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Michigan's Manistee River flows into Lake Michigan on the western side of Michigan's lower peninsula. It is located on Michigan's "pinky finger", as Michigan is shaped like a hand. Winding inward on Michigan's palm, the Manistee dips and then heads up northeastward. It is a beautiful stream; one of the best in Michigan for canoeing, camping, and fishing.
When canoeing the Manistee, lay out a map of the area and choose a stretch that sounds like a good distance, incorporating camp times, campground locations, and time spent off the stream. Allow for more stream-time, also, if you fish. A nice one-night trip starts at the M-66 bridge and goes to Old US 131 campground, which is a six- to eight-hour float. You can camp for the night in this area, and the following day set off from the Old US 131 campground, paddle ten miles (or three to four hours), and pull out at Baxter Bridge. Both the put-in and the take-out points mentioned have ample room for parking and easy river access.
The Manistee is a majestic river, with alternating high, white dunes and forests of primarily cedar, pine, and birch. It's water is a cool, clear brown and in the low overhanging branches near the banks, large trout and salmon often lie, waiting for a meal to drop onto the water's surface. It is a fantastic stream for fishing, for just this reason.
Canoeists and fisherpeople share the Manistee, and demonstrate mutual polite acknowledgment, even when maneuvering out of the way of one another. Both appreciate the same opportunity to partake in such a gorgeous and peaceful nature scene. It's important to remember what you share in common with the other people that you encounter on the stream. You will very likely find other people on the Manistee, as it has become somewhat reknown for its beauty and accessibility. If you would like to have a quiet float, try to plan a trip outside of holidays such as Memorial and Labor Days.
If you fish, and you see a promising-looking stream meandering out from the bank, you might want to follow it back a little way and see what fish have chosen a reclusive life away from the main river. Mostly, you will have abundant opportunities to cast a line out right on the river.
The Manistee does not often boast difficult rapids like its relative, the Little Manistee to the south. It is wider and a bit slower, though not without its occasional tricky turn or overhanging branch. It curves gently through the Michigan wilderness and smells of pine, cedar, and pungent, earthy river-scent. You may hear the Manistee referred to as the "Big Manistee" for the reason that it has a smaller partner stream.
If you are hiking the trails around the Manistee, you may have the opportunity to see its waterfalls and forest wildlife. To all outdoorspeople visiting the Manistee, remember always to keep it as clean as when you came, taking any waste items with you and leaving nothing that would show you had been there, save maybe a flattened patch of grass where you pitched your tent for the night.
The Manistee and the forest and dunes that flank it are protected land, which means there is a charge to have the privilege of extended access to the river, and you must obtain a permit to camp. However, the pristine condition is maintained by the donations of those who use it, keeping it a clean and consistently beautiful environment for all to appreciate.
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