Had a great weekend here with the ladies. Six of us stayed in a cabin. There was a heat wave…read morethrough the Midwest and it was felt up here. The locals said this was the best week ever! For us Floridians, we were hot!!!!! I wished for air conditioning in my cabin. I also wished for hot water in the sink of our cabin. Lots and lots of spiders and carpenter ants in the cabin. But I guess we are out in the woods. We purchased two big bundles of firewood, was $95. I suggest one. Cuz we didn't even use half!!! They don't allow you to bring your own wood. There's a small fridge for food items but it isn't big enough for beer etc. so bring coolers. The shop sells ice for $2 a bag. Not a bad deal. The bags are small but we were so grateful. There is parking next to the cabin for one car and across the cabin along the hill. We were close to the shop, the bathrooms and showers in cabin 3. Just a short walk across the playground. The cabin has a toilet in its own little room and the sink is outside. There is a small coffee maker and some coffee mugs, as well as a microwave. We had a table with two chairs and a bench seating area. There were two patio chairs. So bring more camping chairs. We made a fire one night in the grill and cooked. It worked. We played games and chatted. One day we kayaked and another day we tuned down the river. It was nice that this was all coordinated though RiverView. They have a large bus that drops you off where you need to be. The sell ice down at the bus stop too. So load up your cooler, drag it down there and then get ice to fill it. Overall a great ladies trip. We will be back next year!!!

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.

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.

We have been canoeing with Shel-Haven for over twenty years and have always had a great experience…read more We usually take the four hour trip from 612 and float the river for the day. Prices are reasonable and as the years have passed, more and more options for floating the river have become available. They also have a nice deck where you can watch the people arrive back from their trip.

Such a great time! This is a yearly tradition in my family and Carlisle is the place to start! The…read moreAu Sable river is breathtakingly beautiful with many stopping points along the way. We stayed over night and got picked up at McMasters bridge the next day. Our family loves Carlisle and will be back for many years to come!

We had a great trip down the river. They were very accommodating for our group which included a…read morelittle one. Owners were extremely nice. They go above and beyond to accommodate you for your trip. Highly recommend.

The new owners bought the business Feb. 2023. They were very friendly and helpful. We picked the…read more3hr trip with kayaks. The river was pretty. It did storm on us for part of the trip but we still made some great memories. We plan on coming back!!

It was so great to hop in the car and go on a little adventure for the weekend. Dave took great…read morecare of us and the kayaking was so relaxing and beautiful scenery. The cabin was cozy and loved the campfire. Thanks for making it a nice weekend getaway!!

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.

With a string of hot days in Sept we were glad to see Penrod's was still open for business on the…read moreweekends. We called to confirm a canoe for early afternoon for the shorter paddle option which is a 2 to 3-hour paddle on the lovely Au Sable river. The river is quite curvy and the water is surprisingly clear, often shallow but with just enough depth to float freely. The distance is described as 8 miles, but per the GPS, it seemed a good bit shorter, so we paddled faster than we needed to. The scenery was great - lots of ducks and a mix of riverside homes along some stretches as well as quiet natural areas. Penrod's location and service were excellent, and both the launch and take-out at Burton's Landing were super easy. Definitely recommend.

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!

This place is nice. I stayed in a cabin and it was nice and comfortable. They need a bigger table…read moreand a better fan though because it was very hot. We went next door to river view which we normally stay at and did the river trip. The bathrooms with the showers are kinda dirty and I recommend using the "community" bathroom for the cabins. That bathroom is very nice and clean. Staff is very nice. 4-5 stars!

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.

What a blast! My friend came up to visit from downstate Michigan, and we were looking for something…read morefun and something outdoors to do. We decided to book an ATV adventure with Big Bear. It was money well spent. Big Bear provided sanitized helmets, goggles and bandanas to wear. We brought our own bandanas because we wanted to wear pink but I appreciated the extra effort on their behalf. They were very on top of COVID precautions. While we were waiting for our ride, the staff running the tubing adventures, were so efficient. They were unloading passengers and sanitizing the vans before loading another group, they were still moving quickly and intentionally. Our guide, Raph, was excellent, he explained everything very well, was kind and patient. It was very much appreciated because I had never driven a side by side before. Raph took us on some amazing trails, we stopped at Weber Lake and enjoyed the water and scenery. We made memories we'll never forget. I have a girls weekend planned in July and we have already reserved our spot for another adventure. Thanks Raph!

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.

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

We took our family on a 2 hour rafting trip and it was beautiful! I great way to see nature! The…read moreriver is calm and pleasant, and Jamie was great with setting us up with all of the gear and boats! Would highly recommended!

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.