CCC Bridge State Forest Campground Boat Launch

There are zero actual launch lanes here. What you've got is a fishing platform that doubles as a hand-launch spot for canoes and kayaks. Drift boat operators have complained the new platform design with the stop block makes retrieval awkward. Don't show up here expecting to back a trailer in — this is carry-down access only.

The drive in from M-72 is about 9 miles of rough, sometimes-maintained dirt road. GPS loves to route you down gnarly two-tracks where you'll want 4WD. If you're towing anything or driving a low-clearance vehicle, stick to the main roads as long as possible even if it adds time. The signage won't help you much.

This campground sits right at the junction of ORV trails and a popular tubing stretch of the Manistee, which means Friday nights through Sunday it's a circus — dirt bikes, side-by-sides, generators, and late-night noise. If you want a quiet paddle launch, come midweek. Weekdays you might have the place practically to yourself.

First-come-first-served only, no reservations. The campground was filling up by Thursday the first weekend of August. If you're planning a weekend trip in July or August, arrive Wednesday or early Thursday to have any shot at a riverside site.

For hand-launch paddling, this spot is genuinely good. You can put in at the bridge and float a short loop down to the end of the campground on a tube or kayak. The Manistee runs clear and cool here with solid trout water. Just know that on busy weekends the river gets crowded with tubers, which kills the fly fishing.