Platte River in Michigan

by  guest-paddler

A self-supported trip created by guest-paddler

Trip Overview


We dropped our kayaks at a rest stop on the Platte River right off of Deadstream Road in Honor, MI. Our cars were left at the park where the Platte River meets Lake Michigan. The entire area is absolutely gorgeous with sand dunes all around and a picturesque sandy beach at the mouth of the river. During the majority of the trip I had my GoPro camera on a head strap to give a unique first person view of the river.

So the folks from the Honor Trading Post dropped us off and we began our adventure down the river. The first thing I noticed is the river is nearly all sandy bottom. I was shocked at how clear it was as well. We were paddling and drifting for about an hour around each bend, just watching the wildlife and soaking up the rays.

We then came upon a lake with a whole bunch of canoes in the middle. It turns out they were having a canoe party and it looked like a blast. I was tempted to stop and see what all the hubbub was about, but instead, we paddled a short distance to the next leg of the river.

For another hour we drifted and paddled enjoying every minute of it it was one of the most relaxing experiences I've had. Pretty soon we were beginning to see large sand dunes all around us, kinda like being in the desert. The river ends up right in the middle of the Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. It was really cool to just float right along side of the dunes and then out into Lake Michigan.

The people that rented the canoes to us (Honor Trading Post) were so nice, I sent them the video that I made of the trip... which includes some really cool footage that I took with my RC plane flying over the dunes and river. So check out the video, I'm particularly proud of the aerial shots over the river, but the paddling with the head-cam is pretty neat too.


Outfitting:

We rented the canoes from The Honor Trading Post.. I think Steve was the owners name.

Fees:

The Canoes were cheap to rent.. can't remember the exact amount.

Directions:

Go to Honor, Michigan (southwest of Traverse City) and turn right on Deadstream Road.

Resources:

Honor Trading Post website: canoeplatteriver.com

Trip Details

  • Trip Duration: Day Trip
  • Sport/Activity: Kayaking, Canoeing
  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Water Type: River/Creek (Up to Class II)

Trip Location