One of the highlights of summer is floating, kayaking or canoeing the Platte River down to the mouth of it spilling out into Lake Michigan. But as summer cools, it’s time to change it up and try an evening float instead. The water is still warm, but the evening is a different experience - one of serenity and wildlife that you simply can’t get during full-on summer.
Here are some tips for your evening paddle:
Up and back:
If you are canoeing, kayaking or SUPing, the river’s current is light enough that you can park at the mouth and paddle upstream before eventually turning back. The upstream paddle is slow and serene as the sun settles behind you, and once you are tuckered out, you get the reward of an easy paddle back downstream. The “up and back” eliminates the need for a staged car or car shuttle – and lets you decide as how far you want to go! Be sure to take time to pull off and float among the marshy shores to enjoy snacks or drinks you’ve packed in and out with you.
The author is on a night paddle, about to turn around to go catch the sunset.
Parking – Park in Lake Township Park at the end of Platte Point Road. You will need a parking pass, which you can get at Platte River Campground just up the road or at the Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitor Center in Empire. There are bathrooms and picnic tables here.
A short float
If you are floating on a tube, you can’t do an “up and back” because of the current - so you have a couple of options for a one-way float. A favorite pick is to put in at El Dorado Park and float down to the mouth. This is a 60-90 minute float and the end is close enough that you can send the hardiest in your party on foot back to grab the car or to stage the car before you start. The walk is about 15-20 minutes. You could also bring a bike to lock up at one end to ride to your car.
A longer float
For a bigger paddle, you can put in at M-22 and float the length down to the river mouth. This is a pretty long float on a tube and you might run out of daylight, so be sure to plan accordingly. Canoes can do it in about 2 hours. Rentals are available at Riverside Canoes but their hours are limited and rule out an evening paddle.
Other paddle routes to consider are listed on the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore's site here.
Wildlife
Watch for raccoons feeding their babies in the marshes around the river. Other sightings might include Blue Herons, Painted and Snapping turtles, Sandhill Cranes, Whitetail Deer, Bald Eagles and ducks of all kinds. Look underwater too – watch for fat-bodied carps and suckers and thin-long Northern Pikes slicing through the slow-moving river. (I saw all of the animals on this list on one SUP paddle in the evening this summer!) In the fall, you can watch for the running of the salmon in the river, too! (The run is typically sometime in late August through early November!)
If you’re really lucky, you might catch sight of a black bear. And there’s still debate on whether or not the elusive cougar lives in the park, so a sighting is truly rare. But even more unlikely? The Dogman – made famous by a song called “The Legend” written by a local DJ who collected lore. (Listen to that song if you dare, ha!)
Mama raccoon fishing for her babies.
Timing
Begin about 2 hours before sunset so you can catch the sun sinking into Lake Michigan afterward. Tuck a headlamp into your dry bag just in case you time it all wrong, ha! Use the bathhouses at the park to slip into warmer clothing, as the night will cool quickly.
Sunset over the mouth of the Platte River.
And, one last note. With almost no one else on the river, this is a rare and beautiful serene “Northern Michigan” experience! Enjoy!
