If you love spending time adventuring outdoors – this is the place for you! If it has to do with the water, you can probably do it through the Sturgeon River Paddlesports company. With Sturgeon River Paddlesports, based out of Wolverine (just a 15 minute drive south of Indian River), you can tube, kayak, canoe, raft, paddle board, and more all at your own pace. Their owner, Jaime Jacklitch, is passionate about customer service and providing the best possible experience on the river. Jaime has spent over 2 decades providing these services to local residents and visitors alike, and his main desire is to see his customers love their experience down the Sturgeon River as much as he does. Jaime stated that the reason behind their large range of different rental options is that, “I don’t like to tell anyone ‘no.’” Clearly customer service is at the forefront of everything they do. If a customer might want to try it, Jaime wants to be able to provide it. Sturgeon River Paddlesports offers a wide range of skill level activities at an affordable rate – even as low as $20. They are open from 9AM-6:30PM, with the last trip departing at 4:30PM. Call ahead is recommended but not required. Most trips average a little over 2 hours in travel time, but there is no maximum time limit – you can go at your own pace. Open year round!
DeVoe Beach Pier
Enjoying a kayak rental from Nor’East Outdoors
Nor’East Outdoors specializes in kayak rentals on the Indian River, as well as paddle board and kayak rentals on Burt and Mullet Lakes. You can choose to rent kayaks or paddle boards by the day or week, and Nor’East Outdoors will meet you at DeVoe Beach (conveniently located at the intersection of Burt Lake and the Indian River) to drop off your equipment. They will also meet back with you on DeVoe Beach when you are done – for no additional cost! Nor’East also offers self-guided tours down the Indian River. Starting near downtown, you get to see the city from a new perspective. The trip is around 7 miles long, going from the heart of Indian River, underneath the I-75 overpass, and ending with a very scenic leg – surrounded by nature. The owner of Nor’East Outdoors, Stacie Scherman, stated that she has seen eagles, otters, and other active wildlife in this last portion of the journey.
- Food Truck Central
La Casa De Rosas Food Truck
Dusty’s Food Truck
Nestled right in downtown between the fantastic Wildwood Coffee Company and the highly rated Northland Brewing Company are two quaint food trucks that are absolute must-stops. Completely unique from each other – there is the La Casa De Rosas food truck that serves primarily naturally gluten free, authentic Mexican cuisine and Dusty’s Gourmet Dog House which serves gourmet hot dogs and smash burgers (singles and doubles). They offer gluten free buns with all of their products. La Casa De Rosas is now open Wednesday-Saturday from 4-9pm! They offer a wide range of delicious Mexican food. Dusty’s Food Truck is open Wednesday through Sunday, and serve highly popular styles such as the Detroit dog, Chicago dog, and chili dog. These food trucks share an outdoor tent with the aforementioned Northland Brewing Co. You can pair your food with several different local adult beverages, including a beer sampler. You can also enjoy live music most weekends in this tent – including opportunities to experience some local bands.
Family Fun Center Ropes Course
Guided ATV Tours
Big Bear Adventure has been a mainstay of Indian River for over 40 years. The Anderson family has a large collection of kayaks, tandem kayaks, rafts of different sizes maxing out at 4-7 people, donut hole tubes, and white water deluxe tubes. You can go on trips of different difficulty levels and distances. There is no time limit, so feel free to take a dip in the Sturgeon River, pull off for a lovely picnic, hunt for morels or Petoskey stones, and more. All of the trips end at the beautiful Burt Lake State Park, just across the street from the Big Bear parking lot. They are also constantly looking to expand and add new features for the enjoyment of the Indian River community as well as Indian River’s many visitors. In 1999, the Andersons added the Family Fun Center, which is open from May to mid-October. The Family Fun Center consists of three activities, which can be done individually or as a triple play: 18-hole mini golf, a rope course, and bumper boats. Big Bear Adventure is open year round. In the winter months, Big Bear Adventure offers guided raft tours (around 90% of these tours see deer and other wildlife), cross country ski rentals, and snowshoe rentals. They also provide maps recommending where to go in the area – mostly within 5 miles of Big Bear Adventure. The newest addition to Big Bear Adventure is the guided ATV tour. This is one of the things that makes Big Bear Adventure so unique. It is an exhilarating 50-mile guided tour filled with adrenaline and a wide variety of tundra.
And speaking of Burt Lake State Park, are you looking for a fantastic sandy beach? Look no further! Burt Lake State Park has over 2000 feet of sandy shoreline, including a dedicated Dog Beach!
Dog Beach
The water level is relatively shallow even deep out into the lake, making it the perfect place to relax, play, and swim regardless of age. Burt Lake State Park contains over 400 acres of hiking trails, campsites, beachfront, beach volleyball, boat launch sites, slides, swings, and more. There is even a picnic shelter available for rent with electricity and in close proximity to running water. You can purchase a year pass for only $17 if you are a Michigan resident, or $36 if you are from out of state. These passes grant access to every State Park across Michigan for the entire year! $10/day passes are also available for purchase.
Come check out these local masterpieces! Residents – we look forward to seeing you soon! Tourists, please click this link for information on lodging in Indian River, close to these great places.
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