Cut River Kayaking Guide
The Cut River is a four-mile stream in Mackinac County, in Michigan's eastern Upper Peninsula, famous for the Cut River Bridge on US-2 — a 641-foot-long span standing about 140 feet above the steep-sided limestone gorge the river has carved on its way to Lake Michigan. The river drains the Little Brevoort wetland and drops through that dramatic gorge to the big lake.
This is a celebrated hiking destination, not a paddling one. There is parking at both ends of the bridge, and trails descend from the highway into the river valley and out to the Lake Michigan shore. No paddling route, mileage, or launch is documented for the Cut River itself — the narrow river threading a steep gorge is scenery to look at, not water to float.
Lake Michigan paddlers do pass the river's mouth along the shoreline, but the Cut River as a river trip is not an established or recommended outing. Visit for the gorge, the bridge views, and the beach; leave the kayak on the car unless you are equipped for the open lake.
Cut River at a Glance
- Region: Eastern UP — Mackinac County, along US-2 to Lake Michigan
- Difficulty: Not a paddling route — a hiking and sightseeing destination
- Character: Four-mile stream through a steep limestone gorge to Lake Michigan
- Landmark: Cut River Bridge — 641 feet long, about 140 feet above the gorge
- Watch for: No paddling route documented; the gorge river is not floatable water
Paddling the Cut River
Not a paddling river
There is no documented paddling route on the Cut River, and the river's character — a narrow stream dropping through a steep-sided gorge — does not lend itself to one. The established recreation here is hiking: trails from the US-2 parking areas descend into the gorge and reach the Lake Michigan shore. Paddlers on the big lake pass the mouth, but that is a Lake Michigan outing, not a Cut River trip.
Hazards & Portages
The Cut River should not be treated as runnable water: the gorge reach is steep, narrow, and obstructed, with no documented portage or egress. The relevant paddling hazard nearby is Lake Michigan itself — cold water, sudden wind, and waves — which only properly equipped and skilled paddlers should take on.
Access & Parking
Parking and trailheads are available at both ends of the Cut River Bridge on US-2, with trails into the gorge and to the lakeshore. These are hiking access points, not kayak launches — there is no documented put-in for paddling the river.
Map
Reference point only — the marker shows the approximate location of the Cut River gorge near US-2. No paddling launch is documented here.
Paddle It With the Club
The West Michigan Kayaking Club paddles Michigan's waterways all season long. Come float with us!