I've canoed or tubed on a lot of the popular Michigan rivers for these activities and have never…read moreseen an operation like this. Entering the check-in area is like walking into the lobby of a luxury resort. There are several booths with clerks ready to register you, and of course a wide selection of merchandise you might want to check out if you forgot some essential for your trip, like sun block or a waterproof phone case. Once registered, we were assigned a bus boarding area and got ready to ride to the put-in site. The trip was short and we were soon turned loose on the river. We took the 4-6 hour trip and finished in just about 5, with only a short lunch stop. The river was very pleasant, slow with occasional riffle areas where we picked up some speed, and not to many rocks or logjams to navigate around. Quiet and solitude? Well, no. If you're making this trip on a hot summer Saturday, expect to be in the company of several other parties during the length of your trip. One offered us a jello shot, which we passed on, though thirty years ago that would have been tempting. Not much chance of missing your take out, which is back at the campground, which takes up a large stretch of the riverback before you hit the actual landing. Once there, you just hand your tube/boat to an attendant and walk back to your car. I probably wouldn't choose to camp here--the campground is large and not shaded in many parts. Lot of potential for it to get loud. But for canoeing or tubing, a top-notch rental operation.

Have an annual camping weekend for 3 years and always enjoy this campground. They have water and…read moreelectrical at the campsite for a reasonable price and there is plumbed restrooms and showers that are walking distance. They maintain the facilities and always clean. It's really nice to have a campsite along the river and really nice they shuttle you to the starting point and provide usually good quality tubes and also offer tubes for your cooler if you pay per cooler tube.

Shel-Haven was a perfect outside activity. We were able to drive right up on a Thursday afternoon…read moreand were loaded into the van in about 10 minutes. We did a 4 hour canoe trip, which was perfect for an afternoon. We were able to stop for lunch and still probably clocked in around 3.5 hours canoeing at a leisurely pace. Equipment was fine and prices were slightly cheaper than places nearby. The river was quiet and offered a lot of nice turns and scenery. At one point some locals pointed out a "secret" swimming hole and we were able to pull off and take a quick swim. I'll definitely be back!

What an amazing place! We were looking for something to do and we found Shel-Haven on Yelp - I am…read moreglad we did. Easy to find and easy to get too. I have been to a couple canoe/kayak rentals down state and Shel-Haven is so much better! First, they will drive you to the spot on the river and then you kayak to where you car is parked. So convenient! Depending on how long you want your trip to be will depend how far up the river you get dropped off. Second, they do not hold your credit card and there is no annoying deposit. You just hand them your money for the time you want to be on the river and then you are done - transaction over! You do not have to check-in back and get your deposit back or have to pay more if you went over the time limit. Third, the staff is great. The gal who checked us in was amazing, so friendly and helpful! She also accepted the Yelp discount without hassle or questions. 2.5 hour trip in a two person kayak was only $18.00! Such a great deal. The kayaks were very nice, clean, and did the trick. Fourth, the river and trip itself is so peaceful and beautiful. A great trip to take if you are not an avid canoer or kayaker. River is decently wide and calm. Not a lot of crazy turns or quick current. We did not see a lot of wildlife.There are homes that line the river but some areas are pure woods with no homes, so it is a nice mix. The water is not that deep either. I would say the deepest we saw was 3 feet while on average it seemed to be about 2 feet deep. Fifth, easy ending place when you are done with your trip. You can also swim when you are done with your trip and the water here is about 3 feet deep. There was a worker at the return site to help you. Parking lot was also right there and you could go on your way.

My wife & I thought we'd avoid the weekend crowds and wait until Monday morning (Labor Day 2011) to…read moreset out on the AuSable river. The afternoon before, we walked to each of the three liveries on State Street to see what they were about. The young gentleman working the counter in the Carlisle office that afternoon was very helpful and answered our questions. However, the thing that stuck out and sold us was when we were walking out of the office towards the street. The pick-up van had just dropped off a bunch of folks who were retrieved after their trip. As the driver (who we thought was "just" a driver) was parking the van, he made a point of waving to us and wishing us a good afternoon with a genuine smile on his face. We returned the next morning at 9:45am (a chilly 45°F) to find out that the driver from the previous afternoon was in fact the owner Terry....a really personable fellow even in the morning after a super busy weekend. Kudos to Terry and his staff for making us feel welcome. We agreed that he'd meet us at Stephan's Bridge at 1pm. Although the trip is typically billed as a 4-hr journey, we completed the trip in just over 2.5-hrs (no stops). So we waited for 30-mins at Stephan's Bridge, but true to his word Terry's cousin picked us up at 1pm on the dot. Overall...it was a great experience and we'd certainly recommend Carlisle's to anyone. Here's a news article about Carlisle's: http://www.crawfordcountyavalanche.com/articles/2010/05/17/news/doc4beae2469022f014804941.txt

Got to the river pickup and they did not give us a ride back had to call an uber to get ourselves…read moreback. Shit company.

My wife and I have stayed at Rainbow resort twice now. The owner Barb is very friendly and…read morehelpful. The smaller cabins near the back are nice and feature a nice wooded view to enjoy while you kick back and relax. The ones closer to the front are all pretty close and don't have quite as nice of a view. Went canoeing and kayaking and both times our driver was nice and finishing up back at the resort was very convenient If you are looking for a relaxing time and chilling around the fire at night this is a great place...if you're looking to get super drunk and be noisy then this place is not for you. I really enjoy the Mio area The location is far enough away tucked back into the woods to be quiet and relaxing yet close enough to 33 to get to other places. Will definitely be back again.

Horrific Customer Service, Stolen Funds, and Aggressive Management - Avoid at All Costs…read moreBetter options in Mio! Our family booked a 15-canoe memorial trip for 30 people three months in advance to honor our late uncle. A month before the trip, we pre-paid in full. We were explicitly told by staff that we could adjust our reservation up to 24 hours in advance. The day before the trip, we emailed to scale down to 9 canoes (19 people).Upon arrival, the woman claiming to be the owner flatly refused a refund for the 6 unused canoes. Her justification was hostile and absurd: she stated we "should not have prepaid" and that refunds are only avoided if you pay the day of. This policy was never disclosed to us verbally or in writing.The customer service deteriorated rapidly from there: Hostility at Departure: The owner stood on the deck screaming at both her staff and our family, demanding everyone wear life jackets inside the transport vans--saying no one left without one on-falsely claiming it was a transport fine--rather than explaining it calmly as a high-water safety precaution. Labor: Despite paying full price (plus the 6-canoe overcharge), the resort provided only one staff member per van. Our group was made to help manually unload the canoes at the launch, and drag them up a steep hill and reload the trailers upon return. No trash bins were provided at the landing. Just a bag one of the drivers found in the van Verbal Abuse & Shushing: When two family members calmly went into the office to discuss the refund, the owner became instantly belligerent. When a female family member asked why she was being so rude, the owner told her to "zip it" and repeatedly shushed her like a child. When challenged on the overcharge, the owner claimed she "felt unsafe" and "threatened" from 10 feet away. Physical Altercation & False Accusations: The situation turned completely unhinged when we had to turn our vehicle around to look for a missing key fob. The owner's husband marched out "ready to fight," chest puffed out, screaming at customers. Looking for the guy who "threatened his wife" the situation escalated and The female owner then physically shoved her way into our group at the back of our vehicle, intentionally bumping into a smaller female customer. When the customer pushed back to create space, the owner began screaming like an actor that she had been "assaulted," before videotaping us and threatening to call the police. Honestly we thought at that point we were being punked. The river and weather were beautiful, but Rainbow Resorts completely tarnished a memorial trip for a grieving family. They stole money for services not rendered, treated paying customers like physical threats, and exhibited erratic, hostile behavior. Do not go here. They are completely unprofessional and running a financial scam on pre-payments.

My family and I had a blast! I'm coming back soon. You guys will have fun too. It's the right price…read moreand so much fun.

We had an amazing experience canoeing with this company. I called the day of to see if they had…read moreavailability and they did. We did the 2.5 hr paddle. It's with the current so it's very easy to do. There are a few stopping points that have portable toilets. They picked us up at the end and shuttled us back. We paid $36 for one canoe. They provided seat cushions. The staff did an excellent job previewing the route with us. It was easy to navigate. They also have mountain bikes and kayaks to rent.

My familys favorite place to camp, anytime of year!. I've been coming to this campground since I…read morewas barley an adult. The pristine beauty is astounding, the long time Family who runs the camp, take special care to leave it natural, yet stocked with all modern day conveniences, they make your stay feel like you are part of the family. The wilderness experiences with nature and camping out of doors, that your children or adults leave with, are cherished memories, like no other on this river. It's roomy & spacious with 2 river bends running through the camp, with many different water levels for kids or adults. The camp has views you will not get ANYWHERE on the rifle. The camp store is stocked with anything you may need or can think of, the bathroom & shower areas are super clean, there's many to choose from, although modern facilties such as laundry, (2) playground areas for kids, sandpit, volleyball & horseshoe pit, plus forested hiking, it feels like your camping the old fashioned way, like your parents did. The wildlife that visit the camp are amazing, from bald eagles to deer crossing the river in the early morning, I'm amazed every year. There's also a little cold stream brook that feeds into the river that runs through the camp. It's filled with a sand bottom and is crystal clear, the happy go lucky kids at this camp, go crazy for it. I've never seen a campground so lovely. My canoe & tubing trips have always went smoothly, the busses leave at many different times, and accomdiations have been way above and beyond, year after year. If you are going to experiance the rifle river for whatever reason, family time, fishing hiking canoeing or just camping, this by far is the place to do it. Dont go anywhere else, try this one first, and you will never go anywhere else. 5 big stars for the rifle river campground, havent had a single issue in 30 years ever, and cannot wait to go back again next year.

Alright guys this is a smaller owned campground with a group of regular workers. They deal with…read moredrunk people all day so they are allowed a mistake here and there. I have been coming for 7 years and it's my favorite place to go as it truly has the rustic vibe. Calling and scheduling is old school which I love. The ladies aren't crabby at the counter either they are all Very nice. Getting through can be hard but I just kept calling as I knew they were probably busy. I will be back this year as it's always a blast!

Been coming here for 3 years now, and the new owners are absolutely fantastic. The rooms are very…read moreclean and comfortable. Owners are very hospitable and helpful and kind. My family and I have also gone kayaking a few times while there, and the kayaks are all in great shape, the routes are well marked (I know they dealt with a lot of fallen trees this year but it's all been cleaned up). But, the kayaking from this location is the best IMO. Every other guest I've met here is also super nice and affable, so they seem to attract great people to stay here. I look forward to coming back here annually for years to come. Thank you for making Grayling even more special.

If you are looking for a comfortable, relaxing and quaint location to make your Basecamp for an…read moreAuSable river vacation, Borchers should be your first choice. Amazing rooms with clean, comfortable beds, each with their own full bath. A few yards from the river or a block from downtown, it just doesn't get better than this. We loved the staff, and it's always comfortable just hanging out around the property. Definitely a family favorite of ours and we would recommend this for anyone looking to stay near Grayling.

We had an awesome time rafting with Big Bear. The staff was friendly, organized, and made the whole…read moreexperience easy and enjoyable. The rafting itself was the perfect mix of excitement, beautiful scenery, and laughs (and adventure!). We'll be back and telling my family and friends.

We had a group of 14 do a rafting trip this weekend, aged 8-74. We did the 2-hour rafting trip…read more Based on the website description, this seemed to be ok. It was the most chaotic, stressful, dangerous thing we've done as a group. Do not do a rafting trip if you think you're going to have any time to enjoy the scenery, talk, or enjoy a family activity. The river was extra fast due to high water levels and there are constant obstacles to avoid. We are all lucky to have made it with only minor injuries. Way too many close calls. It was not just us that were not enjoying our time on the river. Every kayaker and tuber we encountered felt exactly the same way. Several said they'd been crying at times, it was so chaotic.

I took an adventure for the day after Labor Day down the river, and it was beautiful, peaceful,…read morequiet we ran into one party, the whole time. Planning on doing it again this year.

They rent u-haul kayaks and tube but wont really clarify drop or pick up points. Bad communication…read morefor sure.

Honor Trading Post was our go-to for kayaking down the lower Platte River! Everyone was so nice &…read morehelpful, it really made the trip down the river a memorable experience. The livery had all the essentials for your trip; water shoes, sandwiches, cold drinks, ice, souvenirs, and so much more! They were stocked with whatever you needed. The team unloaded our kayaks & brought them down to the river with us, along with our paddles & life floats. For the record, they have plenty life jackets for whoever needs them. Any child under the age of 6 is required to wear one. The river flows gently & most of the trip is shallow enough to touch, I never felt in danger without a life vest. My favorite parts of the river were paddling through Loon Lake, the crystal clear water, and the end of the trip where the Platte meets Lake Michigan. The dunes were breathtaking & the kids absolutely loved it! We will definitely be back. Honor Trading Post was my livery of choice!

I booked a kayaking trip on the Platte River for my (almost) 10-year-old son and I. It was easy to…read morereserve everything on their website (we actually booked the morning of our trip.) The staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. My son had only been kayaking one other time, and he loved being in his own kayak. The river was slow and calm, perfect for a child to learn how to kayak. Parts of the river did get quite busy (we went on a beautiful Saturday) - there was one area where we navigated around a group of about 50-60 "innertubers." We packed up a couple of sandwiches and purchased some drinks and a cooler at the Trading Post before parking our car at the end of the river (at Lake Michigan.) I loved how at the end of the trip, we could hop right out of the river and into our car. One of the staff members drove us back to the drop-in spot (they had already prepared our kayaks for us to hop right in!) Note: there is an extra $25 fee involved to park your car in the lot at the end of the river. Would highly recommend booking with The Trading Post for anyone looking to check out the Platte River! We were staying in Glen Arbor, and it was only a 30-minute drive away.