South Bass Island Day Trip

Explore South Bass Island with Us

Paddle Distance

About 7 nautical miles

Duration

6 hours (approximately 4 hours of paddling)

Guide to Participant Ratio

1:6

What You'll See

South Bass Island is one of our favorite Lake Erie paddling destinations.  We’ll launch from Middle Bass Island State Park and get acclimated to our kayaks before making the short 1/2 mile crossing to South Bass Island’s Put-in-Bay.   There we’ll paddle among the rock formations that make up the formidable Gibraltar Island and then make our way along the cliff-lined western coast of South Bass Island.  We’ll stop for photos in sea caves and rock stacks before pulling off for a picnic lunch at South Bass Island State Park.      Our trip ends at the South Bass Island Miller Ferry dock, where we’ll board a ferry for our return trip to the mainland.

On this trip you’ll see towering rock formations, sea caves, a bustling harbor and Perry’s Peace Monument.    Wildlife sightings include bald eagles, ospery, herons, egrets, cormorants, and the harmless (and protected) Lake Erie water snake.  

Conditions to Expect

This is a 6 mile paddle along an exposed coast.  Expect seas of 1-2 ft, along, occasional refracting waves off of cliffs.

What's Included

Single or tandem sea kayak and equipment (paddle, life-jacket, whistle, spray skirt) and a picnic lunch by the shore.  

Meeting Location

Our tour meets at the Miller Ferry Terminal on Catawba Island.   We’ll travel by ferry to Middle Bass Island, then paddle to the South Bass Island Ferry terminal for our return trip.