Proud Lake Campground Boat Launch

Zero trailer parking here, so this is strictly a kayak, canoe, or small cartopper situation. Don't show up with a bass boat expecting to squeeze in — there's simply no room for trailers. Perfect for paddle craft on Proud Lake and the Huron River.

The water gets surprisingly shallow in summer, especially during hot dry stretches. Paddleboard fins and even canoe paddles will drag bottom in certain sections. If you're running any kind of small outboard, tilt it up and be ready to pole through the skinny spots.

Being this close to the Detroit suburbs means the whole recreation area fills up quickly in warm months. Weekday mornings are your best bet for a quiet paddle. Weekends — especially holiday weekends — the two signed accessible spots and the limited surrounding parking disappear early, and you'll be hunting for overflow along the campground roads.

The area around the launch is wetland-heavy, which means the mosquitoes are absolutely vicious from late May through September. Bring serious bug spray. The ground near the water can be soft and mucky, so don't wear anything you care about when loading and unloading your boat.

Honestly, the real reason to launch here is the Huron River access — not just the lake. The river is calm, scenic, loaded with beaver and muskrat lodges, and feels like you're hours from civilization even though you're 20 minutes from Novi. Forty years' worth of repeat paddlers keep coming back for a reason.