Day 3: Canoe Campground at Hudson Mills Metropark to Dixoboro Dam
20 Miles, 1 portage (up to 4 when rapids are dangerous), about 8 hours paddle time
As I woke up to a gorgeous, cool morning at the Hudson Mills canoe camp, I knew that we had a fun day ahead of us. The stretch from Hudson Mills Metropark to Delhi Metropark has been my go-to day trip for years, and I was excited to return to a section of river that I know very well. My excitement was compounded by the fact that, despite having lived in the Ann Arbor area for nearly 10 years, I had never paddled through Ann Arbor proper!
As anticipated, the stretch from Hudson Mills to Delhi was gorgeous. Cedar waxwings dipped and dived before us to catch the many bugs that hovered over clear waters and gentle riffles. The river flows through a major elevation change in this stretch, which makes for faster water and even a few sets of rapids. Our first set of rapids came shortly after leaving camp at the remains of the old mill at Hudson Mills. Having never paddled this stretch of rapids before we entered cautiously, but found them to be easy to navigate in the low water levels. One important note to stress is that we passed through all of this day’s rapids during low, late Summer water levels. In the Spring, these rapids can take on an entirely different character and pose many more challenges and risks to paddler. It is important to know river conditions and one’s skill level before deciding to tackle more technical paddling through any sort of rapids.
The paddle through Hudson Mills is gorgeous and is definitely a favorite trip of mine. For new paddlers and my preschool-aged son, the roughly two-hour stretch between the Rapids View launch at Hudson Mills and Dexter-Huron Metropark is a fantastic paddle. During the Summer (in non-COVID times) one can pull off at the intersection of Mast and Huron River roads to grab a cold drink at the party store and snag a hot dog from the seasonal cart that can be found there. In the fall, it is easy to pull up riverside to the Dexter Cider Mill, where one can snag donuts and fresh cider from Michigan’s oldest, continuously operating cider mill. It’s a fantastic trip for all ages and experience levels! For a longer trip, one can press on to Delhi Metropark, which makes for a longer, almost 4-hour paddle.
It’s also worth noting that this section of rivers has several sections of riffles and very easy weirs and small rapids to navigate. As I will stress again, these more technical sections can vary drastically depending on the season and the water levels. I have been on this section when the water is high in late spring, and even seemingly simple sections can be far more treacherous when the water is fast and high. Know the river levels, know the hazards, and PLEASE, always wear a suitable life jacket. I promise, I practice what I preach - I am a former lifeguard, and I wore my PFD the entire 5 days of my trip in low, very calm waters.
This section of river also passes through a bit of private property north of Dexter. From high-end mansions to sprawling yards to older homes that have stairs that lead right down to the river, there is quite a variety of real estate along this stretch of river. Another landmark of note is a stretch of river that’s notably devoid of trees. It was in this section that a tornado tore through the river valley in 2012. As a teacher in Dexter Schools, I was actually in my school building when the tornado roared through about a half mile away. It was a huge trauma to the Dexter community, and it’s always eerie for me to see this stretch of destruction, which was littered with freshly fallen trees when I first paddled the river after the tornado.
At Delhi, we came to the Delhi rapids. In my opinion, this is the most tricky and technical point of the Huron River. When the water is high in Spring, these rapids can really rage and should not be tackled by inexperienced paddlers. However, given the low waters and August date of our trip, the rapids were quite mild in this stretch. We made it about halfway through before having to get out and walk our heavily-loaded canoe the rest of the way. While making one’s way through Delhi, it’s worth taking note of the historic bridge that crosses the river. This unique truss bridge was once knocked off of its foundation due to a tornado, but has been recently restored and is one of the most architecturally interesting bridges along the Huron River.
After enjoying our lunch at Delhi Metropark, we made our way to the most urban stretch of the river through the city of Ann Arbor. As we grew closer and closer to the city and it’s first backwaters at Barton Pond, we began to notice the mansions that reside in the Barton Hills area. This section of river hosts some of the priciest real estate in Ann Arbor, and it’s easy to understand why. Massive houses overlook Barton Pond from high bluffs, and the pond itself was surprisingly devoid of river traffic. This would change as we continued our way downriver.
The portage at Barton Dam was complicated by two factors - a complete lack of social distancing and damage to features that were meant to make the portage itself easier. As we approached the floating dock before the dam, we found it packed to the gills with unmasked teenagers, who were enjoying their time sunbathing on the river. After masking up, we picked our way around them, trying to ignore their annoyed looks at the odd canoers invading this stretch of river. As we made our way down the other side of the dam, we were excited to find another set of boat rails to help with the portage. However, the last section of those boat rails had been removed, leaving nothing but empty supports for the final stretch. I have no idea why anyone would want to take the rails off of this thoughtfully-constructed support for paddlers, but it has happened!
Not long after portaging over Barton Dam, we came to the backwaters of Argo Dam. The area around Argo is heavily-trafficked and enjoyed for two obvious reasons. First and foremost, this is the launching point for many of the river trips facilitated via the canoe liveries operated through the city of Ann Arbor. At the Argo Livery, guests can rent canoes, kayaks, or (during non-pandemic times) inner tubes. While some guests are content to simply tube the Cascades, which will be detailed in a moment, others will take their rented boat or tube all the way to the Gallup livery, which can be anywhere from a 2-4 hour trip. Again, entirely dependent on water levels and river flow!
The second interesting and crowd-inducing feature of the area around Argo is the Argo Cascades. The Cascades were created as a very interesting solution to a tricky problem, that one resource outlines as such:
“Prior to the Cascades project, Argo Canoe Livery was located on a quarter-mile stretch of stagnant water that ended at a concrete wall, a barrier which required visitors to portage down a series of steps with their canoes or kayaks to re-enter the river.
“The portage was a source of great frustration,” said Smith. “For many, it was a reason why they either couldn’t or wouldn’t take our most popular trip, a two hour paddle from Argo to Gallup Park.”
Construction on the project began in the Summer of 2011 to create a series of drops and pools that connect Argo Pond to the Huron River. The stretch includes nine drops that fall approximately 10 feet in elevation, eliminating the portage and creating a boat bypass channel. For the first time since 1830 (when the channel was built to power mills), Argo Cascades has returned the section of river to its previous free-flowing status.”
Retrieved from: https://cdn.ymaws.com/www.mparks.org/resource/collection/099A0F9F-56F6-4DF2-BFA1-FAC42C2EDCD0/Argo%20Cascades%20Project%20-%205.1%20-%202013.pdf
On a Wednesday afternoon, the Cascades were full of tubers, kayakers, and sunbathers. I have been told that Summer weekend can be ridiculously busy around the Cascades, and even so, I was surprised to see how busy it good on a weekday afternoon! For easy tubing trips down this section with my 4-year-old, we come early on a weekday, before the livery opens at 9 AM. This gives us several opportunities to run the rapids (which takes about 15 min/run on a tube), hike back up the path, and do it all over again before the crowds begin to arrive.
As Heather and I made our way down the Cascades, we worried about the weight and inertia of our loaded canoe as tubes drifted and swimmers dove in front of us. During very crowded times, this seems like an accident waiting to happen, and we took extra care to try back-paddle after each drop to judge our distance and timing in relation to other folks who were enjoying this fun feature of the river.
The last drop out of the Cascade and back into the main channel of the Huron is a doozy! After swamping our boat a bit, we quickly pulled over, dumped the water out of our trusty vessel, and continued on the way.
The stretch of river between Argo Dam and the backwaters of the Dixboro dam was lovely and mostly surrounded by parkland. My favorite park in particular is Island Park, situated (obviously) on an island within the Huron River. The architecture is beautiful and it is a wonderful place to picnic or get one’s feet wet in the water. On a more personal note, it was at this park where my husband took me on our third date and later proposed to me! Needless to say, it’s near and dear to my heart.
As we paddled the Ann Arbor stretch of the Huron River, we wove between many kayaks and cluster of tubes. Like the Cascades, I found it surprisingly busy for a late afternoon on a Wednesday, but during a global pandemic, floating down a river is a great way to enjoy some socially-distanced fun!
As the day grew long, we made our way into the backwaters of the Dixboro Dam, where the Gallup canoe livery, the second of two city-run liveries, can be found. The backwaters here are extensive and can be enjoyed via a day-trip from the livery located here. These backwaters are also home to several local crew teams, who share the waters with us paddlers from time to time. As we continued towards our final destination for the evening, the crowds thinned out until we had the flat water (and once again, headwinds!) to ourselves.
By dinner time, we reached the Dixboro Dam. A floating dock and ramp make for an easy exit, and it is a short walk to the other side of the dam. As there are no camping options in the Ann Arbor or Ypsilanti area, the parking lot at Dixboro Dam is where my incredible husband/ground crew picked us up. We lashed the boat to my car, made the short trip to my home just south of Ann Arbor, and enjoyed much-appreciated showers, a home-cooked meal, and a good night’s rest in a real bed. I’m glad we rested up, because the next day would prove to be one of our toughest physical challenges of the trip!
Highlights
The stretch from Hudson Mills to Delhi is gorgeous
Rapids and riffles provide some fun variety
Cider Mill in the Fall is a must-try trip!
Argo Cascades are super fun
This river is very accessible for day trips
Concerns
Crowds! Lots of groups of people, most unmasked, made social distancing doable, but trickier
Rapids can prove a real risk in high waters. Take care and portage around when they are treacherous
Damage to portage structure at Barton Dam
Thoughts for the Future
The day trip between Argo and Gallup is an easy 2-hour stretch in a boat or 4-hour stretch in a tube. This is a fun trip to take family and friends on, especially as the trip starts with the Cascades!
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