Michigan is home to crystal-clear blue waters, sandy beaches and wild rivers making it the perfect place to kayak for everything from a casual float to overnight wilderness trips. Whether you’re looking for a long-haul kayaking adventure on a river or a scenic day trip, here are some of the best rivers to kayak and canoe in Michigan.
Michigan rivers are on the traditional and ancestral homelands of the Potowatami, Ottawa, and Chippewa tribes of the Algonquin Nation.
Best rivers to kayak and canoe in Michigan
To access many put-ins on state land, you’ll need a Michigan Recreation Passport, which can be purchased when you renew your license plate in Michigan, in person at a state park, or at a self-registration pipe located at many put-ons.
Crystal River
The Crystal River near is one of the prettiest rivers you can find to kayak in Michigan, located near Glen Arbor in the northwestern Lower Peninsula. Here, expect to paddle teal blue waters on a sandy-bottomed route through a lush forest with seasonal wildflowers along the river banks. The Crystal River is a great paddle trip to see wildlife including herons and river otters, and a fun place to kayak with kids!
In the early fall, the Crystal River is the ideal place to paddle over the Lake Michigan salmon run. Salmon were stocked in the Crystal River in the 1970s to combat the invasive alewife; today, salmon still return to the Crystal River every autumn to spawn by the hundreds.
While you can bring your own kayak or canoe to paddle the Crystal River, shuttles and rentals are available from Crystal River Outfitters. Expect to complete two to three short portages, or places where you will have to carry your kayak, along this route. Portages around dams and road underpasses are well-marked. The Crystal River is just six miles long in its entirety; most routes are a half-day trip.
The Crystal River is part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and an America The Beautiful National Parks Pass or Sleeping Bear Dunes day pass is required.
Au Sable River
The Au Sable River begins its journey near Grayling, Michigan, winding nearly 140-miles to Lake Huron. This river is well-known as a wonderful river for canoeing, but it also makes for a great kayaking trip. In addition to being home to the 120-mile Au Sable Canoe Marathon – a popular nonstop canoe race – the Au Sable River is an excellent river for overnight kayak and canoe tripping.
The Au Sable is known for brown trout flyfishing in addition to being often regarded as the best river to canoe in Michigan. Find a guide to put-in and take-out options on the Au Sable river from Carlisle Canoe Livery, and rent canoes and/or kayaks from Carlisle Canoe Livery or Borcher Canoe & Kayak both based in Grayling, Michigan.
Jordan River
Designated Michigan’s first “wild and scenic” river in 1972 under the State of Michigan’s Natural Rivers Act, the Jordan River winds through the Mackinaw State Forest near East Jordan, Michigan. Spring fed, sandy-bottomed and crystal clear, the Jordan River is a beautiful river for kayaking and fishing. The Jordan River is nearly 25 miles long and flows into the South Arm of Lake Charlevoix.
Personally, the Jordan River is my favorite river to kayak in Michigan, taking paddlers through green and dense forest and wildflower beds. The Graves Crossing put-in allows for a three-hour paddle on swift water, small rapids and riffles depending on the water levels and some technical sections in the narrow, faster moving sections of the river. A more beginner-friendly put-in option can be found at the Webster’s Bridge put-in.
Kayak rentals and shuttles can be found at Jordan Valley Outfitters.
Manistee River
The nearly 200-mile long Manistee River flows from its headwaters between Gaylord, Michigan out to Lake Michigan. The Manistee is a popular Michigan river for kayaking and canoeing, including overnight multi-day trips, with numerous developed and rustic campgrounds along its length.
Flowing through a valley shaped by glaciers, the Manistee River is one Michigan’s formally-designated Wild and Scenic Rivers. Like many of the Northern Michigan rivers, the Manistee is an excellent trout fishery. The section of the Manistee above the Tippy Dam tends to have a faster moving current and more obstacles, while the lower section of the Manistee is wider and slower in current.
Find float times, maps and canoe and kayak rentals for the Lower Manistee River at the Pine River Paddlesports Center. For the Upper Manistee River, find canoe and kayak rentals at Chippewa Landing.
Two-Hearted River
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan’s Two-Hearted River is not only a popular Michigan river for canoeing, but the setting of Ernest Hemingway’s Big Two-Hearted River, a two-part short story. The river is also the namesake of the Michigan Bell’s Two-Hearted IPA, a popular local beer.
The Two-Hearted River is a secluded wilderness paddle, including the especially scenic and sandy lower portion of the river as it approaches Lake Superior.
The Green and Reed Campground makes for a good put-in point or camping option, while the Mouth of Two Hearted River State Forest Campground offers another rustic place to camp with river access.
Boardman River
Michigan’s Boardman River runs through Kalkaska County to flow into the Grand Traverse Bay. On the Lower Boardman there are several spots with fast-moving water including riffles and small rapids, including rapids at Old Keystone and Beitner Park to the tune of class I and class II with one class III site.
Inexperienced paddlers will need to portage or avoid this section of the river, while whitewater kayakers may find it to be one of the best whitewater sites in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
The Boardman River before and after these rapids is flatwater, if a little swift moving with some obstacles. Canoe and kayak rentals can be found at The River Outfitters in Traverse City.
Torch River
The Torch River runs between Torch Lake and Lake Skegemog and is known for its remarkable Caribbean-like blue water color. This is a short kayaking day trip, best done in the mornings before motorized traffic in this popular section of river picks up. Paddle out to the popular and scenic Torch Lake Sandbar, down the Torch River past boathouses intermingled with wildlife, and eventually out to the wilder Lake Skegemog where you’re likely to spot beaver and mink.
Paddlers can put-in at the Torch River Bridge access site or the DNR Launch Ramp off Aarwood Trail NW.
The Torch River is part of the Chain of Lakes Water Trail, an over 100-mile water trail that includes 12 lakes and rivers, connecting Ellsworth, Michigan and to the Grand Traverse Bay and Lake Michigan.
Huron River
Michigan’s Huron River is home to the Huron River Water Trail which winds 104-miles from Proud Lake near Novi-Wixom to Lake Erie. Along the Huron River a paddler can find class II rapids at Delhi and Dexter or Mill Creek, and a series of small man-made drops at Argo Cascades; portage options are available around rapids.
While the Huron River makes for an especially great day trip, it is also possible to kayak the entire length of the river camping in a few spots along the way. Be advised that there are several dams to portage, and a few longer sections of the river without campsites.
Grass River
Michigan’s Grass River near Bellaire, Michigan is a unique opportunity to paddle a nature reserve with sedge meadows, northern fens and cedar wetlands. The Grass River is clear and sandy bottomed, flowing between Lake Bellaire and Clam Lake on the Chain Of Lakes Water Trail.
The area around the Grass River is home to over 500 species of plants, 147 species of birds, 35 species of fish, and 33 reptiles and amphibians according to the local Grass River Natural Area, making it one of the best places to kayak in Michigan for wildlife.
The Grass River is 2.5 miles long with a mild current and flat water, making it perfect for an out and back day trip. Put in at Willow Day Park on Lake Bellaire to begin your paddle with the current first and paddle back against it, or put in at Arrowhead Park on Clam Lake to paddle upriver first and float back down with the current on your return.
Rentals including pick up and delivery can be found at Paddles & Pedals in Bellaire, Michigan.
Delia’s Run and Big Island Lakes
Looking for the ultimate kayaking or canoeing wilderness experience and one of the best places to paddle in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula? Head up to Big Island Lakes Wilderness to paddle a chain of 23 interconnected lakes and rivers.
Big Island Lakes Wilderness is lightly-trafficked and excellent for overnight camping. A few short portages may be necessary to access some of the interior campsites.
Overall, Big Island Lakes Wilderness is an excellent place to kayak or canoe immersed in wildlife and appreciate the dark skies of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
