Looking for the best kayaking spots on Lake Superior? Lake Superior is one of the best kayaking destinations in the world. From the Pictured Rocks to Isle Royale, here are some of the best kayaking spots on Lake Superior!

Kayaking Safety on Lake Superior:

Before you launch your kayak on Lake Superior, make sure you have the right safety gear! Kayaking on Lake Superior is a bucket list experience, but Lake Superior can give hypothermia year round and produce 30 ft waves. People die in Lake Superior every year. Read up here on sea kayaking safety!

While similar to kayaking, sea kayaking is actually a different sport entirely! Sea kayaking requires specialized gear including a sea kayak, bilge pump, paddle float, spray skirt, marine radio, and more. I recommend ACA Level 2 at a minimum skills for all Great Lakes kayaking/paddling.

I would compare the difference in kayaking and sea kayaking to the difference between hiking and mountaineering; while there is some overlap, mountaineering has risks that hiking does not have. Similar to mountaineering, sea kayaking requires skills, gear, and training that kayaking does not require.

When in doubt, book a guided tour!

Best Places to Kayak on Lake Superior

Looking to explore the world’s largest lake by surface area? I’ve been a Lake Superior sea kayaking guide for several years and paddled extensively throughout the lake. I’m happy to show you around!

1) Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Nothing says #puremichigan like a trip to the beautiful Pictured Rocks Cliffs. Book a sea kayaking tour with Pictured Rocks Kayaking where you can launch directly from their safety boat with a qualified guide! The Pictured Rocks is an incredible place to paddle, but also sees the highest quantity of rescues and emergencies on Lake Superior.

Even highly skilled paddlers have needed help at the Pictured Rocks, and it’s fairly routine for the cruise boats to have to assist kayakers in trouble. The area also sees occasional rockfalls like this one that kick up large and dangerous waves.

While dangerous for inexperienced paddlers, the Pictured Rocks are one of the best places to kayak on Lake Superior! You can still have a great time paddling here if you take appropriate safety precautions, and book a guided tour.

Check out the 30 Best things to do in the Pictured Rocks!

2) The Mainland Apostle Islands Sea Caves

Searching for the Lake Superior sea caves? The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore’s mainland sea caves is one of the most beautiful places to kayak in the world! Here, you can explore deep caves with waterfalls at the end, paddle through red rock arches, and see beautiful wildflowers on the rock walls above you.

The Mainland Apostle Islands Sea Caves belong on any paddler’s bucket list! I recommend booking a tour with Lost Creek Adventures.

Kayaking the Mainland Sea Caves in the Apostle Islands can be an incredible trip, but it is also an unsafe paddle for beginners! For 3 years, I guided trips to these caves every day of the summer. Approximately every three days we would have to cancel our trip due to inclement waves, or rescue unprepared kayakers. During the month of July, myself and my co-guide rescued three separate groups in the span of one week.

The Mainland Sea Caves of the Apostle Islands are on a peninsula, and exposed to the wind and waves from all directions except the east. The bay you launch in is mostly protected, so you cannot see how big the waves are until you are in them, and one mile from safe landing. Here, hypothermia can set in around 10-15 minutes year round.

The sea caves here are stunning! But the same forces that carved out these ornate caves (wind and waves) pose a threat to paddlers today.

3) The Apostle Islands

While the Mainland Sea Caves are the star of the show and easy to access from the Bayfield Peninsula, did you know that the 21 islands that make up the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore? Each of these islands has it’s own unique story, including lighthouses, wildlife, and sea caves.

Book an overnight kayaking tour out into the Apostle Islands with Lost Creek Adventures to get out in the islands.

An overnight trip in the Apostles is easily one of the best kayaking destinations in Lake Superior. Close to Red Cliff, WI and mainland, Basswood Island has a beautiful forest, eagles, and a sea stack at its north end. Stockton Island has more beautiful caves and cliffs and the mysterious singing sand of Julian Bay. Oak Island is home to black bears and a beautiful hiking trail out to an overlook of all 21 islands. Sand Island, one of the most popular islands, has impressive sea caves and a beautiful lighthouse.

Check out the 30 Best things to do in the Apostle Islands

4) Tettegouche State Park

One of the best kayaking spots on Lake Superior, Tettegouche State Park has massive black rock cliffs and beautiful paddling! Here, you can find sea caves, sea arches, crystal clear water, and more.

Check out the ultimate guide to tettegouche state park!

Tettegouche State Park is one of the best sea kayaking locations in Minnesota, and one of the most beautiful places to kayak on Lake Superior. Call Day Tripper of Duluth to organize a guided tour.

Water temperatures in Tettegouche are extra chilly, so this is a wetsuit mandatory trip! Please be extra careful when paddling Tettegouche’s cliffs. Waves from the open lake will hit cliffs like these and rebound, doubling in height, increasing risk for new paddlers. If you are not in a sea kayak, your boat might fill with water and sink if you capsize. Read more about sea kayaking safety here.

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5) Isle Royale National Park

Personally, Isle Royale National Park is my favorite sea kayaking destination in Lake Superior. Isle Royale is an isolated National Park that can only be reached by boat or float plane, home to moose, wolves, and a variety of other wildlife. It’s beautiful.

learn more about planning your Isle Royale Trip!

For sea kayakers, an Isle Royale Circumnavigation is a trip of a lifetime. For backpackers, Isle Royale offers solitude and a challenge.

Sea Kayaking Isle Royale is an incredible experience, but hazards include fog, water temperature, waves, and unpredictable weather. Sea Kayaking on Isle Royale is a great trip for advanced paddlers. Multi-day guided trips can be booked with Stone Harbor Wilderness Supply or with Keweenaw Adventure Company.

check out the Midwest Adventure eBook Bundle for over 300+ pages of detailed adventure planning including hidden waterfalls, the best campsites, off-the-beaten-path adventures, and more covering Sleeping Bear to the end of the Gunflint Trail and everything in-between!

Looking for more Paddling & Trail Guides?

• Check out the best things to do on the North Shore
• Explore the beautiful Pictured Rocks
• Here are thirty Midwest Hiking Trails, ranked best to worst. Where does your favorite fall?

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