Platte River State Forest Campground Boat Launch

There are zero launch lanes here and no trailer parking — this is a rustic campground with river access, not a ramp. You can drag a canoe or kayak down to the Platte River from some campsites, but that's about it. The river runs shallow through this stretch, so even paddlers should expect to scrape bottom in spots.

There are two campgrounds with nearly identical names in this area. This is Platte River STATE FOREST Campground on Goose Rd, not Platte River Campground on Lake Michigan Rd. GPS can send you to the wrong one, so double-check before you commit.

No reservations — you just show up and grab what's open. On summer weekends you need to roll in early Friday or you're out of luck. Midweek and shoulder seasons are a different story; I've had my pick of sites in late May and early October.

Some sites can fit a 40-footer, but the campground roads are narrow and winding enough that backing a trailer in takes some patience. If you're towing a boat trailer hoping to stage it at your site, scope out your site choice carefully — not all of them have the turning radius you'd want.

The campground itself is beautiful — big shaded sites, cedars and tall pines, the river right there — but people leave garbage everywhere, especially along the riverbank. The vault toilets can get rough too. Bring a trash bag and low expectations on that front.