Dowgiac river to Niles

by  guest-paddler

A self-supported trip created by guest-paddler

Trip Overview

I put in at the Peavine Street Canoe Launch, Pokagon Township, MI. There is some sort of construction going on and there was a short portage about 1/2 mile in. Shortly after there was a bit of a log jam blocking the river that took some time to get through/over The rest of the first 5 miles or so were pretty technical with trees blocking the majority of the river in several places, but it was very quiet and tree lined. Once I got to Arthur Dodd Memorial Park the current picked up and although there were still trees in some parts of the river, they were cut so that there was always a spot to get through. I would highly recommend the section from Arthur Dodd to Dowagiac River Access in Niles. Lots of nice little rapids and you can move along pretty quickly if you want. It was about 12 miles kayaking. I was moving along pretty well and it took just over 3 hours.

Safety Notes

Trees down, may have to get out to maneuver around them.

Conditions

Water was slow moving and about 4-5 feet deep until Arthur Dodd park. Below the park it was 1-3 feet deep and flowed much faster with several small rapids.

Portage Notes

Very short.

Trip Details

  • Trip Dates: 7/31/2022
  • Sport/Activity: Kayaking
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Water Type: River/Creek (Up to Class II)
  • Number of Portages: 1

Trip Location