Mighty Clinton River Paddle Spots: Upper Mighty Clinton River

Upper Mighty Clinton River (Waterford MI) - Begginer to Intermediate runThis run is from where the river crosses Elizabeth Lake Road in Waterford down to State Park - Dodge Brothers Park Number 4 on Cass Lake.

Below is my first "Section" post for this Blog, a report of a section I had the pleasure of running for the first time this year (June 2012) thanks to our new friends Lori and Curt. (the Upper Clinton Paddlers!)

If the water is low the run is "Beginner" but can be a bit 'technical' to navigate around the gravel beds, if the water were high the difficulty can be "Intermediate" - Remember, you must have a PFD (Personal Flotation Device/Life Jacket) with you and it is usually a good idea to wear it! (you'll never have time to put it on when in an actual emergency)

There is a small park on the South side of Elizabeth Lake Road where you can put in.(5971 Elizabeth Lake Rd, Waterford 48327) This is on the part of Elizabeth Lake Road where it goes along the North shore of Cresent Lake, so it is just West of the most Northern tip of Cresent Lake. The river flows slow but steady and once you put in you will be surrounded by high grass. (very few places to pull over, so if you get a beach/shore and it's not someone's lawn, take advantage!)

You will cross under Cooley Lake Road, then some time after that the next time you see a bridge, take the river to the Left for a more direct route to the take out or if you happen to go Right you will be paddling through the canals but will also have a longer paddle on the lake once you get there. In either case you will need to cross some open water on Cass Lake to get to the State Park for your take out. (4250 Parkway Drive, Waterford 48237)

You must have a State Park Permit to park in the park, they are no longer selling day passes but our last trip in early June they were selling the yearly pass for $10.

This run will take about 3 or 4 hours depending on your ability and the water level.

This picture shows the driving route between the put in(A) and take out(B) in blue and the river course is highlighted in yellow, but it does not show the exact river course.

Here are some shots from the river trip from June 2, 2012 organized by the our "Upper Clinton Paddler" friends Lori and Curt. Also some pictures the scouting trip, notice the dog named Daisy, she had a problem with her eyes and had them removed! So she's about the only one who can truely say "She can paddle that river blindfolded"! :) (you can click on the pictures to enlarge)