Hay Lake Marina Park

This is the headwaters end of the Inland Waterway, so you can run from Crooked Lake through Burt Lake, down to Mullett and all the way to Cheboygan if you want. That connectivity is a huge draw, but it also means the single lane gets backed up when pontoon crowds are staging for waterway trips on summer weekends.

With only one lane and 12 trailer spots, you need to be early on Saturday mornings in July and August — by 9 AM that lot is full. There's no real overflow option nearby, so if you miss it you're out of luck or driving to another access point.

The water right off the ramp can get shallow later in the summer, especially in a dry year. Deeper-draft boats should be fine early season, but by August you might scrape backing in a heavier V-hull. Stick to the center of the channel once you're off the ramp.

Littlefield Township keeps it mowed and functional but don't expect anything fancy — no dock assist, no fish cleaning station, no restroom worth writing home about. It's a no-frills put-in that works fine for smaller boats and kayaks headed onto Crooked Lake or downriver.