Paddling near Traverse City, MI

Traverse City sits at the southern end of Grand Traverse Bay in Grand Traverse County, where West Bay and East Bay frame the downtown shoreline. Paddlers here move between open bay water, the Boardman River winding through the city's historic core, and inland lakes such as Arbutus Lake. The area draws kayakers, canoeists, and SUP riders from spring through fall, with the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore coastline adding dramatic Lake Michigan paddling within the broader region.