YANKEE SPRINGS
The entrance to the Deep Lake Unit of Yankee Springs State Recreation Area is on the west side of Yankee Springs Road, north of Gun Lake Road. The park hosts a campground on the east side of the lake. The Deep Lake Unit has a staging area for the network of mountain bike trails. Follow the park signs to the Deep Lake Access.
The site has a couple of picnic tables, making it a scenic, shady spot for my lunch. I have been known to take a dip in the lake here also.
The lake has a steep drop-off along most of its shoreline. The east shore is hilly and wooded.
The rest of the lake shore is flat and marshy.
Turner Creek flows into Deep Lake at the south end.
I paddled up the narrow, meandering stream for quite a long way.
Turner Creek is scenic and is definitely worth a look.
Eventually, the creek got too narrow and too shallow, so I paddled back to the lake.
The northwest end of Deep Lake has a very large marsh.
A bayou is on the north side of the marsh.
Turner Creek exits the lake at a beaver dam on the north end.
The park maintains a large pier on the northeast end of the lake. There is a footpath from the boat launch to the pier.
The scenic views from Deep Lake keep me coming back, year after year.
KAYAKING SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN 