State park
Ludington State Park
A big dune park between Hamlin Lake and 7 miles of Lake Michigan shore, with three campgrounds, 21 miles of trails and the walk to Big Sable Point Lighthouse.
Rivers and inland lakes make the region good paddling country. Lake Michigan paddling suits experienced paddlers in calm conditions.
Places for paddling
Attraction
Beaver Island
Lake Michigan's largest island, a ferry ride of just over two hours from Charlevoix, with beaches, lighthouses and long trails. Plan to stay the night.
State park
Charles Mears State Park
A small Lake Michigan beach park at the edge of Pentwater, with a buoyed swim beach by the harbor pier, a campground and a trail up Old Baldy.
Beach
Good Harbor Bay Beach
A national lakeshore beach at the end of Bohemian Road (County Road 669) on Good Harbor Bay, with a picnic area, a seasonal vault toilet and sunsets toward Pyramid Point.
State park
Interlochen State Park
Michigan's first state park, between Duck and Green lakes, with old-growth pines, two campgrounds and the Interlochen arts campus next door.
Attraction
Manistee National Forest
More than half a million acres of public forest, run from Cadillac, with backpacking and ski trails, campgrounds and two National Scenic Rivers.
State park
Muskegon State Park
Three miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan and Muskegon Lake, with forested dunes, two campgrounds, a CCC blockhouse and the Muskegon luge park.
Beach
Pere Marquette Park
Muskegon's big Lake Michigan beach at the channel mouth, raked daily, with volleyball, kiteboarding, the South Breakwater Light and the Lakeshore Trail.
Beach
Tannery Beach
Boyne City's dog-friendly beach on Lake Charlevoix at 862 Front Street, with cleanup supplies on hand and an easy put-in for kayaks and canoes.
State park
William Mitchell State Park
Cadillac's state park between Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac, with a campground, the Clam Lake Canal and the start of the White Pine Trail.
Beach
Zoll Street Beach
A dog-friendly beach on Little Traverse Bay near downtown Harbor Springs, with free parking, a restroom and an easy kayak launch.
On the map
Paddling: places on the map
11 places on an OpenStreetMap map
Recommended towns for paddling
Towns an independent source (such as the DNR, the National Park Service or Pure Michigan) singles out for this. Listed by town size, not ranked.
Charlevoix & Petoskey
Charlevoix
For boaters, beachgoers and first-timers: a harbor town where three lakes meet, with a summer drawbridge, a pier lighthouse and Earl Young's stone houses.
Southern Gateway
Grand Haven
A Lake Michigan beach city on the Grand River: a state park beach, a pier walk to two red lights, a riverfront boardwalk and free Musical Fountain shows.
Ludington & Manistee
Ludington
A Lake Michigan harbor town for beach and lighthouse trips, with the S.S. Badger car ferry and a big dune state park just north of town.
Ludington & Manistee
Manistee
A Lake Michigan port city where the river meets the lake, with a historic downtown riverwalk, three city beaches and a pierhead light to climb in season.
Charlevoix & Petoskey
Petoskey
A walkable bay town for stone hunting, shopping the Gaslight District and riding the Little Traverse Wheelway, with historic Bay View next door.
Benzie & Sleeping Bear · Small town
Glen Arbor
Your base for northern Sleeping Bear Dunes: a small town between Lake Michigan and Glen Lake, about 4 miles from the Dune Climb by trail.
Also with paddling nearby
Lakes
Lake · Ludington & Manistee
Arcadia Lake
A small harbor lake at Arcadia with a township marina, a kayak put-in and a channel to Lake Michigan. Ski and tube outside the no-wake north end.
- All-sports
- Public launch
River · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Bear River
A short, fast river through Petoskey, with a quarter-mile whitewater course, a canoe livery for easy family floats and brook trout above the dam.
- Rentals
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.
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Ludington & Manistee
Big Sable River
A one-mile stretch inside Ludington State Park for tubing, paddling and salmon and steelhead fishing, with paddlesport rentals in the park in season.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Boardman Lake
Traverse City's in-town lake, open to all boating but built for a kayak, a cast or a walk around the 4-mile Boardman Lake Loop just south of downtown.
- All-sports
- Public launch
River · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Boardman River
Traverse City's trout river, with three old dams now removed, paddling on the middle river and steelhead from winter into spring below the last dam in town.
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Boyne River
A short trout stream into Lake Charlevoix at Boyne City, with an easy float of an hour or two from Dam Road to the lake and steelhead below the dam.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Crooked Lake
A broad, shallow all-sports lake east of Petoskey that starts the Inland Waterway, with marinas and rentals in Oden and Alanson and slow channels at each end.
- All-sports
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Crystal River
A gentle, clear, shallow float for families and first-time paddlers, winding from Glen Lake to Lake Michigan at Glen Arbor.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Duck Lake
The state park lake at Interlochen: all-sports water up to 98 feet deep, with a beach, launches, summer paddleboard rentals, lake trout and ice fishing.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Elk Lake
A deep, clear, emerald-green all-sports lake at Elk Rapids: ski and cruise, rent a boat or slip at the marinas, swim at Whitewater Township Park.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Elk River
The short river in Elk Rapids where the Chain of Lakes Water Trail ends, with a kayak launch, steelhead below the dam and salmon in fall.
- Public launch
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Glen Lake
A clear two-basin lake at Glen Arbor: ski and cruise deep Big Glen from the marina, swim and paddle sandy Little Glen, ice fish for perch in winter.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Southern Gateway
Grand River
The lower Grand River at Grand Haven: a city marina with transient slips, launches, kayak rentals, fall steelhead off the piers and a boardwalk to the lights.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Bay · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Grand Traverse Bay
Traverse City's big water: a Lake Michigan bay with city beaches, five public harbors with slips, fuel at two, sailing, paddling and trout and salmon fishing.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Green Lake
An all-sports Interlochen lake, 2,000 acres and 102 feet deep: lake trout, room to paddle, a rustic state park campsite and night smelt fishing on the ice.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Lake · Ludington & Manistee
Hamlin Lake
Ludington State Park's big all-sports lake: ski and tube the open water, swim at the park beach, paddle the marsh trail, and ice fish for bluegill in winter.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Jordan River
A cold, clear, motor-free trout river for long floats through the Jordan River Valley, with DNR canoe launches, an East Jordan outfitter and winter steelhead.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Lake Cadillac
Cadillac's in-town, all-sports lake: 1,150 acres and 28 feet deep, a canal to Lake Mitchell, a 7.5-mile path and winter ice fishing for perch and walleye.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Lake Charlevoix
An all-sports lake of 17,200 acres linking Charlevoix, Boyne City and East Jordan, with town marinas, a channel to Lake Michigan and walleye through the ice.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Lake Missaukee
Lake City's all-sports town lake: 1,880 acres and mostly under 15 feet deep, with a public beach, a city launch, and walleye, perch and pike through the ice.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Lake Mitchell
A broad, shallow, all-sports lake west of Cadillac: 2,496 acres, a state park beach and campground, a canal to paddle and crappie and bluegill through the ice.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Lake Skegemog
A shallow, wetland-edged, all-sports lake between Torch and Elk: muskie and pike, perch through the ice and a paddle past a big protected shoreline.
- All-sports
- Public launch
Bay · Charlevoix & Petoskey
Little Traverse Bay
A Lake Michigan bay with marinas in Petoskey, Harbor Springs and Bay Harbor, swim beaches at the state park and Zorn Park, and Petoskey stones in the shallows.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Long Lake
An all-sports island lake near Traverse City: ski and tube, swim at two township beaches, picnic on four day-use islands, ice fish for walleye and pike.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
Lake · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Lower Herring Lake
A small, clear, all-sports lake by the Lake Michigan shore south of Frankfort, with a DNR launch, sandy shores, smallmouth and walleye, and sunset paddles.
- All-sports
- Public launch
River · Ludington & Manistee
Manistee River
A big steelhead and salmon river below Tippy Dam, with liveries for summer canoe trips, winter steelhead, and 26 miles of National Recreational River.
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Southern Gateway
Muskegon River
A long trout, salmon and walleye river below Croton Dam, with Newaygo liveries for canoes and tubes, plenty of DNR ramps and early-winter steelhead.
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Mackinac & Straits
Paradise Lake
A big, shallow all-sports lake at Carp Lake village south of Mackinaw City, with tea-colored water, large pike and a DNR launch with a boat wash.
- All-sports
- Public launch
River · Ludington & Manistee
Pere Marquette River
A free-flowing trout, steelhead and salmon river to Ludington: canoe and tube it from Baldwin in summer, fish winter steelhead from plowed access sites.
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Ludington & Manistee
Pine River
A narrow, winding river near Cadillac for canoe, kayak and raft trips from Wellston liveries, blue ribbon trout fishing and year-round access.
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Benzie & Sleeping Bear
Platte River
An easy, clear, shallow river for tubing and paddling through Sleeping Bear Dunes to Platte Bay, with fall salmon and steelhead in fall and spring.
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Southern Gateway
Spring Lake
A bayou-lined lake by Grand Haven with marinas, a public beach and a river route to Lake Michigan. Boats 26 feet and up stay no-wake; kayak the coves.
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
Lake · Grand Traverse & Inland Lakes
Torch Lake
Michigan's longest inland lake: 19 miles of deep, clear, all-sports water for skiing, tubing and the sandbar, plus lake trout and a Chain of Lakes link.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
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 · Southern Gateway
White Lake
An all-sports lake between Whitehall and Montague: ski, tube and cruise, with marinas, pontoon and kayak rentals and a channel out to Lake Michigan.
- All-sports
- Swim beach
- Public launch
- Rentals
River · Southern Gateway
White River
An easy Natural River float by tube, canoe or kayak near Hesperia, with Montague liveries, fall salmon, spring steelhead and quiet winter trout fishing.
- Public launch
- Rentals