Inland Waterway

Inland Waterway. Michigan's boating highway. , The inland waterway is a series of interconnected lakes and rivers stretching more than 38 miles from Lake Huron to Crooked Lake. Before modern settlement, the inland waterway was utilized by Native American tribes as a method to communicate and trade. European traders used the same route for gathering pelts and trading with the tribes., After settlement, the primary use for the route was moving logs and supplies to local mills. During the early 1900s, the route was highlighted for tourism. Passenger boats took vacationers all along the waterway, including trips to Mackinac Island and Bois Blanc Island., Today, the inland waterway is used primarily for recreation purposes. The waterway winds through wetlands full of wildlife, and several communities that offer a variety of amenities all within walking distance of local dockage. Staying overnight or day travel is a convenient, popular and pleasurable experience along the inland waterway., [Captions:] , Cheboygan State Park on Lake Huron features hiking trails, scenic vistas, coastal wetlands and rare wildflowers Modem campsites, rustic cabins and teepees are available., Aloha State Park offers 285 modem camping sites on Mullett Lake. Anglers fishing Mullett Lake will find walleye, smallmouth bass, northern pike, yellow perch and brown trout., Michigan Fisheries Visitor Center offers free daily tours of the Oden State Fish Hatchery. Accessible walking trails, stream viewing chamber and historic train car are all within walking distance from the shores of Crooked Lake., Burt Lake State Park features more than 2,000 feet of sandy beach and 306 modem campsites. One of Michigan's oldest state parks, Burt Lake sits in the middle of the inland waterway., Navigational Note: , Water flows from Crooked Lake to the Cheboygan River and into Lake Huron Keep the red channel markers to your close right when going up stream and the black channel markers to your close right when going down stream.