The Platte River () is a

river A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

in the northwestern

Lower Peninsula The Lower Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Lower Michigan – is the larger, southern and less elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; the other being the Upper Peninsula, which is separated by the S ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data
The National Map
, accessed November 21, 2011 Beginning at Long Lake in Grand Traverse County, the Platte River flows west across

Benzie County Benzie County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 17,970. The county seat is Beulah. The county was initially set off in 1863 and organized in 1869.

before ending at Platte Bay, a small bay of

Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...

, in the

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a United States National Lakeshore located along the northwest coast of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan in Leelanau and Benzie counties near Empire, Michigan. The park covers a stretch of Lake Michig ...

. The river drains an area of about .

Course

The Platte River originates from Long Lake in Grand Traverse County flowing southwest into Lake Dubonnet, and then flowing west and eventually turning north, flowing into Mud Lake and then into Lake Ann. From the east, additional drainage into Lake Ann comes from Ransom Creek, which drains Ransom Lake, and in turn Bellows Lake and Lyons Lake. From Lake Ann, the Platte River runs west and south. It collects the outflow of Upper and Lower Woodcock Lakes then flows through Bronson Lake. The river continues southwest. The Platte River State Fish Hatchery is on the river at the eponymous community

Platte River The Platte River () is a major river in the State of Nebraska. It is about long; measured to its farthest source via its tributary, the North Platte River, it flows for over . The Platte River is a tributary of the Missouri River, which itself ...

and Brundage Creek joins the river just to the east. The main branch receives Collison Creek just east of

Honor, Michigan Honor is a village in Benzie County of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 337 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Homestead Township on U.S. Highway 31 along the Platte River. The community has the name of Honor Griffi ...

. At the Platte River Campground in the state forest, the river turns north west flowing toward Platte Lake. The north branch of the Platte River receives the outflow of Little Platte Lake shortly before joining the main branch just before the combined flow enters Big Platte Lake. The lower part of the Platte River begins as the outflow of Platte Lake, south of

Empire, Michigan Empire is a village on Lake Michigan in the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Located in southwestern Leelanau County, its population was 362 at the 2020 census. The village is located within Empire Township, and is famous for its prox ...

. It runs generally northwest, widening into Loon Lake about a third of the way through its course from Platte Lake. Its mouth is at Platte Bay of

at Platte River Point. Mud Lake is a tributary upstream of Loon Lake. The river above Platte Lake tends to be much swifter and colder than the lower stretch, which is warmed considerably by its passage through the relatively shallow, stretch of Platte Lake. There are three boat launches, a canoe launch and three picnic areas on the river in the national lakeshore.

Drainage basin

The Platte River drains the following municipalities (''italicized'' municipalities are those which the river drains but does not flow through): *

** Almira Township ** Benzonia Township ** ''Colfax Township'' ** Homestead Township ** Inland Township ** Lake Township ** ''Platte Township'' * Grand Traverse County ** ''Garfield Township'' ** Green Lake Township ** ''Long Lake Township'' *

Leelanau County Leelanau may refer to a number of articles relating to the region of the northwestern Lower Peninsula of Michigan: Geography Settlements * Leelanau County, Michigan * Leelanau Township, Michigan * Lake Leelanau, Michigan Landforms * Lak ...

** ''Elmwood Township'' ** ''Empire Township'' ** ''Kasson Township'' ** ''Solon Township''

References

External links

National Park Service mapPlatte River watershed plan
{{authority control Rivers of Michigan Rivers of Benzie County, Michigan Rivers of Grand Traverse County, Michigan Tributaries of Lake Michigan