Pine River in Michigan

Trip Overview

The Pine River near Grand Rapids Michigan is a great outing for a couple of hours or all day in a canoe or kayak. We took our family of kayak novices for a three hour excursion. The river has many twists and turns and is moderately swift with frequent Class I rapids. The river was easily managed by myself, my wife, and two teens. The wife did manage to get sideways on a log jam resulting in a "wet exit." Since the river is seldom more than a few feet deep, and often only one foot deep, this was more humorous than frightening for her. The white water provided enough excitement and speed to keep the teenagers interested. A very successful family outing.

Outfitting:

Several outfitters in the area. All can be accessed from Michigan Canoeing and Kayaking Directory on the Web.

Directions:

From Grand Rapids, Michigan take US-131 North. Exit 176 left onto SR-115 for 3 miles. Turn Left onto SR-55 for 25 miles. Turn Left onto M-37, go one mile to Pine River Paddlesports Center.