River Bend Bluffs Boat Launch

There's no actual ramp here — zero lanes, just a small beach access. You're carrying your kayak or canoe down to the water. Don't even think about backing a trailer in; the single trailer spot is basically just a wide spot to park.

The beach area is extremely small. If even one family is set up there, you're pretty much shut out. On warm summer days, arrive early or have a backup plan — there's no room to share with more than a couple groups.

The river here is knee-deep or less on the near side with maybe 4-5 feet at the deepest toward the far bank. Great for wading and dogs, but if you're paddling anything with any draft, you'll be scraping bottom in spots. Stick to kayaks and canoes.

This works well as a takeout if you put in upstream at Northend Park — makes for a solid longer paddle down the Muskegon. The sandy bottom and sandbar here give you an easy landing. Not much reason to come here just to launch unless you've got a shuttle set up downstream.

No restrooms, no picnic tables, no real amenities. It's a bare-bones river access administered by Newaygo State Park but not maintained like one. Come ready to be self-sufficient and don't expect signage to make it easy to find — ask a local or use GPS.