WHy Us
Woods & Waters — whether you found us with an ampersand (&) or spelled it out as Woods and Waters, you're in the right place. We're a small-group guided ecotour company based in Cedarville, Michigan, in the Les Cheneaux Islands — 36 islands along Lake Huron in Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula, just 30 minutes from the Mackinac Bridge and a short drive from Saint Ignace (igg-niss). It's a part of the UP that doesn't get the postcard attention, which depending on how you feel about crowds, is exactly the point.
What we're about — and what makes us different.
Woods & Waters exists because we value playing outdoors — all the physical, social, and psychological benefits that result from getting wet feet, soaking up the sun, or feeling spent after an adventure. We lead trips, share knowledge, and sell quality gear to everyone with the intent of being your awesome, trusted, and unbiased partner in human-powered outdoor adventures.
We got into this because we love being outside. Not in a bumper sticker way — in the way where you genuinely can't imagine doing anything else with your days. The Les Cheneaux Islands, Lake Huron, the eastern UP shoreline, the Hiawatha National Forest — this is where we live and work and play, and we never take that for granted.
Woods & Waters exists to share it. Our goal is to be your partner in getting outside — not your boss, not a company that processes you through a checkout line and wishes you a nice day. Someone who listens to what you're actually looking for, makes thoughtful decisions on your behalf, and genuinely cares whether you had a good time.
We work with all people — all abilities, all backgrounds, all experience levels, all configurations of who someone is and who they bring with them. We're not here to judge any of that. We're here to get you outside.
We're enthusiastic teachers. We love sharing what we know about this place — the history, the ecology, the birds, the wooden boats, the stories tucked into the channels. We love watching someone find their paddling rhythm for the first time. We love this work.
We're also honest. We'll tell you when conditions aren't right, when a guided tour makes more sense than a rental, when the trip you're imagining isn't quite the right fit. We'd rather give you the right experience than the one that's easiest to sell.
Woods & Waters is proud to be part of the communities of Hessel and Cedarville, the Les Cheneaux Islands, and the eastern Upper Peninsula. We're permitted by the US Forest Service to operate in the Hiawatha National Forest — a portion of every trip fee goes back to maintaining the public lands we use together. We take that seriously.
Play outdoors. Build relationships. Welcome everyone. Keep learning.
Share what we know. Make good decisions. Give back to the places we love.
