Natural River Tours

The Native American name for this region was Land of Falling Waters which doesn’t mean lots of fast moving rivers with waterfalls. It does mean an abundance of major Michigan rivers start here in Jackson County. The Grand, Raisin, Kalamazoo and St Joe headwaters and tributaries are all within a 30 minute drive from our headquarters and are very much the way they were hundreds of years ago. The stretches of these rivers we choose are clean and pure and still very much frequented by wildlife.

Who is this class for?

• Anyone looking to get away from it all and go with the natural flow of the rivers.
• Those that want some instruction tips before embarking and perhaps more on the way.
• Those wishing to take part in a point to point day trip.
• Paddlers wanting to see and use a variety of paddling gear.
• Those looking for an ultra-relaxing way to spend a day with friends or family.

• How to safely enter and exit a kayak.
• The correct paddle strokes to make the kayak turn, track, and glide.
• How to read a river and find the best course.
• What kind of gear makes day-tripping safer and more fun.
• Learn about Native American history, watersheds, plant and wildlife features.

Important Tip:
Imagine a day where you push off from shore in your kayak and leave your cares behind. Meeting up with some new and perhaps old pals, a jovial guide, some great kayaks and gear and heading out for 4-5 hours of fun. Only wrapped around the fun are stops on water where your guide morphs into an instructor and shows you how to paddle with less effort and better results. Even if you’re an experienced paddler, the instructor will lay a few new paddle strokes on you before resuming the tour. The Natural River Tour choice is based on the water levels and flow as determined by our Rivermaster, Todd Zeller. They may include any one of a number of wild branches of our rivers and include some lakes on the routes to cross.

Your guide will bring along a great lunch and show you how to go about this day touring business with efficiency and class.

Cost: $100 including all equipment, kayaks, shuttle and an on-water meal with beverages.