Baxter Bridge Boat Launch

Four trailer spots and one lane — that's it. If you're pulling in on a summer weekend, especially Saturday morning, expect the lot to already be claimed by campers with trailers parked nearby. Best bet is a weekday or early arrival.

This is more of a paddle-craft and small boat launch than anything else. The Manistee here moves with some current, and the single-lane ramp is better suited for kayaks, canoes, and drift boats than larger rigs. Don't try to muscle a big bass boat down here.

Baxter Bridge doubles as a 25-site rustic campground, and it fills faster than you'd expect — lots of full-size campers mixed in with tent folks. That means the launch area and river access points get foot traffic from campers fishing, swimming, and hanging out on the bank. Mid-week is a different world.

Dead zone. You will have zero cell signal here, so download your maps and let someone know your float plan before you arrive. Great for unplugging, terrible if you need to coordinate a shuttle pickup downstream.

The Manistee has real current through this stretch — enough that inexperienced paddlers have needed DNR assistance. If you're floating downstream toward Old US-131 or beyond, know that it's roughly 15 road miles between access points. Plan your takeout before you put in.