Keystone Rapids Trailhead

Great trail. There are multiple lots to park along this trail. This one is one of the smaller parking areas. If it is full, look for the Lone Pine or the Oleson Bridge trailhead. If you start here, it is fairly well shaded. If you walk about 1.5 miles, eventually the shade will be completely gone and full open sun.

Beitner Rd is closed until Oct 2026 so there is no access to the trails or the river. The Boardman River washed out the Beitner Rd bridge during a flood on April 14, 2026. There are sinkholes and the high river banks are collapsing. The entire area is very unstable and extreme caution should be used until it stabilizes, which could take weeks or longer.

Beautiful trail that goes for miles. Some parts are narrow and a small part was paved. Not difficult to hike. Lovely view of the river during most of the trail and many different look out spots.

We wanted to see how high the water was..its about 5ft higher then it was 3weeks ago

The trail itself is easy and beautiful. The real gem here is the paddling. This is one of the best sections of river in the lower peninsula for intermediate-to-expert canoeing/kayaking. It has hazards: it's fast, there are small rapids, rocks and sweepers. But if you know what you're doing, it's a whole lot of fun, and I've pulled off a round trip from here to the take-out at Cass Road Bridge in an hour with a road bike "shuttle" (7-10 minutes on Keystone Road). If you're uncertain, there's plenty of trail around to scout what you're in for. Like the rest of the Boardman, great fishing too!