Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Frankfort
A beach-and-lighthouse harbor town: a Lake Michigan beach at the end of Main Street, a breakwater light off the sand and Point Betsie up the shore.
About 8 miles away (straight line)
River · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Betsie River
A protected Natural River from Interlochen to Frankfort: paddle and portage Homestead Dam, fish salmon in fall and steelhead from late fall into spring.
Photo: Retaildesigner, Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
The Betsie is a river for salmon and steelhead anglers and for paddlers, and it is protected water. Steelhead keep anglers on it through the winter, and you can rent a kayak on the river in season. It is one of Michigan’s 16 designated Natural Rivers, a state program that regulates building and land changes within 400 feet of the water to keep its natural character.
It starts at Green Lake near the village of Interlochen and flows west across Grand Traverse, Benzie and Manistee counties to Betsie Lake, the harbor between Frankfort and Elberta, and then into Lake Michigan. The mainstream runs about 52 miles, and the whole system holds roughly 93 miles of streams. Much of it passes through the Fife Lake and Betsie River state forests, and near the mouth, the Betsie River State Game Area.
Most visitors head first to the Homestead Dam access site east of Benzonia. It is a former hydroelectric dam whose spillway was rebuilt in 1979. Anglers gather here for salmon and steelhead, and kayakers carry their boats around the dam. The map pin marks this access.
Want to see the river without a boat or a rod? The paved Betsie Valley Trail follows part of it on its way inland from Frankfort.
On the water
Public access
The Michigan DNR's Homestead Dam access site is at 2388 Dam Road in Benzonia Township. It has 50 parking spaces, vault toilets and a carry-down launch suitable only for canoes, kayaks and car-top boats. The state-owned land there is closed between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m.
Paddling
Plan a portage. Paddlers must carry around Homestead Dam at the access site there. The dam is about 13 feet high, with a spillway rebuilt in 1979 to allow limited fish passage.
Fishing
The Benzie County stretch is on the Michigan DNR's list of better fishing waters for brown trout, Chinook salmon and steelhead. The Homestead Dam site is a popular spot for salmon and steelhead anglers. Check current Michigan DNR rules before fishing.
Stocking
In the Benzie County stretch: brown trout every year from 2015 through 2026, rainbow trout in 2018 and every year from 2022 through 2026, and lake trout in 2018 and 2019. Upstream in Manistee County: brown trout every year since 2015 and rainbow trout in 2015 to 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2022.
In winter
Steelhead are the winter fish. The DNR has reported steelhead on the Betsie in December and January, caught on spawn and jigs, and named it a good choice during a midwinter thaw. More fish move into the river in spring.
Public boat launches
Homestead Dam access site
Carry-down launch for canoes and kayaks, with parking for 25 trailers and 25 cars and two vault toilets. Paddlers portage the dam here. A Recreation Passport is required.
Grace Road access site
Carry-down launch with a pier, gravel parking for 8 trailers and 4 cars, and a vault toilet.
River Road access site
Small carry-down launch for canoes and kayaks with a gravel lot. A Recreation Passport is required.
Lower River Road access site
Hard-surface ramp in shallow water, so large boats are hard to launch here. Parking for 6 trailers and 6 cars and a vault toilet. A Recreation Passport is required.
US-31 access site
Shore-fishing access with parking for 12 trailers and 9 cars and a vault toilet; not set up as a boat launch. A Recreation Passport is required.
Grass Lake State Forest Campground
Gravel ramp for small and medium boats, upstream in eastern Benzie County. A Recreation Passport is required.
Boat, kayak and paddleboard rentals
- Betsie Riverside Resort
Lists kayak rentals at its riverside cabins and campground on the Betsie. Its chamber listing says it is open seasonally, mid-March to late October.
Listed because their own sites say they rent on this water. Not an endorsement, and we have no ties to them. Check with them for what is available.
Fishing, launching at a state site or parking at a state park? See licenses and passes for what you need before you go.
Anything not listed here is unverified. Do not assume public access across private riverbanks. Check the Michigan DNR boating access listings and the current fishing regulations.
Location
Map of Betsie River
2 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks one well-known point on the river, not its full course.
Places to stay near Betsie River
Riverfront homes and cabins are listed by the local rental managers and booking sites below.
Hotels and inns
Mid-range
The Hotel FrankfortListed by the Benzie County Chamber of Commerce
Search all hotels in Frankfort: Booking.com · Expedia · Hotels.com · Google Hotels
We don’t take bookings or earn anything from these links. Rates, availability and any booking problems are handled by the booking site.
More places to stay in Frankfort
- Benzie County places to stay (Traverse City Tourism) · The county visitor site's list of hotels, resorts, cabins and other lodging across Benzie County, including the Frankfort and Beulah areas.
Vacation rentals
- Agape Vacation Rentals · agapevacationrentals.com
A Beulah-based rental manager with homes and cottages around Crystal Lake, Beulah and Frankfort, plus other parts of Michigan.
- Northland Vacation Rentals · northlandvacationrentals.com
A Traverse City rental company tied to Century 21 Northland, with cottages and homes in places such as Frankfort and Glen Arbor.
- Visit Up North Vacation Rentals · visitupnorth.com
A Traverse City rental company with homes, cottages and condos across Leelanau, Glen Arbor, the Benzie area and nearby Arcadia and Bear Lake.
Nearby towns
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances from the map point.
Beach
Beulah Public Beach
Beulah's public beach on Crystal Lake: several hundred feet of sand, a marked swim area over a sandy bottom, a beach house and a playground.
About 2 miles away (straight line)
Ski area
Crystal Mountain
A four-season resort in Thompsonville with 59 downhill runs, 25 km of Nordic trails and groomed winter bike trails, plus singletrack and golf in summer.
About 7 miles away (straight line)
Nature preserve
Green Point Dunes Nature Preserve
A 242-acre land conservancy preserve south of Elberta, with a trail of nearly three miles round trip through forest and meadow to Lake Michigan views.
About 7 miles away (straight line)
More lakes and rivers nearby
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Upper Herring Lake
A quiet 540-acre lake south of Frankfort, all-sports but shallow, for kayaking along a conservancy preserve and fishing for walleye to bluegill.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Crystal Lake
An all-sports lake: 9,854 acres, 165 feet deep and very clear. Swim at the sandy Beulah beach, fuel up at the marina, fish for trout and perch.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Platte Lake
An all-sports lake of about 2,500 acres near Honor: ski, tube and sail, then fish for walleye and smallmouth. The no-wake Platte River runs on to Lake Michigan.
- All-sports
- Public launch