Contact Us
Come Paddle With Us
The 41° North Yak Shack is located in the Cleveland Metroparks Rocky River Reservation in Lakewood, Ohio. Our center offers paddlers direct access to the Rocky River and Lake Erie.
Our Hours
We set our hours to maximize paddling potential during the warmest months of the year, weather permitting!
Summer Hours: May 29 - August 22
Mon-Fri 10am-7pm (last launch at 6pm)
Sat & Sun 9am-6pm (last launch at 5pm)
Back to School Hours: August 23-27
Mon-Fri 1pm-7pm (last launch at 6pm)
Sat & Sun 9am-6pm (last launch at 5pm)
Fall Hours: August 30 - September 26
Mon-Fri: Closed
Sat & Sun 9am-6pm (last launch at 5pm)
Memorial Day & Labor Day
10am-5pm (last launch at 4pm)
July 4
Closed
Meet Our Guides
Mark Pecot is the owner, instructor-trainer and guide for 41 North Kayak Adventures.
Mark has been guiding kayaks since 1999, the year he decided to purchase his first coastal kayak and fell in love with the sport. Over the next 7 years prior to founding 41 North in 2003, he attended training across the United States and Canada, but often mentions the tidal races of Tybee Island as the foundry for his passion of rough-water paddling. His efforts yielded him a Level 5 Advanced Open Water Coastal Kayak Instructor certification; the foremost qualification for coastal paddlers offered by the American Canoe Association (he currently maintains a level 4). Mark also spent time as a sponsored paddler for team P&H. Mark is one of the most respected ACA Instructor-Trainers for those seeking to understand the unique (and often treacherous) conditions found on Lake Erie and the Great Lakes region.
Mark is still a guide on most of 41 North’s tours and classes, but can take pride in the long list of kayak instructors he’s certified and tutored, many of which have gone on to careers in the sport (and started businesses of their own!).
Mark paddles a Nigel Dennis Kayaks Pilgrim Expedition kayak in a fiberglass layup (among many other favorites he’s collected).
Josh Scott
Josh is a Cleveland native who has been a part of the Northeast Ohio professional outdoors scene for over 10 years. He is an ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayak Instructor and Wilderness First Responder with passions for all types of adventure recreation including kayaking, canoeing, cycling and hiking. Returning home from a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2016, he began pursuing paddlesports to utilize Lake Erie and scratch the adventure itch. His most strategic goal is to continue to popularize paddlesports (in particular sea kayaking) in Northeast Ohio, and help beginners form good habits that can create healthy, safe and competent paddlers who will bolster the strength of our diverse paddling community.
Josh paddles Sea Kayak UK (Nigel Dennis Kayaks) Romany Surf Kayak in a fiberglass layup.
Hannah Kelling
Hannah is a self-described “water-bird” with a deep appreciation for paddlesports that largely revolves around the Great Lakes. She is an ACA Level 3 Coastal Kayak Instructor and a Wilderness First Responder. Growing up on 56 acres in Southern Ohio, she regularly canoed and creek-stomped with her family. Years later, leading sea kayak tours on Lake Superior cemented her love of coastal touring. Her favorite paddling destinations are the Everglades National Park in Florida and Moosehead Lake in northwestern Maine (so far!). Hannah is an advocate for Cleveland outdoor recreation, and is excited by the opportunity to bring beginners into the sport, particularly women and members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Hannah paddles a P&H Capella 161 Sea Kayak in a Carbon/Kevlar layup.