So you've decided to sign-up for an Elkhorn Slough tour!

Congratulations! You've just taken your first step, or should we say, your first paddle stroke, toward an experience like no other. Now the tricky part: which tour do I sign up for? We offer regularly scheduled 3-hour naturalist tours, sunset paddles, sunrise paddles, full moon paddles, birdwatching tours, and non-scheduled private tours catered just for you, your friends, your family, your school, or your business! With so many wonderful tours to choose from, check out the descriptions, prices, dates and times on the Elkhorn Slough page to help you narrow it down. But don't worry, no matter which tour you choose, you won't be disappointed. All are equally exciting, with slight variations and a slight emphasis added to each.

The reason most people choose to go on a tour is to experience the slough's beauty in the comfort, knowledge, and well being of our trained naturalist guides. Skilled under the eye of the American Canoe Association's (ACA) coastal kayaking guidelines, and with years of ecology and naturalist education, our guides give you an unparalleled experience each and every time you arrive at the slough. Even if you are a complete novice, you'll be paddling with your partner through Pelican Alley and exploring secret haul-out sites with the greatest of ease. Along the way and throughout, the guide will join all the kayaks together, raft up, and speak of the history and all the wonderful creatures of and within the slough.

In the natural history tours, you'll learn why harbor seals need plenty of space to rest, why brown pelicans are still an endangered species, and why sea otters sometimes have bloody noses. You'll learn what a "slough" really is, what happens in that power plant, and how the slough has transformed from the days when Cannery Row was in full production. You'll learn all of this and more, and more importantly, have fun while learning it when you sign-up for one of our naturalist tours. If you want more of a romantic feel, try our sunset or full moon paddle. You'll come back again and again!

When you go on a tour with one of our guides, you'll go in a closed-deck, or sit-inside, double kayak for added stability and speed. After a brief introduction, and before starting off on your adventure, the guide will help you with all of the necessary kayaking gear. These include a sprayskirt, a Personal Flotation Device (PFD), and a paddle. You'll learn the necessary paddling techniques and kayak safety, and then head down to the dock to get in your kayak. The guide will show you how to do this properly, and meet you out in the water away from the dock to start the adventure. Happy paddling!

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