Union River Kayaking Guide

The Union River is a 5.5-mile river in Ontonagon County, flowing through Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park to Lake Superior at about 46.81917, -89.61972. It is one of the Porkies' celebrated wild streams — short, steep, and beautiful — and it is not a kayaking river in any practical sense. We found no documented public paddling route for it, and the river's profile explains why: five and a half miles of wilderness stream falling to Superior is a staircase of rapids and falls, not a float.

The Porkies' rivers — the Union, the Little Union, the Big Carp, the Little Carp, the Presque Isle — are among the wildest streams in the Midwest, protected inside Michigan's largest state park. They are famous for waterfalls, and waterfalls are the opposite of paddling routes. The Union's job in the landscape is to be spectacular, which it is, from the trails that overlook it.

One caution on access: private campground listings near the park mention a boat launch, but that is a private facility — not public river access, and not a put-in for the Union. Do not plan a trip around it. The honest way to experience the Union River is on foot, on the park's trail system, with a camera. The paddling in the Porkies belongs on Lake Superior, in the right conditions, with the right boat and skills.

Paddling the Union River

We do not recommend paddling the Union River. No public route exists, and the river's short, steep course through the Porkies is a series of rapids and falls suited to overlooks, not boats. Michigan's largest state park protects this stream precisely because it is wild — and wild, here, means unrunnable.

The paddling alternative is Lake Superior itself, which the park fronts for miles. But the Porkies' Superior shoreline is expert-only water: cold, exposed, and far from help. Paddle it only with a sea kayak, immersion gear, solid skills, and a weather eye — or enjoy the park's rivers from the trails, which is what most visitors wisely do.

Hazards & Portages

Falls and steep rapids make the river itself the hazard — this is not boatable water. On foot, the gorge areas demand the usual trail caution: slippery rock, steep drops, and no guardrails in a wilderness park. On the lake, Superior's cold water and sudden weather are the serious risks.

Access & Parking

There is no public boat launch for the Union River. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park offers trailhead parking and rustic campgrounds (state recreation passport required), with the river best accessed via the park's trail system. Do not mistake nearby private campground boat launches for public access.

Map

Map centered on the Union River's mouth at Lake Superior (46.81917, -89.61972). No public boat launch exists.