Overview
Join us for an immersive experience celebrating the human connection with nature on this tour of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. From forest bathing activities led by David Motzenbecker from Motz Studios, to adventurous kayaking led by Wilderness Inquiry guides, this trip offers a next-level opportunity for those looking to find deeper, facilitated engagement with the splendor of the natural world. On this tour, you will experience day trips from our Little Sand Bay Base Camp including the beautiful Mawikwe Sea Caves, Bark Bay Slough, or one of the many majestic Apostle Islands. Enjoy delicious food, breathtaking sunsets over Lake Superior, and facilitated activities to find deeper connection to the nature around you. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is great for beginning sea kayakers and seasoned paddlers alike.
Sample Itinerary
Expand All FieldsDay 1: Arrive at Little Sand Bay Base Camp and learn about the importance of nature connection.
Your trip starts in the early afternoon at Wilderness Inquiry's Little Sand Bay Base Camp. Get settled into your campsite, participate in a sea kayak orientation, and begin to explore this area's beautiful hemlock and cedar trees. Return to camp and enjoy a hearty meal cooked camp-side. After dinner, join your colleagues for a presentation on the benefits of nature connection followed by a bonfire and conversation.
Day 2: Begin your day with Forest Bathing, followed by a paddle to the Mawikwe Bay Sea Caves.
Start the day with breakfast and great coffee followed by a relaxing 3-hour forest bathing walk. After lunch, depending on the direction of the wind, explore the spectacular Mawikwe Bay Sea Caves. Later in the afternoon, join our Forest Bathing Guide for a conversation about Finding Meaning and Resilience in Nature. Then find a place that draws you in for some quiet journaling and reflection time before dinner together.
Day 3: Paddle to Sand Island, tune into your senses, and share stories around the campfire at night.
After breakfast and yoga, paddle out to Sand Island. Visit sea caves and the historic lighthouse on the northeast shore of Sand Island. Weather permitting, paddle in and out of the caves' sculpted rock chambers. After a picnic lunch on a sandy beach, we’ll experience some sensory-focused invitations to deepen our connection to the water and the Earth. Enjoy one last night at base camp with a yoga session, followed by great food and good company sharing stories over a toasty fire.
Day 4: Enjoy one last wander in the woods before saying farewell to your trip mates.
Enjoy one last morning forest bath with your new friends. Quiet journal and reflection time spent in nature, then depart for home after a picnic lunch with a reading and resource list for further exploration of the art of forest bathing.
What to Expect
ACCOMMODATIONS: You will enjoy your stay at our Little Sand Bay Base Camp. At night you will sleep on comfortable cots in platform tents. Typically, there are 2-3 people per 4-person platform tent (other arrangements can be made). Our Little Sand Bay Base Camp has very nice bathrooms and shower facilities with hot water.
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Where do we meet?
Transportation
This trip begins at 1:30 PM at our Little Sand Bay Base Camp near Bayfield, WI, where parking is available. This trip ends at Little Sand Bay Base Camp at 1:30 PM. Detailed meeting place directions will be sent to you when you are confirmed for the trip. Booking a flight? We recommend flying in the night before your trip to Duluth or Minneapolis St. Paul airports, and flying out from Duluth after 5:30 PM and from Minneapolis St. Paul after 9:00 PM.