YANKEE SPRINGS
It takes some effort to get on the water at McDonald Lake. A unmaintained county road heads south from M179, just east of the Norris Road intersection. There is a house with a white fence on the corner. At first glance, the road looks like the driveway to the house, but it is a public road. It’s more like a trail than a road.
When you come to the North Country Trail kiosk on the left, there will be a McDonald Lake sign post and a side trail on the right. The side trail will take you to the lake access.
The lake is a long carry from the parking area to the shore. The footpath from the parking area goes down a big hill to the launch site. What goes down must come up. When you get to the lake, you are greeted by a rickety-looking dock, which is almost as old as I am. Several years after I wrote this, the dock was removed.
A spring flows into the lake where the dock was. The sliver of water that was alongside the dock is shallow and muddy. You may have a hard time getting away from shore. Be prepared to get muddy. Sometimes, I wonder if all the effort is worth it. When I’m finally on the lake and paddling, the scenery erases any doubt from my mind.
KAYAKING SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN 