Kayaking the Crystal River

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Gorgeous scenic views and hikes along the dunes are, of course, the highlight of any trip to northern Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. However, there are several other non-dune excursions you won’t want to miss when you visit. This includes experiencing one of the area’s beautiful, clear rivers.

When visiting Sleeping Bear Dunes, guests have two great choices for river kayaking and canoeing: The Crystal River and the Platter River. From our research, the Crystal River is shallower and slower-moving than the Platte River. Because it’s a little faster, visitors often opt for enjoying the Platte River from an inner tube, which we definitely have plans to try someday. Since we had small children with us for our first trip to Sleeping Bear Dunes in July of 2018, we opted for what we felt was the more kid-friendly Crystal River. We were definitely not disappointed!

The 6.3-mile-long Crystal River is located in Leelanau County in northern Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. It flows from Glen Lake through Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and into Lake Michigan just north of Glen Arbor. Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District is the original outfitter along the Crystal River. Their offerings also include bike rentals and two shops, M22 Glen Arbor and Coastal. Another outfitter option is All About Water, located about a quarter mile down the road.

Where: Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District 6249 River Rd, Glen Arbor, MI 49636

Hours: 9am-6:30pm

Cost: Per Crystal River Outfitters website:

Rental Rates | (2020) Includes paddle, life jacket & delivery	Crystal River Trip (2-3 Hours/4.5 Miles)
Sit-on-top Single Kayak	$33
Single Kayak	$39
Double Kayak	$64
Canoe	$68
Personal Boat Shuttle	$10

Time: 2-3 hours to kayak 4.5 miles. We traveled in two kayaks with one adult and one preschooler in each boat, and it took us about 3 hours, including a few stops to enjoy splashing in the water and several instances of getting stuck in tree limbs or in a shallow area of the river and having to free our kayaks (we definitely aren’t experts, but it wasn’t difficult to maneuver out of the weeds).

Experience: We began our trip at the main office of Crystal River Outfitters Recreational District in Glen Arbor around 9:30am. We paid, signed a few papers, and got some brief instructions about the trip at the office. We then took a large passenger van to the launch point where the staff put the kayaks up to the water’s edge and gave everyone life jackets, along with a quick reminder of the rules and instructions. Then it was time to hop in the water! We began kayaking around 9:45am.

The Crystal River is very shallow, clean, and slow-moving throughout. The bottom is mostly sand and small pebbles with the occasional patch of seaweed. There are several great spots along the way to take a rest or wade through the water.

There are a few spots along the trip where you will need to portage, or pick the kayaks up out of the water and take them to a different spot to get back in the river. One of these places is located where you can choose to portage or you can choose to “shoot the tube.” This is where you kayak through the metal culvert that channels the water under the roadway above. We opted for shooting the tube. It was like a short kayak water slide. You sort of pop out the other end, and the kids really enjoyed it.

One of the adults in our group was heavily pregnant at the time, so this trip is definitely family-friendly and leisurely for the most part. Those who don’t paddle often will probably start to get tired toward the end of the trip, regardless, as you will be paddling for 2-3 hours with only a gentle current moving you along. However, the gentle current is friendly for even children to help paddle.

The beginning of the trip was pretty secluded and full of lovely wildlife. Toward the end, you begin to move into more of a residential area, with houses and the roadway visible, but most of the trip is lovely and picturesque. We also spotted several animals along our trip—turtles, fish, frogs, birds, etc. The crystal clear water was delightful and refreshing, and most areas were less than a foot deep, so it was perfect for wading.

We were happy to finish our trip in downtown Glen Arbor, so we could check out Cherry Republic’s flagship location for lunch and walk around looking at the shops for a while. Overall, we had a lovely time. We would definitely kayak the Crystal River again.

We suggest avoiding peak sun time, between 10am and 2pm, for several reasons. First, if you are visiting in the summer months, it’s going to get pretty hot and sticky while you are paddling, so it will be more comfortable to take advantage of the cooler morning and late afternoon weather. Second, a good portion of the river is in sunlight during the day, so it makes sense to avoid the direct sun for your own protection and enjoyment. Third, starting in the morning or late afternoon means you will be finishing up just in time for a nice meal in town, so you won’t have to worry about kayaking through mealtimes. We prefer the morning trip, and we will probably do that again in the future.

Make sure you know the route, how to get the kayak in and out of the water, what is expected of you when you finish, etc. This should all be explained by your outfitter before you get into the water. Also, double check with your driver ahead of time that they have enough child-sized life jackets and paddles. They can always return for more, if necessary, but on our trip they were short one child’s paddle, so the two children in our group had to alternate using it. If you know anything about young children, they did not like this. In addition, one of the buckles on one of the children’s life jackets was broken. It was wearable, as it had multiple buckles and ties, but it’s always better to check ahead of time.

Be sure to wear bathing suits and water shoes, as you will probably want to wade in the crystal clear water at some point along your journey. A wide-brimmed hat or baseball cap is a great idea to shade you from the sun, as are a t-shirt or sun shirt that covers your shoulders.

If you choose the morning or evening option, which we suggest, you will not need to worry about packing a meal, but there is still plenty of room in the kayak for a mini cooler of La Croix! Keep in mind you will be traveling to the launch point in a van, so you probably won’t be able to bring along anything larger than that. It wouldn’t hurt to pack a few snacks as well, especially if you have children. Ours started to get a little antsy toward the end of the trip. Snacks definitely would have helped distract them while the adults finished the paddling.

As we mentioned, you will probably want to take a quick dip or wade into the river at some point, so it’s a good idea to bring a few beach towels along as well as swim diapers for any little ones. A water-proof radio or Bluetooth speaker could also make the trip more enjoyable.