If you’re like most people and don’t have your own kayaking equipment, Mt. Pleasant has a couple of fantastic rental companies. And along with kayaks, you can rent canoes and tubes if you prefer.
For a shorter Chippewa River kayaking excursion with more opportunities to enjoy park recreation, consider the route from Chipp-A-Waters Park to Island Park.
The stretch of river from Chipp-A-Waters to Nelson Park is about 1.5 miles, which takes about 45 minutes to complete. Along the way, you’ll paddle through the center of Mill Pond Park.
The stretch of the Chippewa River from Deerfield Nature Park to Meridian Park is about 4.5 miles, so it will take about two hours to paddle. However, you can make a whole day of the experience by exploring these parks too.
Once you’re done exploring, head back to the boat launch to paddle toward Island Park. When you approach the fork in the river, you have two options. One option is to turn left under the footbridge, and the access point will be on the right shore. This route is only about a half-mile and takes about 15 minutes.
Famous for its dogs, Dog Central is the best place to go for a hot dog in Mt. Pleasant. Dearborn Sausage manufactures 100% pork franks for the restaurant, which uses them for all of its classic and signature dogs.