The Paddle Antrim Festival celebrates the amazing waterways and communities of Northern Michigan. The Festival, always the second weekend after Labor Day, includes a two-day kayak event through the Chain of Lakes of Antrim County. This choose your own adventure paddle provides the opportunity for you to paddle one or both days and decide how far to travel. There are exits strategically placed along the route so you may go anywhere from 7 miles to all 42 miles.
Local events begin Thursday evening with food, music, and great times and continue through Saturday when we end with a bang at the Final Bash hosted by our top sponsor, Short’s Brewing Company. We welcome friends, family, and the entire community to join us for the local events.
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Friday: Begin in Ellsworth and travel 7 miles through four small lakes to the first checkpoint in Central Lake, a great spot to get out and stretch. For those who continue, it’s another 8 miles through Intermediate Lake to Bellaire. Time to complete the entire route averages 4-7 hours.
Saturday: Begin in Bellaire and travel up to 27 miles to Elk Rapids. There are 4 checkpoints along the way (#1 Dockside Beach at 9 miles, #2 Alden at 14 miles, #3 Torch River Bridge at 17 miles & #4 Chippewa Trail at 21 miles) where paddlers can end their day to make it a perfect adventure for them. To complete the entire route, paddlers must stay focused and paddling averages 8-10 hours to complete the entire route, depending on ability and conditions. The first 9 miles are calmer waters but after the first checkpoint the route includes larger lakes and a lake crossing which requires a higher skill level. Choose the best adventure for you and your ability and feel free to end your paddle at any checkpoint, this is not a race!
Check out the map or for more details, including specific driving directions to each checkpoint. Read the two blog posts by our Executive Director when she paddled the route for the first time and describes what she encountered.
These paddling experiences are just to give you an idea of the possibilities this event can provide and we encourage paddlers to chose the experience that is right for them. Paddlers should always paddle with someone and can always exit at any checkpoint along the route. Whichever route is chosen, paddlers can participate in the local events all weekend long.
Beginner: For new paddlers or those looking for a shorter relaxed route, consider registering for Friday and exiting the first checkpoint in Central Lake for a total of 7 miles.
Intermediate: Both days offer great intermediate routes. On Friday, the entire 15 mile route is considered an intermediate level paddle. On Saturday, paddling to the first checkpoint (9 miles) is a great intermediate route. After the first checkpoint, consider the day’s conditions as waves are common once going past the first checkpoint and entering Torch Lake.
Advanced: The entire 42 miles over the two days is no small feat and the names of all those who complete the entire route are recognized on the “Hall of Fame”. On Day 2, after mile 9, paddlers can expect waves and wind for the remaining paddle, which includes a lake crossing for the final six miles. All paddlers should have self-rescue skills and proper safety equipment including but not limited to: flotation/airtight bulkheads, spray skirt with wet exit experience, and a signaling device.
| Registration Rates | 1 Day | 2 Days |
| Single Kayak – Early Bird | $55 | $90 |
| Single Kayak – After August 1st | $65 | $100 |
| Tandem Kayak – Early Bird | $100 | $160 |
| Tandem Kayak After August 1st | $110 | $170 |
| Shuttle – Per Person Per Day | $15 | |
| Breakfast – Per Person Per Day – must register before 9/10 for meals | $5 | |
| Lunch – Per Person Per Day – must register before 9-10 for meals | $7 |
A huge thank you to all of our sponsors and volunteers who make this happen. We wouldn’t be able to put on such an amazing event and raise money to protect our waterways without these folks! Please take a moment to thank these great folks for making this all happen!
Don’t want to worry about meal planning for the event? No problem! Paddlers have the opportunity to add meals to their registrations. This year both breakfast and lunches will be optional add-ons to the event. All meals must be added during registration. If you don’t add on meals, please make sure to bring enough food to replace all those calories you burn while paddling, there aren’t places along the way the route to grab food.
Friday Breakfast – The Ellsworth Lioness will provide breakfast burritos and coffee at the launch. Both vegetarian and meat options are available ($5).
Friday Lunch – The Blue Pelican Inn will provide lunch at Checkpoint 1, Central Lake’s Thurston Park Pavilion. Lunch options include a turkey or a vegetarian sandwich ($7).
Saturday Breakfast – Moka will provide breakfast burritos and coffee at the launch. Burrito options include one with pinto beans, eggs, pico de gallo, cheddar cheese and bacon or a vegetarian with eggs, potatoes, asparagus and spinach. ($5).
Saturday Lunch – Short’s Brewing Company will provide bagged lunches, distributed at the launch to be eaten at your convenience. Lunch options include a ham wrap with american cheese, mustard, lettuce & tomato or a vegetarian wrap with quinoa, black bean corn salsa, tomato, spinach & pepper jack cheese ($7).
Shuttle service once again will be provided by Blue Lakes By the Bay Transportation. Shuttle service will be available for people, no boats. Shuttle buses will pick up passengers at their intended take-out location in the morning and drive all passengers to the launch. This way your vehicle is waiting for you when you get off the water. You must drop off your boat/equipment at the launch prior to taking the shuttle. Shuttle service is $15 per passenger per day and all shuttle passengers must pre-register for shuttle service with registration to ensure enough seating.
We realize things may happen and you may not make it to where your car is waiting. No problem. Shanty Creek Resorts provides a shuttle during the event to ensure everyone gets where they need to be.
For Day 1, you may drop off your boat anytime after 5:30 PM Thursday night at Ellsworth River Park, paid overnight security will be there all night. The shuttle will pick up passengers first at Richardi Park in Bellaire at 8:15 AM and continue on to Thurston Park in Central Lake.
For those paddling Day 2 only, you may drop off your kayak at Ohio Street Launch anytime Friday after 5:00 PM. Again paid overnight security will be there all night. The shuttle will pick up passengers first in Elk Rapids at the Rotary Park Kayak Launch at 6:30 AM and the shuttle will then stop at the other 4 checkpoints as necessary.
Thanks to our friends at Liberty Bottleworks, we are excited to offer custom Paddle Antrim water bottles. These bottles are made from recycled aluminum right here in the USA. Bottles are available in 24 oz (for $23) or 32 oz (for $25). Pre-orders are available with registration and you will receive your bottle at check-in. While you may bring a water bottle from home, these bottles are amazing! They also have the benefit of being easy to spot when dropped in while paddling!
We are excited to have Bellaire Water Company provide water at all of the checkpoints in refillable jugs along the route!
Waivers will be required for all participants. To expedite check-in, download the waiver and bring it with already completed.
Thanks to our friends at Bay Area Recycling for Charities, this will be a zero-waste event. Water bottle filling stations will be available at at each of our checkpoints along the route.
Check out our lodging section for great places to stay. Many of these local businesses are offering great specials to paddlers during the event.
Check out our services section to find out where you can rent a boat locally or pick up any last minute paddling supplies.
Don’t want to paddle but still want to be part of this fun event? Sign up to volunteer and help make this fun event a success or check out the other paddling events this season.
Like us on Facebook and join our email list to stay up to date on the event and other great things we are doing.
Thursday – Ellsworth Community Park – 5:30-8:00 pm – Drop off your boat and join us for a relaxing evening with fellow paddlers. There will be a food truck to pick up dinner or a snack as well as great live music to enjoy!
Friday – Bellaire Richardi Park – 1:30-4:30 pm – After paddling, paddlers can stay and join us for some fun in Richardi Park. The Bellaire Chamber of Commerce will host a great block party with complimentary food, drinks, and live music to celebrate a great first day on the water. There will be community booths and fun outdoor games to enjoy.
Final BashSaturday – Elk Rapids – 3:00 – 9:00 pm – Whether you paddled hard, helped someone else paddle, or if you just enjoy a good time, join us for the Final Bash on Saturday in Elk Rapids. This great time is open to all paddlers, friends, and the local community. There will be live music from the Distant Stars and the Sleeping Gypsies along with Short’s Brewing Company providing the finest beers as well as great food by Pearl’s New Orleans Kitchen. We will also recognize our “Hall of Fame” paddlers who completed the entire route both days.
Tickets will be $5, free for those under 12. Entry is included as part of registration for all Paddle Antrim Festival paddlers and volunteers. Tickets will be available at the gate, cash and credit will be accepted for tickets and beer. All food will be cash only.
Note: specific locations/directions of the launches and checkpoints can be found on our maps page.
5:30 pm-7:30 pm – Ellsworth River Park – Paddler Check-in & boat drop off.
5:30 pm-8:00 pm – Ellsworth Community Park – Kick Off Party.
8:00 am-9:15 am – Ellsworth River Park – Paddler Check-in. Breakfast for those who purchased during registration.
9:15 am – Ellsworth River Park – Safety brief. All paddlers must be in attendance.
9:30 am – Launch!
Central Lake’s Thurston Park – Lunch for paddlers who purchased during registration.
1:30 pm -4:30 pm – Bellaire Richardi Park – Block Party
6:45 am -7:45 am – Ohio Street Launch – Paddler Check-in. Breakfast for those who purchased with registration.
7:45 am – Ohio Street Launch – Safety brief. All paddlers must attend, even those who paddled Friday.
8:00 am – Launch! A bagged lunch will be provided for paddlers who purchased during registration.
4:00 pm – After 4PM paddlers must exit at the next checkpoint they come to.
3:00-9:00 – Final Bash Celebration