I Kayaked 7 Miles to See One of Michigan's Wonders

Port Austin — Turnip Rock is often considered one of the "Seven Natural Wonders of Michigan," meaning it has natural beauty and unusual geology like Sleeping Bear Dunes and Pictured Rocks.

It sits just off the shoreline near Port Austin at the very tip of Michigan's Thumb, and its bizarre, top-heavy shape has sparked curiosity and conversation for years. The strange shape comes from centuries of waves slowly eroding the softer limestone around its base, eventually creating the turnip-like formation you see today. It's now considered one of the most recognizable natural landmarks in the state.

But unlike Sleeping Bear Dunes or Pictured Rocks, this famous Michigan landmark is a tad bit harder to access.

You see, Turnip Rock isn't the type of place where you can just pull your car over, walk down a trail, and take a picture. Despite sitting right on the shoreline, all of the surrounding land for miles is privately owned and not a single house allows public access to the rock.

A little greedy if you ask me...

So because of that, there are technically only two ways to get there.

You can either take a 90-minute narrated boat tour that takes you by the rock. You also get to see Port Austin Reef Lighthouse that way.

Or you can opt for the way cooler option, which I did, and kayak all the way there yourself.

I rented my kayak from Port Austin Kayak right near the harbor. There are a few different places where you can launch from, but this is by far the most popular. They have several kayak trails around the Thumb, along with paddleboard, bike, and e-bike rentals .

From there, it's roughly seven miles round trip to the rock and back, and usually takes people three to four hours.

Now, I know that seems pretty long and believe me, I was thinking the exact same thing.

My kayak rental was scheduled from noon to 4 p.m., and I had already spent most of the morning feeling a little nervous about embarking on a four-hour kayak excursion completely by myself.

And those nerves only got worse when, upon arriving at Port Austin Kayak, the woman working the front desk explained that the winds were expected to pick up significantly later that afternoon and she was extremely hesitant to let me out on the water. All of their rentals scheduled for later in the day had already been canceled and refunded, something they have to do pretty regularly when the weather doesn't cooperate, and she was debating canceling my trip as well.

Despite my fears, I was not about to drive all the way into the most boring part of Michigan just to turn right around and go home without seeing this damn vegetable-shaped landmark.

So, I may have slightly oversold my kayaking abilities.

I assured the lady that I was a very experienced kayaker and would be completely fine out there when in reality, I can probably count on one hand the number of times I've sat in a kayak in my entire life.

Nevertheless, she believed me, and I set sail.

And now that I've made it safely back to dry land, I'm happy to report that not only did I survive, I actually had a blast!

Even with the wind picking up and my less-than-extensive kayaking resume, I had a remarkably enjoyable time out on the water. Sure, it got a little tricky on the way back, and yes, as I type this my arms are definitely still sore, but it was 100% worth it and I would gladly do it again.

The setting helps a lot. You're paddling along Lake Huron's shoreline almost the entire time through some of the clearest water I've ever seen and being fed incredible scenery pretty much every step of the way. There are towering cliffs, caves, and little hidden beaches tucked all along the shoreline, and right before reaching Turnip Rock, you'll even pass another one of Port Austin's famous land formations. This one is appropriately called "Thumbnail Point."

So even though you're putting in some work, you never really get bored, and the seven miles go by a lot faster than you'd think.

And even had the journey been miserable, seeing Turnip Rock alone would've still made it worth it.

The water surrounding the rock is shallow enough that you can actually get out and swim. There are rocks scattered throughout the water, little places to sit and relax, and plenty of room to park your kayak and give your arms a much-needed break.

The water was warm, the shoreline was gorgeous, and I could have stayed there all day.

This is one of those places you've probably seen a hundred photos of, but once you see it in person, after putting all that work to get there, absolutely nothing compares.

When all was said and done, the entire trip there and back took me right around three hours.

And not only was it doable, it was genuinely enjoyable.

While I definitely wouldn't recommend lying about your kayaking experience like I did, I would absolutely recommend the trip itself. If you're up for the adventure and the weather permits, add this one to your end-of-summer bucket list.