Sea Kayak the Sibley Peninsula to Rossport

Lake Superior's Island Crown

The Sibley Peninsula to Rossport sea kayak trip traces one of Lake Superior’s most remote sections framed by rough Canadian Shield terrain and road-free Boreal forest wilderness.

This guided and partially outfitted expedition explores Canada’s newest national marine conservation area, a rarely paddled gem of agate islands, wilderness lighthouses and first-come, first-served saunas.

Your Guide for this trip is Darrell Makin an accomplished paddler and the Outdoor Leadership Instructor with the Department of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. In 2012, Darrell co-authoured “A Paddlers guide to the Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area” the most definitive guide for paddlers doing Superior’s north shore.

Your trip begins when we meet midday in Rossport to drop off personal vehicles and shuttle to Beyond the Giant Nature Retreats to practise personal and group paddling skills and prepare for our nine-day trip. Alternatively, you may join our shuttle from our base at Rock Island Lodge on Lake Superior, near Wawa. Pre- and post-trip guests enjoy a discount rate at the Lodge.

This trip includes first-night dinner and accommodations at Beyond the Giant Retreat and breakfast the next morning. Then we set off on the crystal clear water of the largest lake in the world. Nine days later, we’ll arrive at the quaint community of Rossport and, if you are continuing on to the next section, a night to relax and meet the new group.

Northwestern Lake Superior is dotted with hundreds of uninhabited islands. The surrounding landscape is semi-mountainous. Along the way, flat-topped cuestas of the Sleeping Giant give way to jagged hills of long-cooled lava, while the shoreline is composed primarily of gravel beaches and rocky points.

The trip includes a number of open water crossings. Although time is built in for rough conditions, it is a trip for paddlers who are physically fit with previous paddling experience. About midway through we’ll visit the CPR Slip, an executive retreat-come-wilderness sauna for a Finnish-style steam bath and refreshing swim. We’ll also hike a nearby slope for a panoramic superior viewscape.

Daily paddling distances range from 10 to 26 kilometres (average 19 km) with about two no paddling days included to accommodate rough weather or a more relaxed or exploratory group pace.

The lake is mostly calm in summer, but when it gets rough we enjoy the view from shore. Although each group will travel according to its own pace, we tend to spend most of the day on the water leaving lots of time for “covering the distance” and exploring the coast.

On this trip, paddlers choose between packing and preparing their own meals or joining in with our hearty and healthy meals/snacks packed and prepared by your guide(s).

Most participants will be in single sea kayaks although occasionally we open trips to less experienced paddlers in double sea kayaks. You’ll be responsible for carrying a portion of the group gear in your kayak, along with your tent, sleeping bag, personal gear and food.

If you’re bringing your own sea kayak it must be sea worthy, at least 16 ft long with two sealed bulkheads, deck-lines and closed cockpit. You’ll need to come equipped with a PFD and signal device, bailer and 20m/55ft of floating rope. A detailed packing list is provided following registration.

Our Guides are drawn from outdoor adventure/recreation programs or they are teachers and outdoor professionals. They are certified with Wilderness Advanced First Aid (40 hrs), our own established Sea Kayak Guide Course and sea kayak advanced skills and instructor programs certified by Paddle Canada. Many return to work for us year after year. They are all great paddlers with a love and appreciation for Lake Superior’s heritage, history and ecology.

Naturally Superior Adventures was established in 1994 with a focus on Lake Superior and silent sports. Sea Kayaker Magazine  readers have kindly voted us as Eastern Canada’s best company for guided tours by sea kayak, since 2009.

Check out more photos of this trip in our Photo Gallery.

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