April - Upper Manistee

April 21 - Smithville, Michigan - See Map

Pictures Processed!

This trip will cover 12 hours of canoeing and 35 river miles from Smithville (Route 66) to Baxter Bridge on the Upper Manistee River.

Our planned livery is:

Smithville Landing
M-66 On the Manistee River
Lake City MI 49651
Phone 231-839-4579

The Smithville landing is about 4 hours from Rochester Michigan -- West of Grayling.
Directions to the Landing - And Campground are coming - Need more details.

Weather (4-15-2001)

Fri-Apr 20 Scattered Showers    56 °F    42 °F

Sat-Apr 21 Mostly Cloudy    64 °F    45 °F

Sun-Apr 22 Partly cloudy    54 °F    37 °F

We will camp on Friday Night on the river at the Smithville Landing Campground.

Originally, we were going to camp at Chase Creek. However, the campground has been closed down. So, we have two options. We can camp at a state forest campground 30 minutes past US-131, or camp anywhere on the river we find desireable. We must camp off the river at least 70 feet... but any public land along the river is fair ground.

From M-66 Bridge to Old US-131 Campground / 25 Miles - 7 hours

Immediately below M-66 begins a long series of moderately fast riffles over gravel bottom and some fairly large rocks. High banks of maple, birch, and red and white pine alternate with grass banks and meadows. There are a few cottages through this stretch and -- at least compared to the popular water upstream -- also few canoeists.

Shortly before Coster Road Bridge, cottages appear. The river deepens and slows somewhat, the bottom becomes predominantly sand, and the current is slow and heavy -- characteristics typical of the Manistee the remainder of its length. Access and parking are good at Coster Road Bridge.

From Coster Road to Lucas Road Bridge is a four mile, one to two-hour trip. There are a few more stretches of light riffles with gravel and stone bottom, but they become less and less frequent. Again, there are few cottages and much solitude.

Chase Creek Campground is on the left side of the river and has good primitive facilities as well as good access and parking. Take out at the second access site -- the first is a steep climb up stairs.

One and a half to 2 1/2 hours below Chase Creek is the US-131 Bridge with good access and parking.

Old US-131 State Forest Campground is one half mile below US-131 and has primitive facilities and good access and parking.

Generally expect much the same water and terrain below the US-131 as immediately above -- moderate current and stretches of gravel bottom alternating with long stretches of slow, deep water over sand bottom.

There is a state forest campground (in cooperation with Consumers Power Company) at Baxter Bridge, where access and parking are good, but attend tot he map carefully to find it by road.

US-131 to Baxter Bridge / 10 Miles - 3.5 Hours