These two areas are conveniently located about halfway between the two cities of Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. Yankee Springs State Recreation Area is 5200 acres in size. The adjacent Barry State Game Area consists of 16,784 acres. There is plenty of room to roam. It’s big enough to get lost in. I have been turned around in the area more than once. That’s a fancy way of saying that I got lost, but I somehow always managed to find my way. Most people, myself included, refer to the two areas as one, Yankee Springs. The area is mostly forested with a mixture of hardwoods and softwoods. Yankee Springs is laced with unmaintained county roads and unimproved trails that are fun to drive. Hiking trails and mountain biking trails are plentiful. The centerpiece of the area is the beautiful Gun Lake. With the exception of the recreation area, the lakeshore is fully developed. Boat traffic can be heavy at times. The Gun Lake shoreline, including islands and channels, is 24.4 miles in length and provides kayakers with endless hours of enjoyment. There are two campgrounds in the recreation area: the Gun Lake Unit and the Deep Lake Unit. The list of lakes to kayak is long.
If you are driving a considerable distance to get to Yankee Springs, you may want to paddle more than one lake in a day trip. Due to the small size of most of the lakes, you can easily kayak several lakes in a day while still maintaining a leisurely pace. I never like to hurry when kayaking. As I revisit the many lakes and some small streams, I will post photos and text about each location. I hope these posts will compel you to kayak this area. I think you will enjoy Yankee Springs as much as I do.
KAYAKING SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN 