I am leading a group of Boy Scouts, looking for a canoe trip in Lower
Penninsula Michigan, Northern Ohio or even (close to Michigan)
Ontario.

Looking to do a lengthy trip, over 50 miles. Want it to be 4 or 5
days. Want to (to the extent possible) wilderness camp along the
river as we go.

We are supposed to travel only 3 hours from Metro Detroit (our
chartering organization puts us under that restriction, we can sneak
out to maybe 4 hours.)

Looking for as wilderness experience as possible, a little fast water
would be nice.

I am leading a group of Boy Scouts, looking for a canoe trip in Lower
Penninsula Michigan, Northern Ohio or even (close to Michigan)
Ontario.

Looking to do a lengthy trip, over 50 miles. Want it to be 4 or 5
days. Want to (to the extent possible) wilderness camp along the
river as we go.

We are supposed to travel only 3 hours from Metro Detroit (our
chartering organization puts us under that restriction, we can sneak
out to maybe 4 hours.)

Looking for as wilderness experience as possible, a little fast water
would be nice.

Get the book "Paddling Michigan" by Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier
Hillstrom. It's published by Falcon Guide. It list a lot of rivers throughout
Michigan and gives camping information. The Huron River, for example is no
more than an hour from Detroit's Metro Airport and shows at least three camping
arreas. The AuSable is a great River, more wilderness areas, and has plenty of
camping but is more like 4 to 5 hours away. There are plenty of rivers in
Michigan for canoing but most of them close to Detroit are slow and lack the
wilderness. If you can drive further north to the Pine (4-5 hours) the current
speed is good (still only class 2 though).

I won't be monitoring this newsgroup for the next couple of weeks so don't
expect help from me for awhile.

Good luck,
Lynn

On 13 Feb 2004 14:53:03 GMT, (LLutton) wrote:

I am leading a group of Boy Scouts, looking for a canoe trip in Lower
Penninsula Michigan, Northern Ohio or even (close to Michigan)
Ontario.

Looking to do a lengthy trip, over 50 miles. Want it to be 4 or 5
days. Want to (to the extent possible) wilderness camp along the
river as we go.

We are supposed to travel only 3 hours from Metro Detroit (our
chartering organization puts us under that restriction, we can sneak
out to maybe 4 hours.)

Looking for as wilderness experience as possible, a little fast water
would be nice.

Get the book "Paddling Michigan" by Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier
Hillstrom. It's published by Falcon Guide. It list a lot of rivers throughout
Michigan and gives camping information. The Huron River, for example is no
more than an hour from Detroit's Metro Airport and shows at least three camping
arreas.

Forget the Huron River, nothing even remotely approaching
"wilderness" ... a few Metro Parks along the way, but
mostly exurbia. A *possibility* is the Rifle River thru the
Rifle River Recreation Area, but it's not 50 miles worth.
Then, as you go North, there's the Pine or Manistee; best
to read those guide books carefully for appropriate venues.

Hey Slim, I think your best bets would be the Ausable or Manistee
Rivers. They are tame enough for novices and both have great overnight
opportunities. From Toledo Ohio where I live (one hour south of
Detroit) Grayling is 235 miles, 3 hours and 15 minutes, I do boogie on
the road, no stops no eating and no potty breaks. From Grayling you can
head west on the Manistee or east on the Ausable. You could launch on
the South Branch of the Ausable in Roscommon and pick up the main stream
on the second day.

I've done both and I think the manistee is a more wild and pristine
river, very few cabins over all while the Ausable is more built up. John

Rotation Slim wrote:
I am leading a group of Boy Scouts, looking for a canoe trip in Lower
Penninsula Michigan, Northern Ohio or even (close to Michigan)
Ontario.

Looking to do a lengthy trip, over 50 miles. Want it to be 4 or 5
days. Want to (to the extent possible) wilderness camp along the
river as we go.

We are supposed to travel only 3 hours from Metro Detroit (our
chartering organization puts us under that restriction, we can sneak
out to maybe 4 hours.)

Looking for as wilderness experience as possible, a little fast water
would be nice.

Where is your group coming from?

My favorite Michigan guide book is "Canoeing Michigan Rivers" By Jerry
Dennis & Craig Date.

The Huron actually can pe a pleasant paddle, but wilderness it isn't. The
closest to wilderness is a trip down the South Branch of the Ausable. You
can finish down the Main Branch to Mio, or continue below. The Manistee is
one of my favorites. The Pine has a lot of possibilities, but it is a step
up on the skill level. Camping should be OK on all three. The Rifle has
something of a history of being a drinking river. The Muskegeon could also
be a possibility.

Rich Bailey


"Rotation Slim" wrote in message
om...
I am leading a group of Boy Scouts, looking for a canoe trip in Lower
Penninsula Michigan, Northern Ohio or even (close to Michigan)
Ontario.

Looking to do a lengthy trip, over 50 miles. Want it to be 4 or 5
days. Want to (to the extent possible) wilderness camp along the
river as we go.

We are supposed to travel only 3 hours from Metro Detroit (our
chartering organization puts us under that restriction, we can sneak
out to maybe 4 hours.)

Looking for as wilderness experience as possible, a little fast water
would be nice.

In article ,
(Rotation Slim) wrote:

I am leading a group of Boy Scouts, looking for a canoe trip in Lower
Penninsula Michigan, Northern Ohio or even (close to Michigan)
Ontario.

Looking to do a lengthy trip, over 50 miles. Want it to be 4 or 5
days. Want to (to the extent possible) wilderness camp along the
river as we go.

We are supposed to travel only 3 hours from Metro Detroit (our
chartering organization puts us under that restriction, we can sneak
out to maybe 4 hours.)

Looking for as wilderness experience as possible, a little fast water
would be nice.

As a Boy Scout in northern Michigan in the 1960s, we did multiday trips
on both the Au Sable and the Manistee. Neither was particularly
wilderness trip then, but both had lots of woods canoeing. I suspect
that there is less woods canoeing now, forty years later. Both rivers
have canoe access campsites. I do not know of any stretches where you
are in state or national forest land, where you can camp away from
established sites.

That said, both rivers would be great for your troop. I wish that I had
access to equivalent rivers down here in North Carolina. The only one is
the New, but all of the camping is in established sites.

The three hour travel limit is tight for any decent trip.

If you decide that you want to try one of those trips, contact the Scout
Councils in the area. They run canoe trips out of their summer camps.
The Manistee is in Scenic Trails Council, in Traverse City. The Au Sable
is in the Lake Huron Area Council.
--
----
YiS
Dave Filpus
Troop Committee Chairman, Troop 9
Eagle 1967 Vigil 1970

wrote:
On 13 Feb 2004 14:53:03 GMT, (LLutton) wrote:

I am leading a group of Boy Scouts, looking for a canoe trip in Lower
Penninsula Michigan, Northern Ohio or even (close to Michigan)
Ontario.

Looking to do a lengthy trip, over 50 miles. Want it to be 4 or 5
days. Want to (to the extent possible) wilderness camp along the
river as we go.

We are supposed to travel only 3 hours from Metro Detroit (our
chartering organization puts us under that restriction, we can sneak
out to maybe 4 hours.)

Looking for as wilderness experience as possible, a little fast water
would be nice.

Get the book "Paddling Michigan" by Kevin Hillstrom and Laurie Collier
Hillstrom. It's published by Falcon Guide. It list a lot of rivers throughout
Michigan and gives camping information. The Huron River, for example is no
more than an hour from Detroit's Metro Airport and shows at least three camping
arreas.

Forget the Huron River, nothing even remotely approaching
"wilderness" ... a few Metro Parks along the way, but
mostly exurbia. A *possibility* is the Rifle River thru the
Rifle River Recreation Area, but it's not 50 miles worth.
Then, as you go North, there's the Pine or Manistee; best
to read those guide books carefully for appropriate venues.

The Huron might be good for a daytrip, or even an overnight, but I don't
think it's what you're looking for.

I'd recommend the Au Sable river. It's within three hours or so of
Detroit, and moves along pretty well without having any 'scary' rapids
(you can easily do 20 miles in a day without really paddling). Most of
the river is undeveloped, but not 100%. Sounds like what you're looking
for. It'll be crowded on summer weekend days, if that matters to you.

The books suggested would be a good resource. You might also want to
check out http://www.kayakplace.com/places/places.htm

Good luck.

--
//-Walt
//
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