The River Traverse City

Clinch Cafe
TART-BOARDMAN LOOP!
Bike and Kayak your way through Traverse City! Enjoy Nature, Shopping and the Freedom of the River and the Trail.
Read More Here.

Kayak Traverse City
KAYAK RENTAL
Rent a Kayak, see the Traverse City from the Boardman or West Grand Traverse Bay like never before! Rentals start at just $15 an hour! Learn More Here.

SNACKS, BURGERS & MORE!
Clinch Park is very accessible through the pedestrian tunnel from downtown Traverse City. Local Food served daily! View our Menu Here

This page is having a slideshow that uses Javascript. Your browser either doesn't support Javascript or you have it turned off. To see this page as it is meant to appear please use a Javascript enabled browser.

See Traverse City from a NEW Angle!

Visit The River TC
Come on down and check us out in the heart of Traverse City's waterfront Clinch Park. We are Traverse City's Bike and Kayak Rental headquarters! You can also enjoy a snack and stock up on any beach going goods as you enjoy West Grand Traverse Bay and Downtown Traverse City. We are also right next to two Traverse City's must do's: The Open Space and Clinch Park Beach. When coming from Downtown Traverse City, use the tunnel that is just off of Cass ...
Read More
T.A.R.T. Trail
The Tart Trial passes right by The River Traverse City's home in Clinch Park. Rent a bike and take a ride through Traverse City. From the T.A.R.T. Trails website: The 10.5 mile long TART Trail is a paved urban transportation corridor with an eastern end point at M-72 (Bates Road) in Acme Township and a western end point at the M-22/M-72 intersection in Traverse City. The eastern trail section from M-72 to Lautner Road is 2 miles, then the trail leapfrogs to ...
Read More
Kayak Rental
Rent a Kayak, see the Traverse City from the Boardman or West Grand Traverse Bay like never before! The Boardman River is a fantastic River to paddle and stretches of the River are very good for beginners! The higher up the River you go, the more experience you need. Feel free to call to discuss. Single kayak $15 per hour or $24 for 2 hours Double Kayak $20 per hour or $38 for 2 hours Single kayak full day $50 Double kayak full day $75 Transportation to ...
Read More
Bike Rental
Bike Traverse City! Enjoy the T.A.R.T. Trail or the streets of Downtown. All rentals start from our location in the heart of Clinch Park. Cruiser Bike $20/3 hours $30 full day ($10 an hour) Fifteen Speed Hybrid $20/3 hours $30 full day ($10 an hour) Trailer/stroller $10 half day $15 full day Tag-along $10 half day $15 full day Helmets, locks and baskets will be provided at no additional charge. weekly rates available - We will deliver to your hotel!
Read More
TART-Boardman Loop
Begin your scenic three hour adventure at Clinch Park on Grand Traverse Bay in downtown Traverse City. We’ll fit you with a modern 15-speed McClain’s hybrid or beachcruiser and point you up the former railroad bed / TART TRAIL along the waterfront and safely through Traverse City’s vibrant shopping district. Your next stretch is a quiet, tree-lined path around the East shore of Boardman Lake and within twenty minutes you’ll arrive at our kayak livery at Logan’s Landing and the Medalie Park Bird ...
Read More

1 2 3 4 5

Dressing properly

by Mike Sutherland on January 18, 2012

We had a nice little blast of winter yesterday, keeping the snow plows hustling. Cold morning walk along the Boardman reminded me of something my Dad used to say to us kids growing up: “There’s no such thing as bad weather! Just bad clothing choices” He’s right you know. Don’t be afraid of the cold. Don’t teach your kids to be afraid either. Dress properly and get out there.
A poem by Robert Frost:
The way a crow
Shook down on me
The dust of snow
From a hemlock tree
Has given my heart
A change of mood
And saved some part
Of a day I had rued.

Get outdoors and make some memories…..and take a kid with you. My best, Mike

{ 0 comments }

name this lake

by Mike Sutherland on January 16, 2012

For a two for one coupon kayaking or canoeing down the Crystal River or the Boardman next summer, name this little lake in the photo.

{ 0 comments }

Beaver Lodge on Tucker Lake

January 11, 2012

Seems like the Beaver population in and around Glen Arbor has increased greatly. I called the DNR to inquire about live trapping them, it is legal, but they didn’t recommend it. I was concerned about all the trees that they have dropped along the banks of the Crystal River as well as the Fisher Lakes, [...]

Read the full article →

William Shakespeare

January 6, 2012

And this, our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything. William Shakespeare I snapped this photo over the holidays on a hike through the swamp just west of Tucker Lake. The Birch Trees there are the healthiest I have seen anywhere. [...]

Read the full article →

Two Hobbits

January 4, 2012

I was able to get Michael and Finnegan out in the woods up on Miller Hill the other day. They bounced around as hobbits and Indian Boys for a couple hours. We got out on the ice at Tucker lake and discovered a very active Beaver lodge. A bald eagle was working over Pyramid Point. [...]

Read the full article →

new years alligator hike

January 2, 2012

6 mile loop from the South Trail head of Alligator yesterday with the crew. 20 cars in the parking lot! I couldn’t believe it. The National Park has cleared much of the treeline for amazing views of both Sleeping Bear and Pyramid Points. Beverly, on the right didn’t even have one injury on this [...]

Read the full article →

Woodland Bookshelves

August 25, 2011

When walking through the forest we’ll often see decaying tree’s with particular shelf like growth’s brown in color protruding from the tree. Fungi, together with bacteria are the “decomposers” of our environment and they are just as important as the “producers” green plants. Bracket fungi lack the green pigment chlorophyll, the pigment that is essential [...]

Read the full article →

Boardman Dam Removal

August 23, 2011

With all the discussions going on about the four dams being removed from the Boardman River and the controversy of removing the Pigeon River Dam at the Song of the Morning Ranch I wanted to shed a little light on the ecology of dam removal and found this document that Michigan’s DNR has made available: [...]

Read the full article →