Posts Tagged ‘kayaking’

Join us on the Huron River National Water Trail!

Sunday, September 24, 2017
Noon-3pm
Riverside Park (North End), Ypsilanti

Free-Family Fun!

Paddle a kayak from Frog Island Park to Ford Lake ($10). Check out river raptors. Learn the history of the Huron River in Ypsilanti from a local historian. Go on a guided nature walk with a naturalist. Hear about community efforts to restore and feature the river in Ypsilanti through RiverUp! and the Huron River Water Trial initiative. Try your hand at river fishing.

There will be kids crafts, cider and donuts and more fun river-related activities.

Ypsi Fall River Day is hosted by the Ypsilanti Parks & Recreation Commission and is free and open to the public.

For information and the schedule of events go to ypsiparks.org.

Explore the scenic Huron River in Milford

The natural beauty of the Upper Huron can be explored by kayak, canoe, paddle board, or tube, and the gentle flowing river can be enjoyed by beginners to advanced paddlers alike.

The Huron River at Norton Creek in Milford.

Milford is proud of its heritage and connection to the Huron River, and boasting two liveries plus being a designated Trail Town, Milford is a destination for paddling recreation.  Many times during the summer months I venture out to paddle, sometimes with my husband in our tandem kayak, and sometimes on my own in my single person kayak.

A turtle enjoys the sunshine in the Huron River in Milford.

When I am with my husband in our tandem kayak, we usually start in Proud Lake Recreation Area, and finish at Kent Lake.  During the journey we are often greeted by many turtles sunning themselves on logs, swans, ducks, and herons.  Dragonflies land on our kayak to hitch a ride with us. Looking down into the clear water fish can be seen darting about.  Other paddlers pass and wave or smile with a friendly hello.  Tubers float without a care in the world, and anglers in boats or on the shore wait for their bait to be nabbed.  We pass by natural areas, and lovely waterfront homes in the Village of Milford. Central Park is a good place to take a break, or take a short stroll and visit downtown Milford.

Tunnel under railroad near Central Park in Milford.

If continuing on downstream, portaging over Hubbell Dam is simple enough, but helpful if there is a buddy or other kind paddler to assist in taking your vessel over.  After that you will be rewarded with seeing the part of the river that feels more like you are up north in a less populated area as you paddle through the wooded shorelines of Kensington Metropark. The river opens up to Kent Lake, where beautiful water lilies abound.

A beautiful water lily from Kent Lake decorates my kayak.

The Huron River in Milford is calm enough that one can paddle upstream, so you do not necessarily have to worry about where to park your car or drop off your kayak or canoe. Just park at a launch site, and you can paddle upstream and then back downstream, or vice versa.  There are many options for paddling short or long distances, from 0.9 river miles to 8+ river miles. You can opt to stay near the Trail Town, or venture out to see the river in the natural areas of Proud Lake Recreation Area or Kensington Metropark.

View an interactive map of the Huron River in Milford and plan your next paddle trip there.

Have fun, stay safe with these TIPS from the Trail!

Join HRWC for Huron River Appreciation Day, Sunday July 10! Come along on a guided trip of the Huron River Water Trail in Dexter, paddle the Lower Huron from Flat Rock or paddle to Milford from Proud Lake, hear a talk on paddling safety and get a free life jacket, hear a river history talk or learn to fly fish! Sponsored by TOYOTA.

Paddling and Biking Upstream of Dexter

One of our family’s favorite trips on the Huron takes us through the Huron’s Natural River District, a designation recognizing the natural and scenic beauty of the river as it flows between Kent Lake and the western boundary of Ann Arbor.

We like to load kayaks as well as bicycles for a “paddle-down-cycle-up trip,” but you can of course also use two cars for a shuttle trip.  We start just above Mile 69 on the Water Trail (page 10 on HRWC’s Paddler’s Companion) at the DNR launch site off McGregor Road in Dexter Township after dropping the bikes (or other car) off at Dexter-Huron Metropark (you will need a Metropark pass).

We launch the kayaks into Portage Lake, but quickly need to get out again to portage the Flook Dam.  After the portage, we float into a seeming wilderness, with crystal waters clear down to the sand and gravel bottom, where we can watch fish torpedo by.  My husband commences counting turtles sunning themselves on logs.  I zig-zag from shore to shore, doing some float-by botany of the cardinal flowers, bluebells, and other flora.

The 8 mile trip takes us through Hudson Mills Metropark as well as the City of Dexter, where you can take a short side trip up Mill Creek (if flow conditions permit), take out at Mill Creek Park, and enjoy the beautiful trails the city has constructed along the restored creek.  You can taste baked goods from the Dexter Bakery or have lunch at one of the many restaurants, or an ice cream cone at the Dairy Queen.

Paddling under the B2B non-motorized bridge in Dexter-Huron Metropark

We take out at Dexter-Huron Metropark, where we jump on our bikes and head back up to the car along the Border-to-Border Trail, a non-motorized pathway that, when completed, will run all the way from Washtenaw County’s border with Wayne County (down by Ford Lake)  to its border with Livingston County (back at Portage Lake). The B2B Trail takes us back upstream along asphalt and boardwalks along the river and through wooded swamps and wetlands.  We get another chance for a snack as we bike through Dexter and up to Mill Creek Park.  Then the B2B takes us through Hudson Mills Metropark, where it ends, and we need to complete the trip along North Territorial and up Dexter-Pinckney Road to get back to our car at the DNR boat launch.  The road is passable, but it will sure be nice when the county completes this section of the B2B, and we can make our entire trip free of auto traffic.

Have fun, stay safe with these TIPS from the Trail!

Join HRWC for Huron River Appreciation Day, Sunday July 10! Come along on a guided trip of the Huron River Water Trail in Dexter, paddle the Lower Huron from Flat Rock or paddle to Milford from Proud Lake, hear a talk on paddling safety and get a free life jacket, hear a river history talk or learn to fly fish! 

Huron River Appreciation Day is sponsored by TOYOTA.

Attention ALL PADDLERS!

If you paddle the waters of the Huron, see please share your preferences by taking our 11-question survey about water trail amenities to help HRWC and the Water Trail partners plan our programs.

The partners have identified the need for a secure canoe and kayak locker system to store boats, paddles, and gear when stopping to explore the sights along the Huron River Water Trail and its Trail Towns, or for longer-term storage. The Huron River Water Trail Partners are creating a design for a locker system that would be available in multiple river towns on the Huron River, such the Trail Towns of Milford, Dexter, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, and Flat Rock.

The Huron River Water Trail partners provide amenities to trail users such as signage, safe, public access for launching and landing canoes and kayaks, and the interactive online trip planner at www.huronriverwatertrail.org.

The Huron River Water Trail is recognized as a National Water Trail, and is a project of RiverUp! — leading river corridor revitalization with the goal of making the Huron River the new “Main Street” where residents and tourists recreate, live, gather, commute, and do business.

Summer weather provides many chances to get outside and explore the world we live in. If populated beaches aren’t your idea of summer fun but you still want to enjoy Michigan’s fresh waters; join us for our summer paddling trips and HRWC will take you on the path less traveled.

This year we are offering five unique paddle trips at various locations along the beautiful Huron River. Each of the paddling trips is either led by Huron River guides Barry Lonik or Ron Sell and the HRWC staff will also be participating in the paddle adventures.

The recreational value of each trip is worthwhile, cialis and the first-hand educational opportunities are second-to-none! Each trip includes discussion regarding the river’s water ecology, pharm history, and unique features. The first paddling trip is May, 18th and will take us from Proud Lake State Recreation Area to Downtown Milford’s Central Park. Ann Arbor Ornithologist, Dea Armstrong will be joining us on this paddle to provide her insight of the regional birds we encounter. Registration is limited to ten watercrafts for each trip, and we provide the shuttle.

Visit the Summer Events page for more information on each trip, and how to register to ensure a boat-load of summer fun!

JOIN US FOR SOME SPECIAL PADDLE TRIPS ON THE HURON RIVER

Experience the Natural River sections of Huron River this summer with expert paddlers Ron Sell and Barry Lonik.  HRWC is offering guided paddle trips on select Saturdays  in June, here   July, August and September. Each trip is 3-4 hours long, store and includes discussion regarding that Natural River section, its water ecology, history and unique features.

HRWC will arrange shuttle transportation. Drop off your watercraft at the put in (start of trip location) then take your car and yourself to the take-out (end of trip location). HRWC will pick you up and take you back to the put-in to start the paddle trip. When you finish your paddle trip, your car will be there waiting for you. 

We are offering four trips, each exploring a different Natural River section of the Huron. Do one trip or all four, but bring your own watercraft, gear, food, drinking water and appropriate dress for the weather. Every boat must have flotation devices, and every paddler must wear one.

Exact location of each put-in and take-out will be sent to participants after they register.  Register early because registration is limited to 30 kayaks and or canoes.  To register, contact Margaret Smith, msmith@hrwc.org, (734) 769-5123 x 605.

Trips (Put-in time for each trip is 10 AM)
1. June 12, Kent Lake to Placeways
2. July 10, Placeways to Huron Meadows
3. August 14, Portage to Dexter Huron MetroPark
4. September 11, Dexter Huron MetroPark to Maple Road

Keeping river systems natural keeps water clean, habitats humming, and fish jumping. Rivers are some of Southeastern Michigan’s most valuable economic assets. Both Huron River watershed residents and visitors to the Huron River have proven in numerous studies that they prefer to live in, and visit, places that are quiet, open, and full of wildlife.