horicon marsh boat tours- day tours

The marsh tour is one of those things i always wanted to do but never did. Finally decided to check it out and was pleasantly surprised. The tour started with a short video about the marsh and then we boarded the pontoon boat and set off for the tour. Our guide was personable and very knowledgeable. The seats were comfortable and it was a nice leisurely ride. We even got to see an eagle that has made the marsh it's home. Well worth the money.

My 10 year old nephew and I did this on the spur of the moment and were not disappointed. We learned a lot and saw a wide variety of water fowl. The highlight was seeing the bald eagle family that were nesting there. The guide told us a lot about the marsh, its formation, and the wide variety of wildlife that call it home. We will go again.

The driver had a heck of a time getting the motor going at start of trip. And it conked out midway on the tour. No danger-- the marsh is 2 feet deep. But the clunky motor provided the only excitement. Very little to see on the marsh (more birds in my backyard) and the driver/trip narrator repeats his views mercilessly, namely: we owe everything in the marsh to what the hunters do and pay for "because the taxpayers do not pay for any of this." His political commentary gets old fast when we are stuck on his old boat for an hour. Was happy to see the hour end!!

We drove to the marsh for a day trip on a warm and sunny day. Life-long Wisconsin residents but this was our first time here. It is an impressive natural area. I'm happy that our federal and state government, with local push, had the foresight to protect and then manage this for us. The pontoon boat tour takes about an hour and the $12/person charge was very reasonable. The tour guide is a naturalist and birder, a Horicon native and has a passion for this area. So he made a perfect guide. This is either the only or one of a few options to get out into the marsh. Don't pass it by.

Not to much to see. The narrator was political making snide remarks about the Federal part of the marsh .Major odor from livestock farms floated over the tour boat. Expected more.

These folks are really serious about loving the land, wildlife and tourists. They tell the story well and conserve the waterways. This business has been passed down from the father and is still family run with love on each trip. Marc's knowledge of the birds and wildlife is well honed and their little shop is a neat shopping experience.

My husband and I enjoyed a relaxing and informative trip on this marsh yesterday. Our guide was so knowledgeable! We saw many eagles, cormorants, swallows & a white pelican. Every trip is different as to what birds you will see. We hope to return next Spring to see the migratory birds. The cost of the trip was well worth it! I wouldn't recommend the trip for kids under 10. The ones on our trip seemed to lose interest after the first 1/2 hour. The boat doesn't hold that many people, so a reservation is a good idea. After our boat tour, we drove and walked in the Marsh area for about 3 hrs. We are so glad we did the boat tour first. On our walking/driving excursion, we saw lots of turtles and some birds. But, not the types and amounts of birds we saw on the boat. If we hadn't done the boat tour, we would've been quite disappointed in our trip.

You will learn more about the marsh and its birds and animals from Marc Zuehlsdorf on this tour than you would in any other way. We were fortunate to see a pair of bald eagles and their big baby on our trip. The boats are very quiet and comfortable. A very good value and fun for passengers of any age.

We greatly enjoyed a two hour day tour recently. Our primary reason for going was to get out on the marsh. With Marc at the helm guiding and narrating, it was a wonderful experience. He has vast knowledge of the area and is an incredible birder! Identifying birds, by sight, sound, and flight pattern he pointed out quadruple what we'd have seen on our own. Eagles, white pelicans, terns, cormorants, herons, and various warblers were just a few of what we saw in a short time period. The pontoon boat was very stable and covered for sun and rain. Don't miss it!

A few weeks ago I went on an evening tour (not sunset, just evening) of the Horicon marsh with Horicon Marsh Boat Tours. It was great. The guide, Mark, was extremely knowledgeable and identified birds by their song even. We saw a great variety, including a nesting bald eagle. As previous reviewers noted, the engine is very quiet and we were able to hear the birds and they didn't get spooked by the noise. I would recommend this tour wholeheartedly. I would also recommend either long sleeves or mosquito spray. They say there aren't any since the boat moves, but when you're standing still, I saw a few.

My wife and i were looking for activities to share with her father and stumbled upon this gem on the rock river in horicon. The informative tour started with a video before the trip. The boat was comfortable and spacious enough to move around, and our guide was great. prices are very reasonable. I would recommend it to any nature lover.

The nation's largest freshwater marsh is best experienced on the water. Take the guided tour on a pontoon boat with an excellent and personable guide named Marc. It's a relaxing and information trip regardless of the time of day/year. For the more adventurous, they rent canoes and explore the marsh on your owm.

We spent several hours kayaking on Horicon Marsh, and it was great! We rented the Kayak at Horicon Marsh Boat Tours (Blue Heron Landing).Gayl and Marc were awesome! The water was calm and the sky was clear, we saw several blue herons, tree swallows and a bald eagle too!We hope to be able to get back in spring to see more birds during their migration!If you don't want to kayak, I STRONGLY suggest the pontoon boat tour!

Guide Marc Zuehlsdorf's knowledge of and passion for the marsh and its wildlife really made the tour one hour tour (1:00---2:00). We were fortunate to have a nice day and to see a pair of bald eagles. The video before the tour about the restoration of whooping cranes, supplemented with Marc's commentary was also interesting. A great introduction to Horicon Marsh!

Those who like birding will especially like this tour, but the skipper/tour guide seemed to have something of interest for everyone. Because the character of the marsh changes with the seasons, visitors may want to visit at different times during the year. It's a must-do tour to really say you've gotten a sense of the Horicon Marsh.