CANOE RENTAL SITES:
Celery Flats, in Portage
7335 Garden Lane
269-324-9204
DOE-WAH-JACK’S, in Dowagiac
52963 M-51
888-782-7410
Indian Valley, in Middleville
8200 108th SE
616-891-8579
Old Allegan Canoe Rental, in Fennville
2722 Old Allegan Rd.
269-561-5481
Three Rivers Canoe and Kayak, in Three Rivers
221 South Main Street
269-273-9000
Mendon Country Inn, in Mendon
440 West Main Street
269-496-8132
SPONSOR
 
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 According to a recent survey by the Outdoor Industry Foundation, the
top challenges for people to participate in outdoor activities are the
following: not enough time, high costs associated with gear and park
use, lack of knowledge about how to get started/where to go, and a disinterest
among peers.
Overcome these obstacles and spring out there for the sake of your health
and well being. Many canoe rental places open for the season in April
and May, and an hour or so of leisurely canoeing burns roughly 200-300
calories. There are so many ways and so many reasons to enjoy life and
the great outdoors in southwest Michigan, and right now is prime time
to start canoeing.
So, trade in a couple hours with the T.V. for a couple hours of sensory
captivation. Smell the freshness of spring, watch as everything in
nature awakens in vibrant color, feel the sun thaw your winter bones,
let the
tranquility of the river, birds, and wind be the soundtrack to your
day. Do your friends and family a favor and invite them too.
The Dowagiac, Kalamazoo, Coldwater, Thornapple and St. Joseph are
some well-known rivers in our area, and all offer opportunities to
canoe.
All of these rivers are slow to moderately paced and family friendly,
and most are excellent for fishing as well.
SPONSOR
 
The Dowagiac River, rises in Van Buren County, and flows
through Cass and Berrien Counties into the Saint Joseph River north of
Niles, Michigan.
This is a relatively narrow river, much of which is shaded by the large
hardwoods along the shore.
The Kalamazoo River is among the most popular canoe
trails in Southern Michigan and passes through 14 miles of the Allegan
State Forest- an
area which has changed little from the days when Native Americans inhabited
these lands.
The Thornapple River is one of the Grand River’s major tributaries,
but only a small portion of its 100-mile length is good for float trips.
Its upper sections—from its origins in Eaton County to Thornapple
Lake—are too small and tangled for enjoyable canoeing, while the
river below Irving consists of a series of dam-created reservoirs that
are heavily developed. In between, however, is a 14-mile stretch of river
that is suitable for family outings.
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