Johnny Panther Quests Ecotours
Johnny Panther Quests Ecotours
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All tours by reservation, please call ahead. Address given is our office, NOT attraction site. We've been offering boat tours through the "Everglades of Michigan" for over 19 years professionally. Adventures range from 2 hours to 7 days.
Saginaw, Michigan
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Johnny Panther Quests Ecotours
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
55 reviews
Excellent
55
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0
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0
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0
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Sightsee688121
Royal Oak, MI1 contribution
Sep 2020
I'll make it simple: Take this tour. Wil is a great guide and very flexible in tailoring the trip to meet your interests. Having grown up in the area, he is incredibly knowledgeable about the wildlife, rivers, and local history. We had a great time birding and learning about the history of the river system. We really appreciated that we could choose what areas to see based on places Wil suggested, which helped keep the length of the trip to exactly what we wanted.
Bonus: Wil also took some photos of our day that he shared with us afterward.
Bonus: Wil also took some photos of our day that he shared with us afterward.
Written September 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with others!
Written September 13, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Paige Clemons
Grand Rapids, MI9 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Our Johnny Panther experience was absolutely amazing! My family and I had planned a weekend in Frankenmuth and wanted to schedule some time to enjoy nature. After some searching on Google, I found the Johnny Panther Frankenmuth River tour and scheduled it. The next day, Wil called me and, after about five minutes, convinced me to book the Michigan Everglades tour in Saginaw instead and, boy, was I glad he did! Within minutes of launching the boat we were exploring areas of Michigan we never thought existed! This tour is aptly named because once you’re in the thick of the wildlife refuge, you could very easily convince yourself that you’re in Florida. Wil was also great himself—he had so many interesting stories and is incredibly knowledgeable about the Saginaw area. I highly recommend booking a Johnny Panther experience!
Written October 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for your flexiblity, and sharing your experience with others. It was an awesome day!
Written October 12, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CreveCoeurMo
Creve Coeur, MO284 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
We were looking to spend some time in Michigan after our granddaughter’s graduation from the U of Michigan. We found this on the Pure Michigan website. It is 2 hours from Ann Arbor and we did other things in the area. This is well worth a 2 hour drive and overnight stay!! Will (Lenny to his friends) is a true River Rat. He has spent his life on the river and knows it well. He knows where it is shallow and where it is deep, and he can tell these areas by the direction the wind is coming from. He knows where the eagles’ nest are and we saw lots and lots of eagles and nest. We booked over the phone with him and sent him a deposit. He was waiting in the parking lot for us when we arrived. We booked for a 3 hours tour. Because Wil did not have an afternoon group, we stayed out for 5 hours (with one pull-in the pee). Wil’s childhood stories on the river are right out of Tom Sawyer. They were so much fun to hear and allowed us to experience his love of the river. We have good binoculars which are great for getting a peak at the fledglings in the nest. Wil saw everything without binoculars, but I highly recommend taking a pair per person. Our day was cool and overcast which worked out just fine.
Written May 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your adventure with others, and letting me take you two so far into the Shiawassee Flats! it was a spectacular day. As Don used to say; "It doesn't get any better than this!"
Written May 20, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mel
Jacksonville, AL4 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
Captain Wil took 9 of us on four hour a river extravaganza that was fun, educational and eye opening. Our group ranged from 8 to 67 years old and we were all entertained by Wil’s stories and knowledge of this area. I was surprised at the unexpected beauty in the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge from the unique perspective of Captain Wil’s boat. We will be back!
Written October 4, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking the time to share the adventure, and share your experience with others!
Written October 14, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Helen K
2 contributions
Sep 2020
We spent a fabulous half-day Johnny Panthering and enjoyed every second of the eco tour. Exploring Michigan's Everglades with Captain Wil Hufton was relaxing, educational and entertaining. Who knew that Michigan HAD an Everglades?? Wil is knowledgeable, accommodating and a great storyteller. We saw lots of wildlife, learned about the history of the area, and visited beautiful rivers and waterways.
This tour is highly recommended. You will not be disappointed.
This tour is highly recommended. You will not be disappointed.
Written September 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you very much for sharing your adventure with others. We often overuse the words drama and dramatic. Dramatic would be an understatement for the day you joined us!
Written September 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sue F
18 contributions
Jun 2023
What a magical experience in the Michigan "swamp"! We told Will we wanted to see eagles and we lost count! Great to see all the juveniles, indicating a bright future for the species. We also saw muskrat, egrets and deer. When not viewing wildlife, there was the beauty of natures reflections and to top it off, the serenity of a sunset on the water. Will was friendly, informative and accommodating. His passion for the waterways and its occupants is evident in all he says and does. Don't miss out, you will have no regrets!
Written June 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your experience and images with others! It was a magical afternoon.
Written August 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Peter L
3 contributions
May 2022
The eco-tour trip of the Michigan Everglades was the best tour I have taken (and second was an eco tour trip in the Florida Everglades). Wil is not only so incredibly knowledgeable, but shared our enthusiasm for the incredible sites and wildlife we saw. We saw Eagles (15-20), Hawks, Sandhill Cranes, Herons etc. and enjoyed the incredible beauty that surrounded us. I moved to Michigan in 1991 and had never heard of the incredible wildlife refuge and state grounds right at Saginaw! I will be coming back!!
Written May 14, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing your experience with others! It was an epic day.
Written May 29, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Trevor_from_MI
Michigan184 contributions
Jun 2023 • Family
What an amazing experience. Captain Wil is incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining. He could tell stories for hours, but also knows when to be quiet and let nature do the talking. He knows every nook and cranny of the rivers and knows all of the good places to see wildlife. It was worth every penny.
Written June 29, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for sharing the adventure, and your experience with others! We live for this stuff!
Written August 6, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
deb
4 contributions
May 2020
What an epic day I spent with JPQ's Wil Hufton. A bit of everything, quietly gliding through the many waterways, amazing wildlife sightings and so much info about the Refuge. All from the comfort of Wil's boat. He showed me more in a day than weeks of exploring on my own. It was a perfect day! If you have'nt been on a "Quest" yet, you should! Im getting friends to come next time. Outstanding!
Written May 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you SO much for sharing your experience with others!
Written May 29, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Keith
7 contributions
Sep 2020
My wife and I found ourselves in the Bay City / Saginaw area on business. We were looking for a kayak rental, when we stumbled across Johnny Panther. We cannot say enough how much we enjoyed our day! Captain Will is highly experienced and entertaining! His guided tour through this spectacular wetlands habitat is an absolute must. Cannot wait to come back with our kids to go Johnny Panthering again!
Written September 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
So glad you found us on your trip! Appreciate you having the time to share with us, and your experience with others.
Written October 2, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Wil H
Davison, Michigan
Yes. All trips are by reservation. We run until the water gets too hard!-lol
Written September 20, 2019
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