This urban trip is within a Kalamazoo city park called Spring Valley Park. The park is on the north side of Kalamazoo and has two entrances on Mount Olivet Road and one entrance on Brook Drive. The pond is in the center of the park and is circled by park roads. There are restrooms and a picnic area on site. The park is well kept. A tiny part of the landscape has city scenery.
Spring Valley Pond is an impoundment of Spring Valley Creek. The west part of the pond is the main basin.
The east part of the pond is a long narrow appendage of the main basin.
There is a pedestrian bridge at its narrowest part.
The dam is located on the west end of the main basin. Downstream from the dam, Spring Valley Creek continues on its way to the Kalamazoo River.
There is no formal boat launch, but there are many parking areas around the lake with water access. I used a parking area on the south end of the main basin.
I kayaked the pond in August of 2020 and, like so many other waterways this time of year, some parts of the lake had excessive aquatic plant growth.
I was still able to easily paddle around the brushy shoreline.
Spring Valley Creek flows into the pond at the east end of the narrow appendage.
I went up the creek for a short distance before I was forced to turn around by fallen trees.
I ended my trip by returning to the main basin.
If you don’t have a lot of time, but you still need your kayaking fix, then a leisure paddle around Spring Valley Pond is for you.
KAYAKING SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN 