Department of Natural Resources
A water trail is a designated route on a navigable waterway such as a lake, river, canal or bay, that is designed and managed to create a positive outdoor recreation experience for the user. Water trails feature well-developed access points, often are near significant historical, environmental or cultural points of interest and often have nearby amenities like restaurants, hotels and campgrounds.
Eight waterways totaling 540-plus miles that flow through more than a dozen counties have been selected as the first state-designated water trails in Michigan:
Local water trail organizations with established water trail plans were invited to submit applications for designation. That outreach process was handled collaboratively with the Michigan State Parks Advisory Committee, the Michigan State Waterways Commission, the Michigan Trails Advisory Council and the Nonmotorized Advisory Workgroup.
All applications were scored based on criteria including whether a proposed trail:
Ribbon cuttings for the newly designated water trails will take place during the 2019 paddling season. More information will be provided early in 2019 on the application process for next year’s designations.
In addition to the state-designated water trails above, there are many other water trails in Michigan that can be found on the Michigan Water Trails website.To be included on the Michigan Water Trails website, a water trail must: