Shiawassee River in Michigan

by  guest-paddler

A self-supported trip created by guest-paddler

Trip Overview

I was bored one afternoon, so I decided to hit the local kayaking/canoeing hot spot. I loaded up the kayak and drive two minutes to downtown Holly to the Shiawassee Heritage trail.

You drop in at the old mill in Holly, and can paddle 7 miles to the neighboring city of Fenton. Or you can take out ate Fish Lk Rd. It takes roughly an hour to get to Fish Lk Rd., and around three hours to get to Fenton.

Beautiful, easy river. River is shallow. May have to walk around a couple obstacles but it's not too bad. Depends on the water level. I think the deepest water I seen was right around 5 foot. Many places to pull over and take in the beautiful scenery.

Accommodations:

There are hotels in Fenton and Grand Blanc. Both cities are less than 15 minutes away from Holly. Stop in any establishment and ask for directions there. Very friendly town.

Fees:

no

Directions:

Holly is about 16 miles south of Flint, and 60 miles north of Detroit. If you are coming from Detroit area, just head north on I-75 (south if you are coming from flint area or farther north) to exit 98 (East Holly Rd.). Take a left (right if coming from Flint) when you get off on the exit and head west. When you get into town, you go over a set of Railroad tracks and see "Red Devil's" Italian Restaurant. Turn left right there on Broad Street. The River is down about a third of a mile on the right, across from the millpond.

Resources:

no. the rivers self explanatory, and you can download maps from google, etc.

Trip Details

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

Trip Location