A Quick Buzz Around the Bay: Door County Adventure Rafting

Claire Riebe enjoys the ride while Matt Olson, owner of Door County Adventure Rafting, a new company celebrating its first summer, captains a tour off his boat the Grey Fox II. Photo by Katie Sikora.

The first images I thought of upon hearing the words “adventure rafting” included a raging river, an inflatable raft, helmets and paddles.

Of course, Door County lacks a river with massive rapids, meaning that a cruise with Matt Olson of DC Adventure Rafting is like tubing – but turned up a notch.

Olson’s boat, an Apex A20, looks like a giant raft with a motor, but it can handle harsh winds and giant waves. The U.S. Coast Guard uses similar boats for search and rescue.

The 26-year-old behind the wheel looks like he spent the winter in Hawaii (which P.S. he did), with swim trunks, a t-shirt and sunglasses. His trucker hat covered his shaggy blonde hair.

After departing from the Fish Creek Town Dock, Olson let us know some general safety information, and we passed the buoy marking the end of the no wake zone. Music went on, the hat flipped backward and the engine revved.

“Watch out for potholes!” Olson yelled over the sound of the boat splashing through the waves. Every now and then we’d hit a wave bigger than anticipated, sending a jolt through my body.

First stop: The Strawberry Islands. The raft’s shallow draft afforded us the opportunity to see the island’s inhabitants, both human and aviary. The owner of a house on the island could be seen doing yard work, while what seemed like hundreds of seagulls perched on the beach.

We stopped next at Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Horseshoe Island and the bluffs by Eagle Tower at the mouth of Eagle Harbor. Olson supplied us with history of the islands, rumors about old shipwrecks and stories of his travels at each stop. His knowledge of Peninsula State Park and the surrounding area stems from five summers spent renting kayaks at Nicolet Beach. He said that’s where he realized he wanted to make his living on the water.

Since then, he’s spent time in California, where he got the idea to give tours in the Apex A20. Before earning his Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels license, or Six Pack through the U.S. Coast Guard, he spent a year cruising around the Pacific Ocean.

If you want a quick buzz around the bay, check out the DC Adventure Rafting Facebook page or look them up online. Tours go out starting at 8 am and last two hours.