Sturgeon River Canoe Trips

Big Bear Adventures, Indian River Michigan
Where fun and adventure come naturally!

Big Bear Adventures
4271 S. Straits Highway
Indian River, MICHIGAN 49749
(231) 238-8181

With an average descent of almost 14 feet per mile, the Sturgeon River is the fastest river in Michigan's Lower Peninsula! Considered a premier trout stream, the river winds its way through beautiful state forest. But the crystal-clear river can be deceiving. The consistently quick and often tricky current, along with leaning trees, stumps, and rocks will test maneuverability, especially when navigating through numerous narrow passages and sharp turns, such as "Devil's Elbow" and "Log Jam Bend". The Sturgeon River between Wolverine and Indian River is a favorite stretch to canoe.

The average depth is 3-4 feet. However, there are deeper pools that can reach 5-8 feet in depth, usually around the outside of the bends. Plan on getting wet as many of our guests take an unplanned dunk! Various types of paddlers can enjoy this exhilarating adventure as long as close attention is paid to the type of equipment used as well as the section and/or length of the trip.

Sturgeon River Canoe Trips Indian River Michigan

All river trip rates include:

U.S. Coast Guard approved and safety-inspected equipment
Paddles and PFD's (comfortable Type III Life vest)
Shuttle service to the put-in (all trips end back at sign up location)
Viewing of safety video
Maps and litter bags

Canoeing

Canoes: We feature 16'9" Old Town "Discovery" Canoes, made of tough, high-density polyethylene. Dependable, stable, maneuverable, and highly predictable when the waters are not, the "Discovery" is well suited to the technical demands of the Sturgeon River. Added bonus: they're quiet, glide easily over objects, and have comfortable, contoured seats!
Recommended for: Paddlers with experience and an adventurous attitude! (Not young children)
Canoe Rates: are per person, based on double occupancy, with a maximum of 3 people. Middle Riders are an additional $7.00

Kayaks

Comfortable, stable, lightweight, easy to paddle, and fun to use, the 9'6" Old Town "Otter" Kayak is the best choice in kayaks for the Sturgeon River. With its short length, it is highly maneuverable, yet still has room for gear behind the folding, high-back seat. The large, open cockpit allows for easy entry and exit. For paddlers over 225 lbs, we offer a 13'8" Old Town "Loon" Kayak for extra stability and an even larger open cockpit.
Recommended for: confident thrill-seekers with basic paddling experience (not young children), or groups with odd numbers.
Kayak Rates: are per person, 1 person per kayak.

Rafts

For the ultimate in stability and family/group adventure, try our 5-person and 7-person rafts. Made of extremely durable Hypalon, these are the same rafts as used on major whitewater rivers. Rafts are spacious, relaxing, comfortable, and a great "team booster" as well as dramatically decreasing your chance of accidentally getting wet (a real relief for those with young ones!) Sorry, NO Pets or large coolers in the inflatables!
Recommended for: all ages (young to the young at heart!) and all skill levels (beginner to advanced). Wonderful group or family activity! We recommend the shorter trip for extremely young children and the long trip for older and/or more adventurous paddlers.
Raft Rates: are per person, (based on a minimum of 4 people in the 5-person rafts and 6 people in the 7-person rafts). 1 child under the age of 5 allowed to go free per raft!

Tubes

What's the best way to spend a hot, sunny afternoon in beautiful Northern Michigan? Floating on a tube down a crystal-clear, refreshing river! Our commercial tubes are made of 30-gauge inflatable PVC, the heaviest gauge manufactured. They come with convenient handles at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock positions for superior comfort.
Recommended for: all ages and skill levels as long as they are comfortable and confident in, on, and around water. A wet and extremely fun (often times hilarious) group adventure! Tubing is best on a sunny day that's at least 70 degrees. We recommend the short trip for young children.
Tube Rates: are per person (based on 1 person per tube)

Cats

Combine the thrill of kayaking, the camaraderie of canoeing, and the stability of a raft, and you end up with a Cat. Short for "Catamaran", our Cats are an inflatable kayak with less chance of tipping over than canoes or kayaks. The sleek, yet "wide-track" design is fun and easy to paddle. Also comes with comfortable, inflatable backrests.
Recommended for: Two paddlers with basic paddling experience, who are willing to accept a challenge, but don't quite fit into the other equipment categories (not enough canoeing experience, don't want to try a solo kayak, or too small a group to fill a raft).
Cat Rates: are per person (based on 2 people, which is the maximum).

Approx. Float Time	1½ hour	3 hour	4 hour	5 hour
Price per person	$14	$20	$23	$25
Departures	9-5:00 pm Every ½ hr	9-3:00 pm Every ½ hr	9:30-1:30 Every hour	9:30-11:30 Every hour

Approx. Float Time	1½ hour	3 hour	4 hour	5 hour
Price per person	$19	$30	$35	$37
Departures	9-5:00 pm Every ½ hr	9-3:00 pm Every ½ hr	9:30-1:30 Every hour	9:30-11:30 Every hour

Approx. Float Time	35-45 min	1-1½ hr
Price per person	$10	$14
Departures	9:00-5:00 pm Every ½ hr	9:00-5:00 pm Every ½ hr

Approx. Float Time	1-1½ hour	2½ hour
Price per person	$10	$13
Departures	10:30-5:00 pm Every ½ hr	10:30-4:30 pm Every ½ hr