The Crystal River is a 6.3-mile-long (10.1 km)[2] stream located in the southwest section of Leelanau County in northern Michigan's Lower Peninsula, flowing from Glen Lake through sections of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore into Lake Michigan just north of the small town of Glen Arbor.

For the most part, the depth of the river is no more than 1 foot (0.30 m), and the width averages 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 m) with a sandy bottom, making it ideal for families, beginning canoeists and kayakers.

Numerous cottages are located along the lower reaches of the river from Glen Arbor to its mouth emptying into Lake Michigan.

Groves of cedar, tamarack and paper birch, as well as the swamp lands bordering the banks, make the river an ideal habitat for turtles, frogs, beavers, muskrats and otters.

There is a concerted effort by state and local authorities to improve and restore the Crystal River Watershed to conditions that will sustain native plant and animal species.