Author: Ron Vader

Before you recoil in horror at the mere thought of a urban kayak trip, let me assure you that you are in for a pleasant surprise. The river corridor is lined with trees that block out most of the city scenery. There is some traffic noise and industrial noise, but it isn’t unbearable. The river is wide and the current is slow. It is suitable for paddlers of all skill levels.

The trip begins at Merrill Park in Comstock. The entrance to the park is on Comstock Avenue, west of River Street. Restrooms, picnic shelters, and parking are all on site. We kayaked this stretch of river in July 2020 and the river was dirty, the result of the Morrow Lake draw down for dam repairs. The dam is upstream from Comstock.

My friend Dan joined me on this trip.

There is a short stretch of fast water beginning right at the boat ramp. The river shortly returns to a more tranquil speed. The river heads due east.

Upstream from King Highway, the mouth of Davis Creek is on the south side of the river. We took a side trip up the shallow, clear waters of the creek.

We then resumed our trip down the river.

After the Mills Street bridge, the river curves and heads north for the remainder of the trip. Just downstream from the Michigan Avenue bridge, on the west side of the river, is the mouth of Portage Creek. We paddled up the creek for a while. The current in the shallow, clear creek was swift. The scenery was city industrial. This stretch of the Portage Creek was not our cup of tea, so we returned to the more scenic river. Just downstream from the creek mouth is a railroad bridge. After that bridge, on the west side of the river, Arcadia Creek emerges from a culvert and dumps into the river.

Between Gull Road and Patterson Street, on the west side of the river, is a short channel that takes you to a small lake and Verburg Park.

Downstream from the Patterson Street bridge, on the west bank, is the Kalamazoo Municipal Water Treatment Plant. Sometimes, the plant can have an unpleasant odor. Not much of the plant is visible from the river. A very noticeable power line is on the east bank of the river. The wooded shorelines of the rest of this stretch make up for the two distractions. Spring Valley Creek flows into the river from the east.

The trip ends just downstream from the Mosel Avenue bridge in the city of Parchment. The access is River Front Park, on the east side of the river, just upstream from the railroad bridge. The linear park lies between the river and Commerce Lane. Several years after I took this trip, the railroad bridge was removed. Part of the old bridge is now a deck. Concrete steps lead down to the river, upstream from the deck. This photo views the Mosel Avenue bridge from the park deck.

FORT CUSTER STATE RECREATION AREA

The entrance to Fort Custer State Recreation Area is on highway M96, just east of the village of Augusta. Eagle Lake is the largest of the four lakes within the recreation area. The lake features two basins connected by the narrows. The dam and its spillway tower are on the narrows. The east basin has a large island. The east and west basins are separated by a long peninsula. A hill runs the length of the peninsula. The east basin is home to a long, sandy beach with modern restrooms. A swimming area compliments the beach. Picnic shelters are behind the beach on top of a hill.

The boat launch area is on the northeast corner of the east basin. Follow the park signs to the landing.

With the exception of the dam, the beach, and the picnic area, the shoreline is all wooded.

If you are a stealthy paddler, expect to see lots of fish in the shoreline shallows. Most of the fish are carp, but bass and bluegills are also present.

Just south of the boat landing, on the east side of the east basin, is a good sized cove with a small stream flowing into it.

A little farther down the shoreline is another smaller cove.

A small unnamed creek flows into the cove.

Continuing south along the east side of the east basin, a wide channel separates the egg-shaped island from the mainland.

The island doesn’t see much foot traffic. A steep hill drops down to the water’s edge on the north side of the island.

On the south side of the island, the hill gently slopes down to the shoreline.

On the southeast corner of the east basin, there is a large, lily pad covered cove with a stream running into it.

I have tried paddling this cove several times, but I kept running into water that was too shallow to float my boat.

The south end of the east basin, especially south of the island, looks completely covered by lily pads and other aquatic vegetation.

On this part of the lake, shoreline shade prevents vegetation from growing, leaving a water trail for kayakers to follow.

In order to get from the east basin of Eagle Lake to the west basin, paddle through the narrows, located on the northwest corner of the east basin.

As you head into the west basin, there is a point on the right.

The tip of the point is a great spot to stop and take a break. This is also my favorite swimming hole.

The west basin is a great body of water to explore. A cove on the southeast corner offers a nice view of the lake.

There is a scenic point on the south shore.

On the northwest corner, a small cove offers a splendid view.

The narrows will take you back to the east basin of the lake and the boat landing.

Kayaking Eagle Lake is great way to spend a day!

Plainwell has two city parks with boat landings on the Kalamazoo River. I have used both landings on different occasions. Either one is a good choice. Darrow Park is on the west side of the river on Hicks Street, south of M89.

The next three photos follow the Kalamazoo River through Plainwell from Darrow Park to the 10th Street/Main Street bridge.

Two islands are immediately downstream from the 1oth Street bridge. Fannie Pell Park is south of the first island. I started my trip at the Pell Park boat landing.

The friendly folks at Plainwell Kayak Company spotted my car at the landing in Otsego for a reasonable fee. They also rent kayaks.

The Plainwell Mill Race flows into the Kalamazoo River next to Pell Park

Downstream from Pell Park, the old paper mill dominates the scenery.

Just past the mill, the river splits into four channels around three islands.

The south (left) two channels are recommended for safe passage.

Continuing downstream, the river flows straight west to the US131 bridge.

Under the bridge, light rapids are waiting for kayakers. Choose between two channels, one on either side of the center bridge support. The left photo is the north channel viewed from downstream. The right photo is the south channel viewed from upstream. Both channels are rocky.

The former site of the Plainwell Dam is about a mile downstream from the US131 bridge. The dam was removed and the river was restored to its original course. When the backwater of the dam was drained, the contaminates of the exposed lake bed and riverbank were removed. The result of all this is a mile of river with swift current and some light rapids.

Downstream from the old dam site, the river slows and divides into many channels, creating a bunch of islands. “Spreads” is a common term for this feature. I recommend exploring around the islands of this partially wooded lowland. There’s always a chance that some of the channels might be blocked by fallen trees, so be prepared to turn around and seek another channel.

Eventually, all the channels of the spreads combine to form one channel.

After the spreads, I explored a small channel that branched off to the north.

The Gun River flows into this channel, but it wasn’t navigable. I continued down the channel.

After an easy portage, the channel rejoined the river.

This side trip was cool!

When the USG Mill (formerly Otsego Paper Mill) comes into view, you will be close to the end of your trip. The Jewel Street boat landing is on the south side of the river, 500 feet upstream from the Otsego City Dam. If you go over the dam, then you missed the landing.

On this trip, the Kalamazoo River was right next to the busy Plainwell-Otsego commercial corridor. The scenery on the river made me forget about the hustle and bustle that’s just a short distance away.

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.

YANKEE SPRINGS

This lake is easy to get to. Take Norris Road north from M179 for about a mile. The boat launch is on the west side of the road. The MDNR access site is primitive.

The Baker Lake shoreline is mostly marsh backed by woods. Most of the lake is bounded by public land and there is one home on the lake.

I paddled a short channel to Mud Lake.

Once there, I paddled a creek that goes to Chief Noonday Lake.

I was stopped by a beaver dam and thick brush. I turned around and headed back to Mud Lake.

After touring the rest of the Mud Lake shoreline, I paddled the channel back to Baker Lake.

I finished by cruising the rest of the Baker Lake shoreline back to the boat launch.

Baker and Mud Lakes are always a fun destination!

YANKEE SPRINGS

Williams Lake is a little known waterway and attracts very few visitors. That’s why I like it. To get to the lake, take M179 east from Briggs Road. Look for a “Chief Noonday Outdoor Center” sign on the side of the road. Head south at the sign on a unimproved trail.

The trail will take you to the primitive access site.

The site and the surrounding area is home to the biggest pine trees in southwest Michigan. Other stands of these huge pines can be found throughout Yankee Springs. At the landing, under the shade of the forest canopy, is one of my favorite spots to take a lunch break. Right in the middle of the access site is a huge maple tree and next to it is a pine tree of equal size. They grew so close to each other that they fused together, appearing as one tree! You never know what you’ll see when you spend time in the outdoors!

Williams Lake is shaped like a U. The bottom of the U is narrow and makes Williams Lake look like two connected lakes. The boat launch is located on the north side of the U, so I explored the north basin first.

I then paddled through the narrows, which is home to a beaver lodge.

I ended up on the south side of the U (the south basin).

At the west end of the south basin, I explored an unnamed creek.

The creek finally got too narrow for my kayak, so I turned around and headed back down the creek.

When I was back on the south basin, I went to the narrows.

I paddled through the narrows, back to the north basin and the boat landing, ending a scenic trip.

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.

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.

LEVEL PARK/OAK PARK TO FORT CUSTER STATE RECREATION AREA

The origin of this trip is in the communities of Level Park and Oak Park on the west side of the city of Battle Creek. Kalamazoo River access is at a bridge on a road that appears to have two names: Custer Drive and Clark Road. The access is on the south side of the river, on the east side of the road. A two-track trail that is between the guardrail and the woods will take you to a small parking area and a short footpath downhill to the water. A better landing is directly across the river, on the north side of the river, on the east side of the bridge. The trail to the riverbank isn’t the greatest. I recommend hauling your kayak in a truck or a SUV if you plan to use this access. You will paddle under the bridge to begin your trip.

My friend Dan, a accomplished paddler, made the trip with me.

This stretch of the river is wide with slow current and is easily paddled by kayakers of all skill levels. Almost all of the shoreline is wooded. We tried to explore around the many islands, but we were turned back by log jams, downed trees, and shallow water.

There are plenty of sandbars that invite you to take a break. We stopped for lunch and continued on with our voyage.

There are only two bridges to paddle under and they are on the last leg of the trip. The M96 bridge and a railroad bridge are right next to each other.

Downstream from the two bridges is a section of riffled water with a few boulders.

This part of the river forms the western boundary of Fort Custer State Recreation Area. Continuing downstream, the park boat landing is on the left (east) side of the river. This river access marks the end of the trip.

The vehicle entrance to the recreation area is on the south side of highway M96, just east of the village of Augusta. There are park signs that will direct you to the boat landing.

YANKEE SPRINGS

Besides Gun Lake, Hall Lake is one of the most visited lakes in the Yankee Springs area. I kayaked the lake on a weekday morning in August and I was surprised to have the whole lake all to myself. Hall Lake is located on the north side of Gun Lake Road, just east of Gun Lake. When you first view the lake from the road, it will draw you to its shore and compel you to kayak it. The small lake is surrounded by forested hills. The primitive landing is on the south side of the lake, just east of the dam.

It’s also a good place for a swim. The lake has three islands. A small island lies next to the shore on the east side of the lake.

The other two islands are more toward the middle of the lake.

A nature note: there is a sizable population of freshwater jellyfish in the lake. These delicate creatures are about a half inch in diameter and can be clearly seen along the shoreline.

Once you’re on the water, you’ll see why Hall Lake is one of my favorites.