Day 1: Proud Lake State Recreation Area to
Canoe Campground at Island Lake State Recreation Area
15.6 Miles, 3 portages, about 8 hours paddle time
On the first day of our adventure we began with a leisurely start at my house, which is located just south of Ann Arbor. After dropping off Heather’s car with family for some repairs, we made our way to Proud Lake State Recreation Area in Commerce Township, MI. We had easy and free entry into the recreation area, as each year I purchase the Michigan Recreation Passport for $12 each year when I renew my license tabs. Just past the campground, we had no problem locating the Proud Lake Launch and soon we were on our way!
As we made our way through Proud Lake, we marveled at the abundant plants and animals. We spotted wild rice, cardinal flowers, and heron, among many other species. At one point in time we got a bit turned around in a muddy spot in Proud Lake, but after finding the main channel, we had no further problems navigating.
Soon we came to the dam at the end of Proud Lake, where families and walkers were enjoying the views from the walking bridge and low head dam. The portage was easy and short, and at this spot, we had our first curious onlooker ask about our trip. She wisely ascertained that we were “on an adventure” and was excited to hear about our trip and what we hoped to accomplish through it. Since then, she has donated to our fundraiser for the Huron River Watershed Council, which absolutely made our day when we found out!
The rest of the river that ran through the recreation area was gorgeous and full of many day-paddlers who utilized the livery services from Heavner Canoe & Kayak Rental. I was surprised by how many folks I saw on the river on a Monday morning, but during a pandemic, getting outdoors is a great way to enjoy some socially-distanced fun! The river was more than wide enough to pass others while maintaining a safe distance, and we had fun greeting folks as we made our way down the river. Despite being low, the water remained crystal clear, and we spotted perch, bluegill, and bass that swam beneath us at every turn.
By noon we had reached the weedy and still backwaters of Hubbel Pond, which lies upriver over the Milford Dam. Houses, a cemetery, and roads lined either side of this man-made lake, and the character of the water had changed entirely. It seemed more stagnant, less clear, and choked by weeds and algae that made the paddle a bit less enjoyable. One landmark of note was the old railroad bridge at Milford. Its stone structure was imposing, impressive, and reminded me of a similar railroad trestle where I work in Dexter, MI.
Soon, we came to the Milford dam. 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. Rollers have been installed from the start to finish of this portage, which helped easily guide our canoe up and over the impoundment. 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.
As soon as we were downriver of the dam, the water cleared back up, fish reappeared, and the river seemed back to its old self. 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. As it was already mid-afternoon and,we were hungry, we happily pulled off at what appeared to be a group campground for lunch. 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. They rode their steeds upriver, which must have been a refreshing experience for the horses on a hot, upper-80’s day!
After enjoying a quick lunch, we returned to the river to meet up with Jesse, Heather’s childhood friend and former coworker of mine from my days at Camp Storer. We enjoyed the short stretch of river before the waters began opening up at Kent Lake. Kent Lake is a 5-mile long reservoir that is surrounded by Kensington Metropark. The shoreline is dotted with beaches, picnic spots, a water park, and plenty of places for people to enjoy the water. As we paddled through, I made note of the beaches where I might like to take my young son for a swim next Summer. There are also a few islands that I would love to explore further, but as we had miles to cover, we paddled right past them. I was thrilled to see our first ospreys sailing overhead, and some of the park is protected habitat for these fascinating raptors.
Unfortunately, this day was the first to introduce us to an unwelcome theme in our trip: Headwinds. The weather pattern was very strange the week that we tackled the Huron, and this would prove to be both a help and a hindrance. As we plowed on through these headwinds, we made our way towards the Kent Lake Dam, which was to be our last major portage of the day.
While it was easy to find a spot to pull our boat out of the water, there was not much signage guiding us to the official portage. As we walked around the dam, we found a narrow set of stairs that looked like they’d make a tricky trip down. However, as we walked further downstream, we found another slope, complete with boat rails to help guide our canoe down! It was a bit of a hike to get to those boat rails, and I later learned that an overhead carry would have made my life much easier. Fortunately, I learned the error of my ways later in the trip!
The stretch downriver of Kent Lake Dam was gorgeous. Despite the concrete weirs that made for some technical paddling in this stretch, we were greeted by the sight of clear water over a gravelly bottom that was full of fish. We were also joined by scores of fisherman along this stretch, and it was nice to see so many enjoying the beauty and resources of the river. As we made our way through the open marshland of Island Lake State Recreation area, we grew worried by dark clouds that loomed on the horizon. As the river slowed, we paddled harder around windblown trees until we finally made it to our campsite around 7 PM.
The canoe campgrounds at Island Lake are worth discussing. 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. 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. 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. However, site #2 had gorgeous, stream-side and non-weedy forest sites for hanging a hammock. Had I taken the time to read Google reviews of this campground, I would have known this, but I put my trust in one phone conversation. 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. 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.
Heather and I enjoyed a Korean feast of rice, boil-in-bag curry and black bean sauce, miso soup, and assorted banchan. This was entirely inspired by my favorite Korean chef/YouTube personality, Maangchi, and her recent video about read-made Korean meals. I was too tired to fully enjoy the meal, but the boil-in-bag curry has been a go-to for my husband and I on several prior camping trips.
After 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. As the hour grew late and no rain materialized, we headed to bed. Before falling asleep for the night, I checked my weather app one more time. The storefront had split around us! Strange, but a trend that would continue later in our trip…
Highlights
Proud Lake paddle was stunning and accessible by canoe livery
Wildflowers colored the shoreline around our trips through Proud Lake and Island Lake State Recreation Areas
Abundance of fish and wildlife
Island Lake Campground has two beautiful sites (we preferred site #2), a clean pit toilet, and firewood is provided. We enjoyed the sounds of nature at night and a much needed swim at the e
nd of our paddle!
Concerns
Hubbel Pond in Milford was not a pleasant paddle with weed and scum on the water surface
Paddling under I-96 road noise. Inevitable, but loud!
Portage around Kent Lake Dam is not obvious, but we figured it out
Concrete weirs downriver of Kent Lake Dam are an obstacle when the river is low. May be less of a concern in higher water
Site #1 at Island Lake is smaller and more suitable for tent camping
No potable water at the campground. This was the only time we needed to filter water on our trip to fill 2 1-gallon jugs and our nalgene bottles
Thoughts for the Future
Exploring the shoreline, islands, and many spots along Kent Lake’s shoreline would make a fun day trip. There is a livery here that rents kayaks, paddle boats, and even swan boats to those who need them
The stretch of river at Proud Lake State Recreation Area is gorgeous and also serviced by a livery for a great day trip
For a shorter overnight trip, I would put in below Kent Lake Dam, sleep at the canoe campground at Island Lake, then take out at either the Island Lake (Placeway) Launch or, for a longer paddle until lunchtime, the Cedar Ridge Launch at Huron Meadows Metropark (to be discussed on Day 2)
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