No site in MDNR's access file falls on the North Branch Cedar River, and no public block fronts it either — the way in is a road crossing, or asking the owner. The nearest town we map is Gaylord, 21.8 miles from the river's midpoint in a straight line, with the water west of the town.
| Town | Distance | Direction to the river |
|---|---|---|
| Gaylord | 21.8 mi | west |
| Petoskey | 27.9 mi | south-west |
| Traverse City | 29.0 mi | north-east |
| Grayling | 29.9 mi | north-west |
Straight-line distance from the river's midpoint, and the direction you would travel from the town to reach it. The roads are not mapped here, so there is no drive time — a travel time nobody measured is the kind of number that gets somebody lost.
North Branch Cedar River — live water temperature, regulations and access