Paddle Boarding Cheboygan State Park Coastline
Points of Interest
- Shipwrecks in Duncan Bay
- Coastal Wetlands
- Cheboygan Point Lighthouse Ruins
- Coastline Hiking Trails
- View of Fourteen Foot Shoal Light
Launch Sites
- State park beach on Duncan Bay
- A few state park campsites are on Duncan Bay but you will have to paddle through marshland. When water levels are high this is not a problem.
Duncan Bay
I stayed at Cheyboygan State Park three nights and had two full days of paddling. Both days I launched from the state park beach at Duncan Bay. I could easily see the Mackinaw Bridge. (but not visible on the GoPro footage) Water levels were high and the beach was non-existent. The bay surprised me by how shallow it was.
I launched in the morning when Lake Huron was most calm. By mid morning wind and waves picked up considerably.
I explored the marshlands along the bay’s coast. Near the Cheboygan Point at the mouth of the bay are two shipwrecks.
The highlight of the trip for me was paddling over and then snorkeling these shipwrecks. Check out my post and video about it here.
While the bay can offer some protected paddling it still can get tricky. Near the end of one day strong cross winds began blowing. The winds made it hard to paddle straight. I had to paddle on my knees, constantly adjusting my course back to the beach.
Lake Huron
Turning around Cheboygan Point into Lake Huron the shoreline is dense low-lying forest with a thin strip of beach. There are hiking trails all along the park coast. I noticed a few friendly hikers. With the water levels high they had to wade into Lake Huron at points to follow the trail.
The waters along this coastline were all shallow and very clear. The scenery was fantastic. This was great SUP touring.
Next turn is around Lighthouse Point. Less than a mile off the point, and very visible, is the “14 Foot Shoals Light.” By this time the waters were getting rough so I didn’t attempt to paddle out to the Shoal Light. Since this is open water paddling on the treacherous Mackinac Straits, paddling to the Light should only be attempted by advanced paddlers on calm days.
Making the turn around Lighthouse Point you can check out the old foundation of the lighthouse that was built there in 1859. Continuing down the coastline the next few miles offer excellent Northern Michigan scenery and clear water.
Always make sure to mind the wind. Remember you have to return the same way you came. Waters may be calm in the morning but that can quickly change. On my return trip I had to paddle on my knees at times. So use caution. A marine forecast radio is a good investment when paddling these waters. Avoid risk and play it safe on Lake Huron.
