Day Date Idea: Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Southeast Michigan

There has been something on my own bucket list the past few summers: Trying stand up paddle boarding {or SUP for short}. As someone who loves canoeing and kayaking, I knew it would be something I would enjoy! I prefer something active and not little kid friendly on our dates versus just dinner and a movie.

My husband and I randomly were able to go on a day date, so I started researching spots to go. Turns out there are some fun stand up paddle boarding spots in Southeast Michigan.

Since we’re based in Livingston County, we chose to go to the Brighton Recreation Area at Bishop Lake to give it a try. We were able to use our Michigan Activity Pass for free entry into the park {or you can use your Michigan Recreation passport}, and the SUP rental was just $10/person for two hours. See all rates here.

The hardest part of a SUP was taking off, standing up, and getting your feet adjusted. After that, it was surprisingly easy. I’d recommend trying on a smaller, private lake without a wake first. We didn’t really know what we were doing, but caught on easily — paddling is similar enough to any paddle sport.

At Brighton Rec, there was the main lake area, with the public beach and the super awesome Jump Island. Off to the right, you could board through the swampy area to head to the other side of the lake to the campground access area. It was super peaceful on that side, and we were able to beach our boards and jump into the water for a swim. The water is like bath water in July!

After, we drove a few miles up to one of our favorite spots to eat pizza with a view in summer: Zukey Lake Tavern. This waterfront spot with a rooftop deck is so much fun for people and boat watching!

Overall, it was a fantastic day, and we can’t wait to do more SUP in the years ahead.

In case you’re interested in trying, check out these ideas for places to rent paddle boards.

Where To Go Stand Up Paddle Boarding in Southeast Michigan:

• Argo Canoe Livery {Ann Arbor}
• Red Star Board Company {Services the Ann Arbor Area}
• Treetown Boards {Ann Arbor}
• Brighton Recreation Area – Bishop Lake {Brighton}
• Detroit River Sports {Detroit tours}
• Great Lakes Surf Shop {St. Clair Shores}
• That’s WasSUP {Walled Lake, services metro Detroit}
• River Town Adventures {Lansing}
• The Power of Water {Lansing}
• Sleepy Hollow State Park {Laingsburg}

Here are is a great case to keep your phone and keys dry from Amazon, too {affiliate link}:

Check out more date ideas and fun for couples here.

Have you ever tried stand up paddle boarding? Where is your favorite spot to go?