Grand River in Michigan

by  guest-paddler

A self-supported trip created by guest-paddler

Trip Overview

Put in my kayak in downtown Eaton Rapids behind the Quality Dairy. They have a nice landing with plenty of free parking. The launch is made of recycled tires and is right below the rapids.

Despite the large amount of rain, the river is still very manageable, like most of the Grand. Slight rapids at Pietreville Hwy with some cross waves. There's a river gauging station here too, and readouts are available online at noaa.org.

Further downstream is Bunker Road Landing, a good spot to take out usually (or put in - more parking etc). Its a free county park, but filled with tons of mosquitoes. Just past Bunker Road Landing ran into one obstacle, where trees had almost blocked the river, and required a fair amount of maneuvering. Past that, the river crosses under a small foot bridge at Dusty's Inn. I think this could be quite dangerous if the water had been higher, as there was only about 2 and a half feet of clearance.

I took out at Macnamara Landing, just past Columbia Road. It is part of the county park system as well, and is free. This is also a great place to put in at, and doesn't have the mosquitoes found upstream. Overall, a smooth, easy trip with the two exceptions mentioned.

Accommodations:

None in the small town, Lansing is 20 minutes away.

Fees:

none

Directions:

Downtown Eaton Rapids, MI, behind Quality Dairy.

Take M-99 south from I-96 into Eaton Rapids.

Trip Details

  • Trip Duration: Day Trip
  • Sport/Activity: Kayaking, Canoeing
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Water Type: River/Creek (Up to Class II)

Trip Location