to the historic brownstone quarry, a glimpse into the past
7. Make the return paddle to Bayfield
8. Return to Trek & Trail by 3 PM
Basswood Island is one of the 21 Apostle Islands, and the most accessible from Bayfield. Enjoy the convenience of launching directly from our shop, located downtown.
Get a glimpse into the past, visiting a historic shipwreck and brownstone quarry from centuries ago.
An impressive spread of gourmet sandwiches, crostini and dip, fresh fruit, cookies and lemonade will await you when you reach your lunch destination.
Meet at Trek & Trail, located in downtown Bayfield
If you have equipment sizing concerns, please indicate so on your digital waiver. We strongly encourage you to stop in to test-fit a kayak the day before your tour. Refunds will be provided for up to two guests in your party if there are issues with boat or equipment fit
We encourage pregnant guests to consult with their healthcare provider before participating.
We paddle rain or shine, but trips can be cancelled due to unsafe weather conditions. These include:
Weather cancellations are often made at the beach at the time of the trip. When possible, advance notice of inclement weather and cancellations will be provided by office staff
In the event of a weather cancellation, we will try to get you rescheduled or provide a full refund if unable.
We recommend giving yourself multiple days to try again if weather is uncooperative
We are required by permit to don wetsuits when the air and water temperature are below a certain threshold. While we don’t anticipate anybody capsizing, the wetsuits are intended to keep you warm in Lake Superior’s frigid waters.
During hot summer days, wetsuits may be optional. This decision is made day by day by our guide staff using real-time water temp data.
We love dogs, and we love sea kayaking. Unfortunately, the two do not pair well! Placing a dog in the front of a tandem kayak can pose safety concerns for both the dog and owner, and violates the equipment requirements set forth in our permitting.
We have local contacts who can provide doggy daycare for you if you need a place for your pup during the tour. Just ask!
Generally, no. We require prospective renters to take and pass a 3-hour safety course in order to rent kayaks and go without a guide. There is a considerable amount of risk associated with kayaking on Lake Superior, as conditions can deteriorate rapidly. Our guides are highly trained and handle the decision-making on your behalf. If you are still interested in renting, please review our instruction/rentals page and contact us to set up your rental
We exclusively use tandem kayaks for our tours. The increased stability of the tandem kayaks makes them much safer and allows you to enjoy the tour comfortably.
One guest will be paired up in a tandem kayak with a guest from another odd-numbered party or with a guide, depending on the composition of other groups.
Solo travelers: Our trips have a minimum of two participants to run. If the trip you are trying to book does not allow you to select 1 participant, it is because that trip/time is currently empty. Please check other tour times, give us a call, or check back later for availability.
This experience is not booked with Casa de Suenos. For any questions, reach out to this vendor directly.
