Guided and partially outfitted sea kayak trip–five days kayaking, five nights camping, half-day group skills workshop.
Trip Includes
- Qualified Guide(s)
- All Meals and Snacks
- Group Safety and Communication Gear
- Group Camping Gear
- Boat Shuttles to and from the Slate Islands
Extra Trip Options
- Meal Adjustment (Contact us if you wish to bring your own meals.)
- Sea Kayak and Gear Rentals
Trip Description
The Slate Islands form a circular archipelago of more than 20 islands created when a meteorite struck the earth billions of years ago. The shoreline presents a visual smorgasbord of geological features associated with meteor impacts, including shatter-cones: cone-like rock fractures created by the shock waves that reverberated following the million-megaton TNT-impact blast.
Although the islands’ gold and copper deposits are worth fortunes, the 8 main islands were designated as a provincial park in 1985. The Slate Islands are also home to Ontario’s greatest concentration of woodland caribou at the southern fringe of their range. Read the recent Paul Steyn article on paddling with Slate Islands Caribou in National Geographic.
This Naturally Superior Adventures trip is designed for novice to intermediate paddlers using you own or company single or double kayaks, according to your skill level. Your enjoyment will be enhanced if you are in good physical condition and comfortable with wilderness camping. Lake Superior 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 trip includes boat shuttles to and from the Islands. Group on-water training and orientation can be at our base in Wawa just pre-trip or on arrival at the island archipelago, according to guest preferences.
Kayak rental for the week: $80
You will be responsible for carrying a portion of the group gear in your kayak, as well as your tent, sleeping bag and personal gear.
Typical Trip Itinerary
| Day | Activity / Campsite | Distance | Sights & Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Around noon meet at Terrace Bay Marina and boat shuttle to the Islands. On-water skills session, orientation, dinner & camp overnight. | 4km | Terrace Bay Marina and introduction to the Rossport Islands. |
| 2 | Tour the inner islands and camp on inside channel. | 14km | Abandoned copper mine shaft, caribou pens, wooden barge. |
| 3 | Begin to circumnavigate Patterson Island and camp at Horace Cove. | 12km | Stunning campsite, Slate Island Lighthouse, meteor geology, arctic disjunct vegetation. |
| 4 | Continue to circumnavigate Patterson Island. | 14km | |
| 5 | Circumnavigate Mortimer Island. Camp on the north side. | 19km | Abandoned gold mine, steep, unique geology. |
| 6 | Leadman/Delaute Island tour. Early afternoon boat shuttle back to Terrace Bay. | 12km | 2 km crossing, geology, juvenile Mountain Ash stand. Vehicle shuttle back to Rock Island Lodge. |
Trip Video
Trip Map
Trip Photo Gallery
