Little Garlic River Kayaking Guide

The Little Garlic River is a 10.6-mile Lake Superior tributary in Marquette County in the central Upper Peninsula, reaching the lake at about 46.67632, -87.52514. County Road 550 crosses the river at approximately 46.67372, -87.54265, and the river is better known to hikers than to paddlers: the Little Garlic River Trail follows the stream to Little Garlic Falls, a rocky slide cascading into a deep pool, with a small parking area documented before the bridge.

That hiking-trail fame is the key context. A river known for a waterfall, a rocky slide, and a footpath is signaling gradient and obstruction — not a kayak run. No established paddling route, mileage, or launch is documented for the Little Garlic River in the sources consulted. The combination of a small channel, a falls, and uncertain access makes this a scouting and hiking stream rather than a recommended paddle.

If you visit, visit for the trail. The falls and the deep pool at their base are the attraction; the river between the road and the lake is not a documented float.

Paddling the Little Garlic River

No established route

No kayak itinerary is documented for the Little Garlic River. Little Garlic Falls — a rocky slide into a deep pool — sits on the river's course and rules out any continuous paddle. The sources consulted record no put-ins, take-outs, or mileage splits, and the river's reputation is entirely as a hiking destination via the Little Garlic River Trail.

Hike it instead

The honest recommendation for the Little Garlic is boots, not boats. Park at the small lot before the County Road 550 bridge (approximately 46.67372, -87.54265), hike the river trail to the falls, and enjoy the deep pool from shore. The river's mouth at Lake Superior (about 46.67632, -87.52514) is exposed big-lake shoreline, not a take-out.

Hazards & Portages

Little Garlic Falls is an unrunnable drop — know where it is before floating anything upstream of it. The small channel likely holds strainers and shallow stretches, and the mouth meets Lake Superior's cold, open water. There are no documented portages because there is no documented route.

Access & Parking

A small parking area is documented before the bridge on County Road 550 (approximately 46.67372, -87.54265), serving the hiking trail to the falls — it is trail parking, not a verified boat launch. No public river launch is documented. Confirm current trail and parking information with local sources before visiting.

Map

Map shows the documented County Road 550 crossing; no public boat launch is confirmed there.