Illustration Ramp etiquette
12 rules regulars expect you to know
Staging, courtesy docks and the Clean, Drain, Dry laws that can bring a fine.
Ramp etiquetteWe list 4 kayak launches within 16 miles of Traverse City. Paddlers use these put-ins to carry a kayak or canoe to the water. Most are a short walk from parking, with a low dock or a sloped bank. 8 more are within 50 miles.
Illustration Ramp etiquette
Staging, courtesy docks and the Clean, Drain, Dry laws that can bring a fine.
Ramp etiquette
Illustration Life jackets
What the Coast Guard requires on kayaks and canoes, and kids' vests with head support.
Life jacket rulesWithin 16 miles of Traverse City we list 4 kayak launches: Beitner Park Kayak/Canoe Launch, Forks Canoe Launch, Elk Rapids Township Boat Ramp and Kayak Launch in Elk Rapids.
Within 50 miles: Milton Township Waterfront Park Kayak Launch (Elk Rapids, 17 miles), Milton Township Park Canoe / Kayak Launch (Elk Rapids, 18 miles), Old 131 Canoe Pull Out (Kingsley, 18 miles), Baxter Bridge Boat Ramp (Kingsley, 18 miles) and US-131 Roadside Park Boat Ramp (Manton, 21 miles).
Yes: in Michigan, as everywhere in the US, each paddler needs an approved life jacket on board.
More: How to launch a kayak or canoe. Search the map. All launches in the city: Boat ramps in Traverse City, MI.