West Grand Traverse Bay Boat Rental

Grand Traverse County

West Bay is the place for everything! Grand Traverse Bay is divided into two arms by the Old Mission Peninsula, known as “West Bay” and “East Bay.” West Bay has all the amenities of downtown, offering waterfront restaurants for dinner in Traverse City, sandy beaches, local shops, and beautiful public marinas to dock your boat after spending the day on Lake Michigan. The bay is 32 miles long, 10 miles wide, and it can get up to 620 feet deep in some spots! With something for everyone, spend your Northern Michigan vacation at this boating hotspot with a boat rental from PlayNorth Watersports. PlayNorth Watersports delivers boat rentals directly to the boat launch on West Grand Traverse Bay.

Boat Launches near West Bay Traverse City:

West Bay Vacation Tips:

Explore an Entertainment Hotspot!

Tired of the beach? Shopping and local restaurants are walking distance away to downtown! Our favorite casual, beachy restaurant is Little Fleet, a food truck park and bar crowd-pleaser.

Get your Swim on

West Bay can be warmer for swimming as East Bay is significantly deeper than West Bay.

Glacial History

The Grand Traverse Bay was formed by glaciers that retreated about 14,000 years ago. This glacial event is the reason for our beautiful hills and cliffs.

Places to visit near West Bay:

Clinch Park

111 E Grandview Pkwy, Traverse City, MI 49684
Located in the heart of downtown Traverse City, Clinch Park has beach access and a gorgeous view of Lake Michigan, featuring over 1,500 feet of sand along West Grand Traverse Bay. The park is adjacent to the Duncan L. Clinch Marina, east of Union Street on Grandview Parkway. Clinch Park is popular for a reason - it has picnic tables, a snack bar, bike racks, TART Trail access, and restrooms. The park includes a wheelway and greenspace.

Grand Traverse Commons Natural Area

Red Dr, Traverse City, MI 49684
Go on an outdoor adventure through the Grand Traverse Commons Natural Area! This 140-acre park with miles of woodland full of streams, meadows and wetlands. These hiking and biking trails are free to the public and perfect for exploring Northern Michigan’s outdoors.

TART Trail

The Traverse Area Recreation and Transportation Trails network (known as TART) is a trail system partly constructed from old railroad beds and includes 8 multi-use trails spanning Grand Traverse and Leelanau Counties. TART covers 10.5 miles across downtown Traverse City. Take a ride across the most scenic section of TART, where the trail wraps around West Bay for about 2.5 miles.