Riverside Canoe Trips

I’ve now gone to N. Michigan for Labor Day twice with a group of 10 – 12 people — and both times the canoeing here was the highlight of the trip. Not the wine tasting, the canoeing!
The process is a little cumbersome, but here is what to expect:
— Temporarily park across the street from the main building
— Stop at the outdoor counter to fill out your gear request form
— Head inside to buy beer, snacks, medical supplies, toys or whatever else your heart desires
— Pay for the rental and the deposit inside at the counter
— Send one person to move the car to the end of the river where it meets Lake Michigan, then take the shuttle back. You won’t likely have to wait very long.
— Get your butt into the canoe and river
The 2.5 hour rental is adequate time if you want to canoe and make a couple pit stops in shallow/​calm locations to enjoy adult beverages.
The only real downside for us on this day was that the gate was not open on the river so we had to hop out and carry the canoe on land around the gate using the «portage point». It was only a small pain and took 2 mins.
At the end of the river we left our canoe with the shore staff and then walked to Lake Michigan to enjoy the beach and water.
It’s super easy canoeing — there is a gentle current. Get at it!

Okay so my girlfriend and I went to riverside canoes and I was waiting next to the counter to rent a kayak… Well needless to say they pretty much seemed to pretend like I didn’t exist and it took a manager to get their attention… Also I felt like they were uninterested and didn’t care about our service…
The whole process of driving to park and having get shuttled back was confusing and unnecessary… Especially since we had to return the paddles OURSELVES… Unless you wanted to pay an extra $ 5
Also while on the water a little after 5pm supposedly during «quiet time» there were so many parties of people… It actually took a lot of the fun out of the kayak to see everyone smoking and drinking on the river… I know they can’t help everything that everyone does especially since there’s two other business’s that rent on the same river… But it kinda ruined it
The guys actually putting us on the river were the only bright spot of the employees… They were friendly and helpful… If only the rest of the staff was the same way… After its all said and done I expected a lot more from this business… But I won’t ever go back to them if we want to go kayaking down the platte River

We had a great experience at Riverside. The staff was helpful and friendly. We were there during peak season and everything was smooth and efficient. Thank you!!!

We actually enjoyed… mostly…our trip. But I am giving Riverside two stars nonetheless.
If you are looking to go on their river tube float, DO YOUR RESEARCH. Specifically, watch the 3-​minute video on their website. We did not do this — I can’t imagine many people do – and missed some important details.
1) The river will take more than 2 hours if you are tethered together. It took my group of seven almost three hours to complete.
2) You WILL have to get out of your tube most likely. The river is slow, and we got caught on fallen tree branches and bank-​side weeds about a dozen times (not an exaggeration).
3) The plastic bags they give you to put your things in are NOT waterproof. If you accidentally let them hit the water, your stuff will get soaked.
4) No one told us about the 10+ minute walk down a rocky, gravel path to get to the river drop-​in. Fine, the online video does mention this. But clearly my party had not seen this, as my 60-​year-​old father was barefoot. Multiple employees who could have mentioned the walk and recommended he put on flip-​flops did not.
5) In general, the employees give you little information on the whole river float process. And when they do, it’s a bit confusing… and given in something of a short tone.
Maybe we should have done our research more. But I’ve been on river floats before that were way more enjoyable — and easygoing.

Services were poor. It took an hour (exactly one hour according to our receipt) from purchase time to when we arrived at the launch point for our tubing trip. It was confusing for getting around to where we needed to be, and we had to purchase a $ 10 park pass in order to park our car a half mile from where we arrived. They said they were busy today so the cars were parked far on the side of the road and they ran out of green (enclosed) tubes, but they seemed unorganized and the fact that we waited well over an hour until we got into the water really made us unable to recommend them over other companies in the area. The river is beautiful and it is an enjoyable trip. They did time us, however, which seemed really unnecessary.

It was pretty confusing and really really busy, I think it would’ve been easier for a staff member to explain the instructions, rather than a video. But the staff was beyond generous and nice and every single one of them had a smile on their face. Once we got to the water after the long walk it was enjoyable.

Go for the full day and take your time, fish, people watch, have a drink, great little river;service is great. People come on your on vacation

We had a great time! The video explained how things work, and you can tell why they have organized things the way they have. They are shuffling lots of people through, and many have no experience on the water. If you wear eye glasses, don’t forget to get a strap! I did, an expensive lesson. My wallet and car keys fell out of my velcroed pocket too. They were REALLY helpful! The owner Kyle, made some phone calls to the resort I was staying at. It turned out to be unnecessary, as some kind soul found my wallet and keys on the river. (They were in a plastic bag) Great bunch of people and a very pleasant river. It doesn’t get any better.

I might be generous on this star count. While I own my kayak, I’m always with 2 – 5 people that need to rent. Every year it is a zoo. This yr, even though it wasn’t that busy it still seemed entirely too complicated. And though we have done this 4 yrs in a row… I still don’t get the process.
Stand in a line outside, get a piece of paper. Pay inside. Go outside wait forever for your driver to get back from the shuttle. It adds nearly an hour. Then get your paddles back in time… unless you want to pay $ 5 per. With the amount of congestion (and this summer construction) it is a hassle.
Reviewers are right… with such a convoluted process they need to hire twice the employees for half the efficiency. It is like renewing a driver’s license. At least here you get a spectacular view of Lake Michigan at the end… BUT quick and get those paddles back!
Owners: contact me and my hubby can write you a software program to improve this! ;)

The lower river kayak trip is great for little kids… Slow waters and you can just drift if you want for a few hours. Waters are shallow and overall the trip was great. It drops you out at the lake and you can easily spend a few more hours swimming and looking at all the river stones. So I do recommend the trip! Take a snack for the end as the entire trip is about 2 hours and however long you stay at the beach and there’s nothing close by to grab lunch. My only issue was that at the end of the trip the Riverside folks have a trailer to take your kayak back to the main outpost but you have to take your paddles and life jackets back up yourself, though there’s ample room on the trailer. We wanted to stay at the beach a bit and the paddles wouldn’t fit in our car anyway. Seemed odd to do this so we asked can’t they just take it back up? Yes, they can for $ 5 a set. Hm. Just seemed like nickel and diming to me. We paid the money but were told we had to drive back up anyway to get our $ 20 deposit back even though they were taking all our equipment. Definitely a great trip but I’d try another kayak company next time.

We wanted to go kayaking and Riverside was close to our campsite at Platte River campground.
I thought the organization could be a bit better. In order to rent your canoe/​kayak/​tube you had to watch a video, then rent at a small kiosk and then go inside and pay for it. The guys helping to actually load you into the floating device were good though and our kayaks were in good shape.
The main attraction, the trip down the river, was a lot of fun. We went on the late afternoon so the river traffic was fairly busy. There were several parties camped out in an area of the river or Loon Lake, drinking and enjoying the water. It made for some interesting people watching and fluctuating company of the other river travelers.
The river ends at an outlet at the beach and Lake Michigan. They give you the option to check in the paddles and safety floatations at the beach for $ 5. I find the extra charge annoying but in practicality worth it. We had only paid for the 2 ½ hour trip and we barley made it back in time to turn these items in. Next time we plan on the beach check in so we can relax afterwards.
I am giving three stars to the organization and the additional fees. The activity itself is 5 stars.

Did float trip one day and had such a great experience, went back the next day and went kayaking. Such a great set-​up. Customer service was fantastic and the general store was so much fun. The time on the river was amazing. Such a wonderful adventure. I would HIGHLY recommend Riverside Canoe Trips to anyone! Loved it!!!

Michael P is exactly right, I have never seen a more disorganized check-​in/​pay/​drive system. I’m renting a tube to float down the river, I shouldn’t need a 4 minute video, or a 15 minute car trip or stops at three counters in order to sit in a damn inner tube.
Also 18 $ a pop is a touch pricey just to rent a tube, it seems like they use the funds to hire every local kid to work there. Seriously, I have never seen this high an employee/​customer ratio anywhere, unfortunately it doesnt make the process better, just more unmanageable.
That said, you get to sit on an inner tube and drink beer and leisurely float down a pretty river. What more could you as for, to you Riverside Canoe, 4 stars in spite of yourself!

Greed and disorganization bring this great experience down a few pegs. We go every year. Convenient location. Very confusing to sign up. You have to pay for your tube or canoes inside but make the arrangements outside at the booth. The booth is setup for both tubes and canoes/​kayaks. Separate lines for each but that is not clear and people line up on both sides to get to each area. Everyone ends up in a bottleneck and confused at who goes first and that they waited in line already. Also only certain staff can do tubes and others do canoes. So that means that if people in line all want canoes then they wait in a line to see the designated staff person while the other staff is sitting there doing absolutely nothing. Why not let your staffers do all rentals? Also there are hidden fees. There is a $ 5 charge to turn in vests and paddles at the end with the staff that takes the canoe. Otherwise you are supposed to hurry back to turn them in yourself before their 2 ½ hour time limit is up. This is seriously weak turd maneuver– a way to squeeze five more bucks our of each rental. Beautiful scenery. The river is very crowded at times. When it is you will need to park your car along the national park road. You need to remember to buy parking from them even when parked roadside. There are no signs to say that along the road whatsoever but the ranger was writing tickets anyway. We saw him writing some and questioned it. He said there is a sign at the parking lot at the end; but if its that crowded you park along the road before you ever get to the lot to see that one sign at the lot.

Oh the huge manatees — More like a Cedar Point ride than what I was looking for. Still, a pretty efficiently run operation and nice float down a clean, beautiful, lazy river.

My inlaws live on Platt Lake and this is a favorite stop for all the kids and adults, alike. We haven’t rafted or canoed, but we frequent the ICE CREAM window here. :)
The serving sizes are generous, and the prices of the cones are cheap! Lots of unique flavors to pick from (kids favorite = «Superman Ice Cream»… a rainbow ice cream with lots of color/​flavors mixed together).
There is a nice fire pit that is stoked every evening in the summer, so you can enjoy your cone by the fire and the river banks. Enjoy!

Worth a stop to patronize the only private business still in operation within Sleeping Bear National Lakeshore. I live out of state now, but still love to get back every now and then for what are the best river float trips in my experience. The Platte River seems even more crowded now than it did in the ‘70s, but in many ways just as beautiful and relaxing.

My husband and I go on Riverside’s tubing trip every time we vacation at Sleeping Bear Dunes. Service is excellent, the river is beautiful and we typically see plenty of wildlife. There’s no better way to spend a hot summer day then tubing down the Platte River.
Make sure you spend some time at Lake Michigan where the Platte River ends. Breath taking beauty awaits where the river meets the lake (inside tip — take the boat channel — you can walk or swim to the secret beach where it meets Lake Michigan — truly one of the most beautiful views ever!)

Hidden fees… The river is beautiful and this location is very convenient. However, make sure you compare prices, including the hidden $ 5 fee to be able to return your paddles at the beach so as to not interrupt your fun at the beach. They only give you 2.5 hours to get the gear back to the shop or pay extra fees. And yes, the default expectation is that you’ll put the wet paddles and PFD’s in your car to carry them back.
There are plenty of other places to rent equipment. The lower section of the Platt river gets 5 stars. This company gets 2. Be sure to go early before the river is clogged with listless people on inner tubes.

How many canoe trips can boast a big-​water beach at the end? A paddle down the lower Platte River can.
It’s a beautiful summer day, with only the cheeriest of un-​threatening, white clouds slipping across the sky. The air in the distance is dancing in the heat, doing the warm-​weather wiggle. It’s the perfect day for an outdoor outing.
But there’s dissention in the ranks. The adults want to go canoeing; the kids are whining that they would rather play at the beach than be stuck in an aluminum boat.
Problem solved: A trip down the lower Platte River affords both a scenic river amble and a chance to dig in the sand. Where the river empties into Lake Michigan, it creates a crooked finger of beach that’s perfect for lounging in the midday sun or watching it go down in flames over the horizon.
Situated in the southern part of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the lower Platte River is the perfect stretch for canoers of any skill level. Its wide sweeps and lazy pace assuage the fears of the novice and allow the expert to relax.
Riverside Canoe Trips, found where M-​22 crosses the Platte River west of Honor, makes for an easy place to start. The outfit has paddling the Platte down to a science.
Trips start at Riverside’s upstream livery and general store. After getting the detailed spiel from an employee and filling out the paperwork, head down the road to river’s end, ditch the car at Lake Township Park, and head back upstream on a Riverside shuttle. From there, all it takes is a quick gathering of equipment and people, and the river awaits.
Heading out early means that the prodigious wildlife that resides in and along the Platte won’t have been scared away yet. Turtles seem to populate every fallen log, and fish swim along the mostly sandy bottom. Beavers paddle along and ducklings chase their mothers, while nearer to the lake terns that sound like hoarse seagulls dive-​bomb the river and come away with wriggling minnows.
The first stretch of river is a lazy paddle as the Platte cuts through the shady woods. It becomes shallow and sandy-​bottomed as it winds into Loon Lake, a small forest-​edged body of water that Riverside staff warns is deep in the middle and cold. They advise hugging the right-​hand shore.
When lake gives way to river again, the Platte’s course is slightly more twisted, but also wider as it nears Lake Michigan. In places, reedy marshes flank the river, making for a sunnier, more-​open meander. Be sure to stay to the middle to make it through the narrow gap in a fish weir that is usually open. Otherwise, portage around it on the left side.
The banks get sandier as the Platte nears the lake. At the pullout point, find the landing on the right, and then relax or explore the beach for a view of Lake Michigan. Someone will have to go to Riverside to retrieve the deposit; everyone else should stick around and enjoy the two-​for-​one pleasure of paddling the Platte. Canoeing and the beach in one easy trip-​what could be better than this distillation of two of Northern Michigan’s simplest pleasures?
If you need something that floats, Riverside Canoe Trips can provide. They rent canoes, rafts, kayaks, boats with motors, and tubes, all suitable for Platte River navigation.
For boat owners, a convenient landing is just across the river from Riverside, accessible from Lake Michigan Road and equipped with restrooms and a picnic area.