Guide to Kayaking the Crystal River
For our anniversary, Ethan and I planned to take our oldest son (3yo) on an adventure down the river. We woke up to rain that day, so on a whim we searched further north for another kayak trip, and found Crystal River Outfitters in Glen Arbor.
Crystal River Outfitters offer everything from bikes, stand up paddleboards, and canoes, to cross country skis and snowshoes in the winter season.
Everything about our experience was great. It is a perfect beginning kayak trip for kids, but it would be great for a group of adults too! It made for the perfect day trip that required little planning & your girl loves easy + stress-free fun.
Here’s an overview of our experience with Crystal River Outfitters, what to bring, their response to the current pandemic, and a few other suggestions while in the Glen Arbor area!
What to Bring
Not much was needed for this short trip, but a few things might come in handy while out kayaking for a few hours!
-Snacks/drinks: this is especially helpful with little ones, but great to have something just in case. Plastic water bottles or drinkware is fine, but no glass is allowed on the river! Highway Brewing Co. is always a good choice. *wink, wink*
-Towels/Swim attire: you really don’t get *that* wet going down the river in the kayak, but your legs might get wet when you get out at the portages, so a towel and clothing that you can feel comfortable in if it gets wet is a good idea. There are also many shallow areas to get out and swim around if you’d like, so you might want to wear your swimsuit if you plan to get out!
-Sandals/shoes you can get wet: this is for the same reasons above!
-Drypack: I just don’t go kayaking without it, friends. You’re looking at the constant photographer, yet accident prone queen here.
-Sunscreen: this is a no brainer, friends! Don’t get fried!
Life vests are provided by Crystal River Outfitters.
The Trip
The Crystal River Outfitters crew will drop you off up river, and you will wind your way down and back to their storefront. The trip takes about 2-3 hours depending on how leisurely you want to take the trip. We did our trip in about 2.5 hours.
The first few bends around the river are really gorgeous with close, dense woods that drapes itself over the river. There are a few spots of low clearance, but this spot is really photo-worthy! If you can manage to paddle through it and take photos it would be worth it. (I wasn’t the most successful, I’m giving you a heads up so you can be prepared!)
On a quieter day, you would likely see various wildlife. We were there on a weekend with a bit more “traffic” along the river, so i’m sure the noise kept many of the nearby creatures out of sight. We did see a big snapping turtle underneath us at one point though, so I’d consider our nature sighting a success.
There are two (three if you don’t shoot the tube - i’ll explain below) portages along the way where you will need to get out and drag your kayak over a trail or across the road. Both spots were really easy to navigate and move kayaks over. Again, you’ll need to have shoes that are okay to get wet, or go barefoot - both the trail and the road were super smooth so I opted for barefoot and was fine.
Let’s talk about “Shoot the Tube”. It’s the catchphrase on Crystal River, and you’ll see it on shirts, hats, and stickers in the gift shop. So, it’s basically a culvert that goes underneath the road that is large enough for a kayak/canoe + person to fit through. It slopes downward, so you do get a bit of a rush through it, i.e. “Shoot the Tube”. It’s fun, and I recommend it - but if you’d rather, you can portage across the road instead. “Shoot the Tube” is about halfway through, and the next portage you get to is only 5 minutes from the end of the trip.
The river moves rather lazily, so it truly makes for a stress free few hours. It’s a great introduction for kids, but even if it had just been Ethan and I - it would have been a lot of fun.
Covid 19 Response
Crystal River Outfitters made us feel very safe and comfortable while with them. We reserved completely online in the morning before heading out. Upon arrival, they had outdoor check in as well as socially distant indoor check in. At both check in stations, they had plexiglass in front of their cashiers as well as sanitized pens and hand sanitizer.
Their outdoor waiting/seating area had benches that were well over six feet apart to accommodate groups. When our shuttle pulled up, the driver got out and sanitized the interior and exterior door handles. They asked us if we were comfortable riding with one other group (two people) and sat us in the very back and the other group in the very front of the shuttle. There was clear plastic covering between the driver’s seat and the rest of the shuttle.
Masks were required, and we wore ours until we were in our kayaks.
Overall, we felt really safe and cared for and it made for a great getaway during this time of uncertainty.
Other things to do in Glen Arbor
We needed to head back in the afternoon so our little guy could nap on the way home, but we hope to make it back to Glen Arbor soon and hit up these highlights:
Sleeping Bear Dunes: if you have any time at all beyond going down the river, seeing Sleeping Bear Dunes is a must. It’s about 3.5 miles west of Glen Arbor, so a quick drive to some *incredible* sights.
Downtown Glen Arbor: the downtown area is so quaint and really walkable. I look forward to having time to make my way through their various shops (and get some ice cream along the way).
Cherry Republic:
M22:
