Garlic River Kayaking Guide

The name 'Garlic River' needs untangling before anything else. In Marquette County, two separate streams carry the name as an alias: the Big Garlic River, a 14.4-mile river reaching Lake Superior at about 46.70687, -87.57652, and the Little Garlic River, a 10.6-mile river reaching the lake at about 46.67639, -87.52500. Federal and state records attach 'Garlic River' as a variant name to these rivers, which is why the single name on a list can mean either waterway.

The Little Garlic is the better-known of the pair thanks to Little Garlic Falls, a waterfall upstream of the County Road 550 area (a water-quality monitoring point sits at about 46.67372, -87.54265). Both rivers run through rugged, forested country north of Marquette to Lake Superior. Despite the waterfalls and the scenic setting, neither the Big Garlic nor the Little Garlic has a documented paddling route, launch, or portage in the sources reviewed — the falls and the small, rocky channels make them poor paddling prospects in any case.

Paddling the Garlic River

No established paddling route

No established kayaking or canoeing route is documented for the Big Garlic River or the Little Garlic River. No public launch, take-out, or portage is published for either. Waterfalls on the Little Garlic and the generally small, rocky character of both streams argue against paddling even as exploration. Visitors come to this area for the falls and the Lake Superior shoreline, not for river paddling. If you want moving water near Marquette, look to rivers with documented access and established routes instead.

Hazards & Portages

No hazards are documented because no paddling route is documented. Waterfalls are the obvious, non-negotiable danger on the Little Garlic — never approach a falls from upstream in a boat, and treat the gorge areas as no-go zones for paddling. More broadly, small Lake Superior tributaries in Marquette County run cold, flashy, and full of deadfalls, and their mouths open onto exposed big-water shoreline.

Access & Parking

No canoe or kayak launch is documented on either Garlic river. Little Garlic Falls is reached by trail, not by water, and the falls area is for sightseeing and hiking. The map below marks the approximate mouth of the Little Garlic River. If you explore the shoreline here, you are on Lake Superior — which demands sea-kayak skills, cold-water gear, and a clean weather window.

Map