Proud Lake-Equestrian/Biking - 8.83 (Miles), Bridle, Mountain Biking.At traffic light turn right (east) onto Glengary. To Campground - From I-96 Exit 159 follow Wixom Road N.To Headquarters - From I-96 exit 159 follow Wixom Rd.Over 20 miles long with many loops ranging in size from 0.5 to 15 miles long. Proud Lake State Recreation Area of Oakland County, Michigan This was the only time we needed to filter water on our trip to fill 2 1-gallon jugs and our nalgene bottlesĮxploring the shoreline, islands, and many spots along Kent Lake’s shoreline would make a fun day Sale! Save up to 70% off Outdoor Gear & Apparel Site #1 at Island Lake is smaller and more suitable for tent camping Portage around Kent Lake Dam is not obvious, but we figured it outĬoncrete weirs downriver of Kent Lake Dam are an obstacle when the river is low. Hubbel Pond in Milford was not a pleasant paddle with weed and scum on the water surface We enjoyed the sounds of nature at night and a much needed swim at the e Island Lake Campground has two beautiful sites (we preferred site #2), a clean pit toilet, and firewood is provided. Wildflowers colored the shoreline around our trips through Proud Lake and Island Lake State Recreation Areas Proud Lake paddle was stunning and accessible by canoe livery The storefront had split around us! Strange, but a trend that would continue later in our trip… Before falling asleep for the night, I checked my weather app one more time. As the hour grew late and no rain materialized, we headed to bed. Having seen a strong line of thunderstorms approaching on my phone’s weather app, I set up in a more sheltered spot away from the river and put my tarp in “storm mode”, low above my hammock.Īfter dinner, Heather made a fantastic campfire (sadly, our only one on the trip) and we had a jam session with her mini guitar and my ukulele as we waited, and waited, for the storms to come. My bad! As no one else was at the campground that night, we opted to switch over to the other site, where we had more room and better spots to set up camp. Had I taken the time to read Google reviews of this campground, I would hav e known this, but I put my trust in one phone conversation. However, site #2 had gorgeous, stream-side and non-weedy forest sites for hanging a hammock. The boat dock was amazing, as the shoreline was fairly mucky in some spots, but the area around site one was weedy, full of dead trees (major no-no in hammock camping!), poison ivy, and vines. She assured me that site #1 would be the spot for me as there was a boat dock and plenty of trees around the site. When I reserved our campsite, I let the office staff at the recreation area know that I’d be hammock camping and that I’d need trees for my equipment. The canoe campgrounds at Island Lake are worth discussing. They rode their steeds upriver, which must have been a refreshing experience for the horses on a hot, upper-80’s day! As we beached our boat, a trail ride with two guides and a group of pre-teens rode their horses to the water before us. As it was already mid-afternoon and,we were hungry, we happily pulled off at what appeared to be a group campground for lunch. Golf balls from a nearby golf course flashed underwater like bright eggs, and before we knew it, we were paddling the river through Kensington Metropark. Our friends who joined us on a later day of the trip noted that the distance between rollers were too spaced out for their shorter recreational kayaks, so this feature may be best suited for canoes or longer kayaks.Īs soon as we were downriver of the dam, the water cleared back up, fish reappeared, and the river seemed back to its old self. Rollers have been installed from the start to finish of this portage, which helped easily guide our canoe up and over the impoundment. This was the first major dam that we had to portage, and thanks to the thoughtfully constructed, paddler-friendly design, it was an easy one to make.
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