Michigan
Ready to cast off for summer? Where to boat across Michigan in 2025
Boating tips that will help you have a fun and safe day on the water
Capt. Maren Moss offers a few important boating safety tips to help keep you and your family safe on the water.
Summer boating season in Michigan is getting underway, and boaters are already hitting the water.
A day out on clear, sparkling waters with loved ones offers a perfect summer getaway for Michigan boaters. The state is a boat lover’s paradise, boasting four of the Great Lakes and 11,000 inland lakes, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
“In Michigan, you are never more than 6 miles away from a lake, river or stream, so you never have to travel far to find a boaters paradise,” Pure Michigan says.
Here’s what to know.
5 places to tie off your boat and enjoy the day
When the day on the lake is done, consider docking in these areas and checking out nearby cities.
- Charlevoix: This northwest Michigan city borders Lake Charlevoix, Round Lake, the Round Lake Channel and Lake Michigan. The Charlevoix City Marina is open for the season and features a boaters’ lounge, floating docks, laundry facilities, a splash pad and restrooms. Nearby, the city features restaurants, hotels, a dog park and gardens.
- Detroit: The Motor City runs along an international border at the Detroit River. Among several docking options is the Riverside Marina, with the clubhouse featuring a jacuzzi, heated swimming pool, showers, locker room and laundry facilities. Downtown Detroit and nearby Midtown are packed with restaurants, museums, hotels, parks, theaters, shopping and sports venues.
- Holland: Holland borders Lake Macatawa and the Macatawa River, flowing toward Lake Michigan. Docking includes the Yacht Basin Marina, with a conference center and vacation rental units. The tourist town with Dutch heritage features tulip gardens, restaurants, a lighthouse, Dutch Village, museums, hotels and state parks.
- Higgins Lake State Park: North and South Higgins Lake State Park near Roscommon in northern Michigan are on Higgins Lake. The state parks provide boat launches, cabins, campgrounds, sandy beaches, a picnic area and hiking trails.
- Saginaw Bay: Along the bay on Lake Huron, cities in the thumb and central Michigan offer docking, including Bay City, Caseville, Au Gres and Linwood, among others. The region offers fishing, restaurants, parks, shopping and summer festivals, with Saginaw on the Saginaw River, and Frankenmuth short a drive farther inland.
6 places to boat this summer in Michigan
Here are six places to boat on in Michigan, according to Pure Michigan:
- Great Lakes: Enjoy boating on the vast waters of four Great Lakes bordering Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Lake Superior.
- Lake Leelanau in Leland: This lake is split into two sections, North and South Lake Leelanau, featuring clear waters and a natural habitat of nearly 9,000 acres. Boaters can enjoy wildlife spotting and recreation, with nearby restaurants and vineyards for dining.
- Lake St. Clair in southeast Michigan: This popular metro Detroit lake connects Lake Erie, the Detroit River and Lake Huron. Lake St. Clair sees 3,000 freighters go through its shipping canal, and 150,000 boats registered in the area for recreation.
- Grand Lake in Alpena: In northeast Michigan, this over 8,900-acre lake features several small islands. The nearby Besser Museum for northeast Michigan highlights the region’s wooden sailing and motorized boats.
- Gull Lake in Battle Creek: This lake in southwest Michigan offers regular sailboat racing with a yacht club, scuba diving, homes and cottages along the shores and a fishery.
- Torch Lake resembles the Caribbean in its deep, multi-tone color. At 18 miles in length, Torch is Michigan’s longest inland lake. Its sand bars are so legendary that musician Kid Rock wrote a song about them. Torch also is the state’s deepest lake. The village of Alden, on the lake’s southeast curve, boasts one of the few public beaches.
Glide along the ‘Inland Waterway’
Michigan’s “Inland Waterway” cuts across the tip of the mitten, starting north of Petoskey and ending at Cheboygan.
Michigan’s longest chain of rivers and lakes covers nearly 40 miles, including Pickerel Lake and Crooked Lake, the Crooked River, Burt Lake, the Indian River, Mullett Lake, the Cheboygan River, and finally into Lake Huron.
The water trails connect seven state parks; numerous campgrounds, day-use parks, and resorts; 20 Little Traverse Conservancy Nature Preserves, and six communities.
How can you register your boat in Michigan?
Boats must be registered and you can do so through the Michigan Department of State. Some boats also require a title if they’re 20 feet long or longer, or have a permanently affixed engine.
Registration is good for three years, expiring on March 31 of the third year, according to the state. Boat owners can renew online, via mail, at a self-service station or in-person at your local Secretary of State office.
What should you know before you go?
Check with your local boating access site for hours and rules. Most state-sponsored sites are closed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., says the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.
Life jackets must be on board and the type and number depend on the type of boat you have and how many people are on board, the Michigan DNR says.
If you plan to take a pet, check whether pets are allowed and how to handle them. In Michigan, pets must be kept on a 6-foot leash and under the owner’s immediate control and you must clean up after them and prevent them from interacting with wildlife.
If you plan to fish or water ski, be sure to check local regulations, some inland lakes prohibit certain activities.
Can you take alcohol onboard your boat?
It’s illegal to operate a boat in Michigan while under the influence of alcohol, according to state law. Boaters with a 0.08% blood alcohol content or higher could face civil penalties like fines and imprisonment.
Some boating access sites in Michigan ban drinking alcohol, the Michigan DNR said.
Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.
KALAMAZOO, Mich. — June 19th is also Juneteenth, which signifies when the final African-American slaves in the United States learned of their freedom in Galveston, Texas, in 1865.
It became a federal holiday in 2021, and it’s celebrated strongly in West Michigan.
In Kalamazoo, there will be festivities in Bronson Park from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, including food, dancing, and music.
“That’s very typical of how African Americans or people from the African diaspora celebrate,” said Dr. Sherrie Fuller, Director of Education & Training in the Vice President’s Area for Diversity and Inclusion. “It’s always food, it’s always dance, it’s all this music and it’s festive.”
This Juneteenth is a reminder of how far Black Americans have come, but a difficult reminder that there is still a long way to go for equality.
This week, a Black teenager was handcuffed and detained in the Washington Heights neighborhood in Battle Creek.
The boy’s family accused the officer of racial profiling, and the Battle Creek Police chief stands by his actions.
Dr. L.E. Johnson II of the Center for Afrocentric Thought was disgusted by the officer’s actions.
“What type of bias and prejudice are we dealing with here?” Dr. Johnson II said. “What that officer did was put blight on a legacy of a community that has worked hard to make things better for everybody. It was horrible what he did. He should be ashamed. He should be ashamed.”
Western Michigan University hosted a performance from Rootead on Friday afternoon at the multicultural center at the Trimpe Building.
Performers danced and played drums, focusing on their cultural roots.
“I believe people were able to have an opportunity to just kind of reflect on what the purpose of Juneteenth or the celebration of the holiday is all about, so it’s phenomenal,” said Dr. Fuller.
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Battle Creek will have a Juneteenth family day at Claude Evans Park on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Friday is Juneteenth. The long-celebrated holiday, which was officially declared a federal holiday in 2021, marks the day in 1865 when enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free — two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.
In Grand Rapids, a parade steps off at noon at the corner of Eastern and Hall. It will head to Dickinson Buffer Park, where an opening ceremony gets underway at 1 p.m. The celebration continues until the evening and will feature food, vendors and activities for kids.
Organizers say it’s important to recognize Juneteenth.
“We cannot properly deal with and accept our future if we don’t understand our past,” said Rhaeven Richardson with West Michigan Jewels of Africa. “So it’s very important for us to come together and bring notoriety for what Juneteenth stands for and how important it is — not just for people of color, but for everyone in this country.”
There are plenty of other Juneteenth events happening in Grand Rapids and around West Michigan. For a full list, click here.
LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) is launching the L.E.A.D. Academy, a new leadership development program set to begin this fall as part of the department’s Safe Prisons Initiative.
L.E.A.D. Academy stands for Learn Today, Empower Tomorrow, Aspire Beyond, Develop a Legacy.
Officials say the program is a four-phase leadership development pathway designed to support employee growth at every stage of a career, and intends to advance training and staff support goals by preparing employees to lead “with skill, integrity and professionalism.”
“Our workforce is constantly evolving, and it is more important than ever that we are supporting our emerging leaders in a way that will create change-makers and thought-leaders in the correctional field,” MDOC Director Heidi E. Washington said. “Well-trained professional staff create safe facilities by stepping above the status quo to challenge themselves, and those around them, to go above and beyond.”
MDOC partnered with Michigan State University to develop the program’s curriculum, focusing on leadership principles applied specifically to the corrections environment.
According to the MDOC, the program emphasizes daily conduct, communication, presence and professionalism as factors that can influence others and contribute to safer facilities.
“The curriculum is designed to help participants develop practical leadership skills rooted in communication, emotional intelligence, professionalism, and ethical decision-making,” Vivian Aranda-Hughes, an assistant professor in MSU’s School of Criminal Justice, said. “We are excited to support a program that invests in people and recognizes that leadership is demonstrated through the choices, actions, and influence individuals bring to their work every day.”
Applicants for the L.E.A.D. Academy will be selected through a formal review process after applying for the program, according to the MDOC.
To be eligible, applicants must meet the following requirements: one year of MDOC employment, attainment of satisfactory status during the initial probationary period, and full commitment to the program, including assignments outside the classroom.
Officials say the L.E.A.D. Academy is a key component of the state’s Safe Prisons Initiative, which was launched in March to improve safety and security across MDOC’s 26 prisons.
More information about MDOC’s Safe Prisons Initiative can be found online.
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