I gravitate toward Leland's Fishtown every time I am in the area. It's my favorite little spot to…read morechill by the dam, watching the fish, shopping, & good eats! It's a must when doing the M22 tour, or when you are visiting Traverse City.

This is a pretty area to visit with lots of shops and nice restaurant on the water. Definitely…read morerecommend when the area.

Came to kayak the Crystal River…read more We rented a tandem kayak and a single sit on top kayak. It was roughly 109. They do military discount so it was cheaper to come in store than book online. It was very easy coming in and renting. Minimal paperwork and then you go wait for the van to take you to the start. The van was a 5-8 min ride to the start of the river. You go in the van with the other groups who are going. Heads up there is poison ivy where they park the van. But they tell you where and to avoid it. All the staff were very good at telling us things we needed to do and look for on our trip. But incase you got curious little ones, maybe keep them close til they get on the kayak to avoid any poison ivy. We started at 1040 and ended at 1310. So roughly 2.5 hours it took us. They do let 12 and up rent their own kayak I believe or it's 13 and up. I'm glad we did a tandem kayak for my 12 year old daughter. She would have got her self stuck alot with the trees in the river haha. If your child isn't experienced in kayaking I'd do a tandem so you can help them navigate around the trees. There's a lot of fallen trees in the river. But nothing you can't navigate around. I won't lie I did get stuck twice haha. We brought a cooler and a dry bag and they fit on my kayak. It was very fun. We had great weather it was a little cloudy but we preferred that then get beat down with the sun for 2.5 hours. We would definitely come back again!

Sooo..where to begin. I'm really disappointed that this adventure didn't work out. Off the bat, we…read morewere late getting started and checked in. There were several things that caused this (a huge group in front of us, our kayaks being taken by someone else, more kayaks being shuttled over), but that wasn't the issue. I've kayaked before and have some experience here. The river is not for beginners. I was looking forward to something relaxing, not too technical, but that's not what I got. I had to paddle and maneuver constantly. About 1/2-3/4 of the river is covered in downed trees and logs. The staff say that this makes the river "interactive" and that this is out of their hands. At some points, it felt ridiculous. It got extremely narrow, and when we'd try and navigate around obstacles, the water was so low we'd get stuck on the sandy bottom. A sign at the beginning referenced that the water was at the "middle" level. I can't imagine how it'd be if the water were any lower. We're taking less than a foot in some places. The other person I went with flipped her kayak twice due to debris. Additionally, we saw several people flip and get stranded, especially when using the tandem kayaks. The water is just too low in A LOT of the river. Four people we just happened to bump into just stood up and dragged their kayak since it was easier at certain points. There should also be information about the kayaks utilized. Specs would be helpful. I think beginners wouldn't know what some of the specs mean in some cases, but at least include a weight limit, type, how heavy it is, etc. If you have kids, in my opinion, it's unlikely that they'd be able to move their kayak alone. We also came across locals (at least it seemed like it) who were kayaking and floating the opposite way. This led to more challenges with navigating and more flipping. The portages are also hard to navigate. There are three, which require people to exit, drag their kayak across a path or road, and then reenter. These portages were hard to use, especially while carrying gear and kayaks. One in particular was across a road, which seemed unsafe. There are no staff posted at these sites to assist if needed. The river was gorgeous. The trees, wildlife, views...I loved that part. I wish more information were provided WITH an accurate description given so I could make a proper informed decision about what I was paying for.

Google labels Sleeping Bear Dunes a "mountain peak" - LOL. But it is a pretty cool…read morenaturally-occurring pile of sand (and every form of life that is adapted to it). We hiked Cottonwood Trail, but *might* have strayed off it a bit in order to see Lake Michigan. It is great to know that this area is protected.

My only kind that I have about this place was that parking was really expensive! Overall, if you're…read moreinto scenic views, challenging walks, even going to the beach too or are just a avid adventurer this is the place for you. Me and my wife basically did the Dune Climb which was very extraordinary which I reviewed on a separate page. This place was very well maintained with very minimal trash. The dunes were very scenic and even the people were very friendly too. I have never seen water looks so clean and beautiful before. Getting into the beach can be a bit painful with all those rocks just stabbing your feet. I absolutely had an incredible time here regardless. I highly recommend checking this place out if you ever have to chance!

If you are someone that enjoys all things fish & info this is a great self guided tour that we…read morereally enjoyed! Would do this again in different time of year. Super neat!

Free to visit. Self guided tour. Plenty of Free Parking. Open daily 8:00-4:00. Plenty of fish to…read moresee . Platte River is right behind the buildings. Picture museum is very interesting.

Captain Gage took us out on a half day trip last season and to say the least it was fantastic. Gage…read moreensured that not only did we have a good time, but also that we caught fish! He truly knows what he's doing out there and it shows with his professionalism and hospitable attitude. Thanks Gage!

From the owner: Cutler's Catch offers guided fishing trips on the pristine inland lakes along scenic highway M-22…read more We specialize in targeting four of northwest Michigan's inland lake species: lake trout, smallmouth bass, walleye, and perch, but often catch other species such as steelhead, northern pike, and rock bass.

Had a great time with these guys. Only 3 of us went out for Trout fishing. Limited out in under 2…read morehours. Toked around the bay for another hour and came in for breakfast. The captain & mate were very good! Brought home more fish than we can eat anytime soon. Glad I prepared and brought my vacuum sealer!

We had a great evening fishing trip with Cap Benny and Austin. This was a repeat visit for us…read more Caught lots of fish, had great conversation, and just an overall amazing time. Would recommend this charter for families, friends, and even work events!

My family and I have been on fishing charters with the awesome Captain Tony the past three summers,…read moreJune 2021, 2022, and 2023, and I can say he delivers a memorable charter fishing experience every time. The very first charter in 2021 we headed out to catch lake trout, and he knew exactly where to go. We took turns catching many excellent fish and then my father-in-law asked Captain Tony if there was any luck we could catch a king salmon. He knew a place, and the odds were against us since it was early in the season, but we pulled up a beauty. We took our haul to Carlson's in Leland to have the fish cleaned up, and took some of it to The Cove to have a "fish party" with the whole family. This repeated each year, but in 2022, we caught our record breaker, a 20+lbs Lake Trout. He had his new boat starting this year, and it was awesome, with comfortable places to sit out of the elements. And this year, 2023, we got up extra early at Captain Tony's advice in order to seek out king salmon! We traveled out to just off the shores of North Manitou Island, and sure enough, we caught 4 beautiful king salmon, including my father-in-law pulling up a 20lbs beauty! Captain Tony is always friendly, fun, makes great conversation, and always has friendly and helpful first mates. Both the Captain and mate are great with everyone of all ages who come aboard, asking questions, making conversation, and keeping people involved in the process. He shows you how he baits and put out his reels, can tell you how deep the fish are, a bit about the geology of the lake, and more. When the fish are biting, they are always excited, "Fish on!" and the next person in line, jumps up and gets to attempt to reel in that fish! If you are in to fishing, and want to have a great time, give Captain Tony a call with Reelin' Leland!

My Pack and I came up from Northern KY for the week got to go out twice. Captain Tony and his crew…read moreare top notch. We had some heavy winds and he made the correct decisions to play it differently, which landed us some of the biggest gains! Both days across multiple charters who also went out. Extremely knowledgeable/ifficent while being engaging in a brother you never met kind of way. Will be seeing you soon!!

Captain Todd and First mate Mike were great hosts on a clean and well run boat! We limited out on…read moreLake trout and caught a nice 22lb. King as well. My sons and I highly recommend this boat and crew!

My husband, 10 year old son, and I had a wonderful time fishing with Captain Todd and First Mate,…read moreAustin. We targeted King Salmon, & my son, who was afraid to let go of the seat on the boat at first, ended up reeling in 4 big fish by himself...altogether we caught more Salmon than our freezer will hold! (apparently this was not even what Captain Todd considers a big catch!) We stayed out later than promised and caught a gorgeous sunset as well as quite a few extra fish. Captain Todd and Austin cleaned them all for us so they were ready for our midnight meal. I wouldn't look anywhere else for charter fishing in Northwest MI! We are guaranteed to be back out on the boat with Captain Todd next time we're in Traverse City!

Captain Bill is a master at his craft. The lake was calm when we started. He knew exactly where to…read morego to catch fish. Other charters were radioing him to ask depths and locations of the fish. Not sure how they did with here guests. We had a spectacular time. If you want to charter a boat, go with Captain Bill. He is great with instructions on what to do and how to reel in the big fish. Ted's Army

My husband and my father have been out fishing with Captain Bill numerous times, and have always…read morereturned home with glowing reviews for Captain Bill's expertise at finding all the right fishing spots. So I finally joined them today for a fishing trip, and I'm glad I did! Altogether, we landed FOURTEEN salmon and trout in just a few hours. The views were spectacular and the sunrise was gravy on top of a lovely fishing experience. Will happily join them again next year. Highly recommend!

One of our hands-down favorite places to hike. There's tons of hike-in camping spots along the…read more11-mile hiking trail, which largely follows the shoreline of the Manistee River with a few inland jaunts on a few of the oxbows. Despite being fairly well known, it's pretty pristine and doesn't feel overly busy but it's also never completely vacant. The river views are lovely, there's plenty of wildlife (great fishing & birdwatching), and there's a cliff swing over the water (huge adrenaline rush for this 43-year-old) on an off-shoot path just past the suspension bridge and a waterfall at mile 3.5 if you're coming from the north. You can return on the main path or on the other side of the river on a section of the North Country Trail.

What a great hiking trail! Parking wasn't bad at Red River Bridge Access…read moreOnce on the trail it is well marked. Campsites were clean and it looks like the hikers who enjoy the trail take good care of it. I didn't see one bit of trash the whole day. It was pretty busy, with folks heading both directions, everyone was very friendly and they all seemed to be enjoying the day! The views are beautiful. Absolutely the best hiking we have done in the lower peninsula. We will absolutely be back!