San Francisco Bay Area REI Outdoor School

Kayaking Elkhorn Slough Day Tour (Outing)

Join REI for a kayaking tour of Elkhorn Slough, a popular area for beginning and intermediate paddlers. Located at the center of the Monterey Bay coastline, this ecological treasure is home to hundreds of species of plants and abundant wildlife such as sea lions, sea otters, seals, egrets, pelicans, and many migratory bird species. October and November are ideal times of year to paddle here under warm, sunny skies. The fall bird migration also makes this an excellent time to explore the Slough. After an orientation and safety briefing, we will paddle the slough from Moss Landing to Kirby Park and back, totaling approximately 8 ½ miles.

NOTE: This is a day tour to enjoy the slough by kayak and not an instructional kayaking course. If you are interested in an instructional course, you should consider our Kayaing: Level 1 course.

Pre-requisite: No prior kayaking experience is required but participants should be physically fit and comfortable in water.

* Advance trip sign-up is required. Call or visit any Bay Area REI to sign up.

• Time:

  8:00am - 3:00pm

• Cost: Member: $120, Non-Member: $140

Where To Meet:

Meet at the location or REI store listed below. Directions to locations other than REI stores can be found by clicking on the link below.

Get directions to all non-store venues here.

• October 17th Elkhorn Slough (Moss Landing)
• November 4th Elkhorn Slough (Moss Landing)

WHAT TO BRING:

• Come dressed to get wet, in swim suits or other appropriate quick-drying clothing. If the forecast is for cool temperatures, bring along a fleece jacket or windproof shell too.
• Paddling footwear (neoprene booties or aquashoes), if you have them, or thin-soled, flexible tennis shoes (that can get wet). Sandals are also acceptable, however Velcro style sandals are not recommended for this trip because the straps can come undone when wet.
• A water bottle, such as a bicycle style or Nalgene, filled with drinking water, juice, etc.
• Sun protection (sunscreen and wide brim hats w/ retainers) and sunglasses with retainers.
• Sun/rain hat
• Sunglasses with retainer strap
• Sun block and lip balm
• Insect repellent
• Camera and memory
• Dry bag for personal gear (small)
• Small binoculars (7x or 8x is best)
• Snack (energy bars, fruit)
• Change of clothes and footwear for the ride home (leave in car).

In case of inclement weather, include the following in addition to the list above:

• Rain jacket with hood, waterproof and breathable
• Rain pants, waterproof and breathable
• Insulating jacket
• Wool or fleece hat

REI OUTDOOR SCHOOL PROVIDES:

• Experienced guides.
• Kayaking equipment including single sea touring kayak, paddle, life vest and paddle jacket, and dry bags, if necessary.
• Tandem kayaks are not available.
• Box lunch.