The River Glen Arbor | Kayak Rentals, Canoe Rentals, Mini Golf, Crystal River, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

Guided Eco Tours
Guided Eco Tours in the Sleeping Bear Dunes The village of Glen Arbor is 36 square miles of land. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore owns 30 of those 36 square miles. 90% of the visitors to the National Park are never more than 50 feet from a sidewalk or pavement! Can you believe that? [...]

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About Us
Meet the Sutherlands The River was built with Old School Fun in mind to give families another entertainment option besides the bars and restaurants of Leelanau County. Mike & Becky Sutherland and their five kids Fisher, Isabelle, Maggie, Bev and Finn have all put their hearts into creating a fun, safe, and green outdoor park [...]

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Kayak and Tube Rental
Kayak and Tube in Glen Arbor, MI The Crystal River winds 11 miles through the pine and cedar forests of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park emptying the Glen and Fisher Lakes into the great Lake Gitcheegumee. The river is very gentle and safe, rarely deeper than two feet. We have many trips available from [...]

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Pyramid Point Kayak dry land training
Kayaking and Canoeing have been around for thousands of years. The early eskimos figured out that enclosing a canoe enabled them to keep themselves and their gear dry and allow them to hunt quietly even in heavy seas. Fast forward to our kayak adventure last night three hundred feet above Lake Michigan on top of [...]

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New Kayaks arrived today
We are gearing up for a great season ahead. New kayaks arrived today……can’t wait to start renting kayaks in Glen Arbor.

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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. [...]

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We are Kayaking year round up here!

November 2, 2011

The Crystal River and the Boardman are both easily accessible year round. The seven mile float on the Crystal is breathtaking every month of the year. The Boardman is a little trickier, and may require a more experienced paddler. Photo on left of stud paddler and great friend Noah on Holloween Day practicing a drop [...]

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Prettiest Place on Earth?

August 31, 2011

I snuck out on the Crystal River last night and spent 20 or so minutes photographing these two fawns……probably motherless as they had no fear. (I was just ten feet from them at one point) Got me thinking about our new title in Glen Arbor: “The prettiest place in the US” Indeed, who could possibly [...]

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Annual Tennis Team Kayak Trip

August 30, 2011

Coach Nykerk (Hall of famer and winningest varsity tennis coach in State of Michigan history) and I guided this top 5, division 2 Traverse City Central Tennis Team down from Brammers Culverts yesterday. Only a couple incidents to mention: Our number three singles player was immediately attacked by our one doubles team and ended up [...]

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Silent sports abound in Northern Michigan

August 10, 2011

It certainly is not all about kayaking, canoeing, tubing or stand up paddle boarding at the River in Glen Arbor, Traverse City and Interlochen. We have access or can make available so many other activities like: Sailing. Longboarding. Skimboarding. Biking. Kite Boarding. Snowshoeing. Rafting. Tennis. Hiking. Scuba Diving. Snorkeling. Fishing. Water Skiing. Manitou Island [...]

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Where is this photo taken?

August 8, 2011

For a free round of championship 18 hole miniature putt putt golf at our livery in Glen Arbor, or a free two hour bike rental at our livery at Clinch Park in Traverse City, where is this photo taken and what direction is the camera facing? Call us or email the answer to claim your [...]

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Summertime work ain’t so bad

July 31, 2011

Picture on left of Becky and Finn leaving our house for work just a half mile or so downriver. 5 year old son Finn has the green light to take out any of our kayaks, canoes, paddleboards or tubes. One rule: Lifejacket. The Crystal River is extremely forgiving to those fortunates that happen to [...]

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No kayak or canoe needed

July 9, 2011

Part of owning an Eco Tour Company is being on the constant lookout for new spots. I found this lookout last night coming back from Traverse City and it blew me away. Looking West towards the Southern tip of South Manitou Island (Southernmost island in Lake Michigan) and South over Benzie County nearly brought [...]

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Load and Go

July 6, 2011

We can load a kayak on just about any vehicle ever made and your on your own way to wherever you choose to take it. Yesterday, a guy loaded this Jackson Riviera into his pathfinder and took off for Leelanau County. He planned to hit a few inland lakes with his fishing pole and thought [...]

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Boardman River ate our kayak

June 30, 2011

Paddling the Boardman River is a completely different experience from the Crystal, to say the least. I put a group in at the Brown Bridge below Keystone and 7 hours later I had a man run up to me at the Livery yelling “call 911″. I did, and the ambulance came to rescue a hypothermic [...]

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