Crooked River

Burt Lake, where the Crooked River completes its 5.6-mile journey from Crooked Lake. No freely licensed photo of the river itself was available, so this nearby view stands in. Photo: Notorious4life via Wikimedia Commons (CC0).

The Crooked River is a short, 5.6-mile stream in Emmet and Cheboygan counties that flows northeast from Crooked Lake near Alanson into Burt Lake. It forms one link of Michigan’s Inland Waterway, the historic chain of lakes and rivers that lets boaters travel from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan across the northern Lower Peninsula. The river even has a place in Michigan music lore as the subject of Sufjan Stevens’ song “Alanson, Crooked River” from his 2003 album Michigan.

For paddlers, the Crooked River is a brief, scenic connector rather than a destination river in itself. Its short length means most trips combine it with time on Crooked Lake or Burt Lake, or treat it as one leg of a longer Inland Waterway journey. The water is generally calm, and the surroundings are classic northern Michigan — mixed forest, wetlands, and quiet shoreline.

Public access is the defining constraint here. According to Michigan Water Trails, Mission Road is the only public access on the river between Alanson and Maple Bay. Plan around that single put-in, keep the trip short, and respect the private shoreline along the way.

Paddling Sections

Mission Road to Burt Lake (roughly 3–4 miles one way): Put in at the Mission Road access — the only public access between Alanson and Maple Bay — and paddle northeast with the gentle current toward Burt Lake. Snider Road sits directly opposite Mission Road across the river, but Michigan Water Trails notes Mission Road offers the better sandy access. Arrange a shuttle or be ready to paddle back upstream; many paddlers continue onto Burt Lake — Bullhead Bay and the Crooked River Delta sit near 45.47289, -84.72725 — before returning.

Crooked River Lock area: A second access point sits immediately upstream of the Crooked River Lock and weir, but parking is extremely limited there. The lock itself is a mandatory portage — never attempt to paddle through it.

Hazards & Portages

• Crooked River Lock/weir: Portage around it. The lock changes water level roughly 3–12 inches and is managed by Emmet County under the Michigan DNR.
• Limited access: With only one real public put-in, there are few bailout options mid-trip — commit to the full float before you launch.
• Motorboat traffic: The Inland Waterway carries motorized boats; stay visible and keep to the side of the channel.
• Shallow spots and deadheads: Typical of a small northern stream — watch for submerged logs.

Access & Parking

Mission Road access (near Alanson): The only public access between Alanson and Maple Bay, with sandy entry and dead-end/road-end parking. Arrive early on summer weekends — space is limited.

Crooked River Lock access: Almost no parking here; useful only for a quick look at the lock or a very short paddle upstream of it.

Map

The pin marks the Mission Road access area near Alanson — the river’s only public put-in between Alanson and Maple Bay.