Chocolay River Kayaking Guide

The Chocolay River is one of the Marquette area's most accessible paddling rivers — a roughly 35-mile river whose main stem forms at the confluence of its East and West branches near Town Hall Road, west of Skandia, and flows east to Lake Superior at the community of Harvey. Unlike many UP rivers in this guide, it comes with genuinely documented access and an easy, described paddle.

Chocolay Township maintains an information guide listing carry-down sites along the river: the DNR Chocolay River Access at M-28 (46.48946, -87.33066), the DNR access at Mangum Road, Green Bay Street Park, the Green Garden Road site, and River Access Park at 137 Main Street. That string of public access points makes the Chocolay unusually approachable for a UP river.

The documented trip is an easy one: a roughly 2.5-mile out-and-back from the M-28 launch, paddling upstream against the gentle current and floating back down. Expect a small-river feel — deep holes and sunken trees have been reported — and plan for an unhurried half-day rather than an expedition.

Paddling the Chocolay River

M-28 launch out-and-back (about 2.5 miles round trip)

Put in at the DNR Chocolay River Access off M-28 (46.48946, -87.33066) and paddle upstream, then drift back to the launch — a simple, no-shuttle trip of about 2.5 miles round trip that AllTrails users describe as an easy paddle. The current is gentle enough to make headway upstream, and the return float is the reward. Keep an eye out for the river's reported deep holes and sunken trees, and give woody debris a wide berth.

Mangum Road, Green Bay Street Park, Green Garden Road, and River Access Park

These additional township-listed carry-down sites give options for shorter or differently placed outings along the river, including River Access Park at 137 Main Street. No point-to-point mileage between them is published, so treat each as the start of an out-and-back paddle unless you scout a shuttle route yourself.

Hazards & Portages

The documented reach is flatwater with no reported rapids, dams, or portages. The main hazards are the river's sunken trees and strainers — classic small-river obstacles that can pin a boat in current — plus deep holes that make wading unreliable. As always, scout ahead around blind bends and never try to paddle over or through a logjam.

Access & Parking

Documented carry-down access includes the DNR Chocolay River Access at M-28 (46.48946, -87.33066), the DNR access at Mangum Road, Green Bay Street Park, the Green Garden Road site, and River Access Park at 137 Main Street. These are township-listed public sites; confirm current conditions locally before launching.

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