The Boyne River

A Little Jekyll, a Little Hyde, a Lot of Fun

Sept. 28, 2014

"The Boyne River has a Jekyll and Hyde quality," laughed Peg Voyvodic. She had just completed her first ever kayak river trip with her husband Bob. "That first half provided plenty of challenge, but that last half was really mellow."

The Canadian couple and I were staying at Boyne Mountain Resort and had opted for a kayak trip down the river, a new Resort offering with partner Boyne River Adventures.

Paddlers are picked up at Boyne Mountain, transported to the launch site and, at the end of the trip, collected in Boyne City at Veterans Memorial Park on Lake Charlevoix for return to the Resort.

On our way to the launch, the Voyvodics disclosed they had never kayaked on a river before, only on large, wide open lakes. They were a little nervous, but Boyne River Adventures owner Debbie Connor told them to relax and have fun.

"The river isn’t deep, and if you do spill, just climb back in and keep going. It’s a warm day and the scenery is beautiful," Conner added. "The first half is quick with bends, stringers and downed trees you have to maneuver around, but the last half is mellow as the river widens and dumps into the lake. It’s about a two-hour float."

She was right. The Voyvodics dumped three times during the first hour on the river, but were always laughing and in good spirits. An experienced paddler will have no problem weaving around the obstacles.

THE DIVERSE BOYNE

The Boyne River, a small, beautiful stream, is better known for its brown and brook trout than its paddling opportunities, but that has been changing over the last four years with the arrival of Boyne River Adventures. With its north and south branches, the river is approximately 22 miles long, but the main stream for paddling is about five and a half miles long.

Named after a river in Leinster, Ireland, the water is about 40 feet across at the point where you put in on Dam Road–one of the widest spots on the river. The twisty river flows through a deep cedar swamp the first half of the trip, a good place to spot wildlife if you’re quiet. We saw otters, deer and plenty of waterfowl where the water widens and slows when approaching the village and Lake Charlevoix and where it passes through the Boyne City Mill Pond less than a mile from the lake. You will see no development through the cedar swamp until you approach the village. Here you will see a few houses along the ridges above the water.

"It was really a neat float trip," said Peg. "I like starting in the middle of nowhere, feeling like you’re in a wilderness setting, and an hour and a half later paddling through a town into a large lake. It’s the essence of northern Michigan: forests, rivers, lakes and charming small towns. We’ve been coming up here from Windsor for years and never tire of the trip. Boyne Mountain is our favorite place to stay because it’s so close to all of that. It may have been our first river trip, but it won’t be our last."

The river trip with Boyne River Adventures can accommodate up to 10 guests and costs $40 per person for a single kayak, and $75 for a tandem.

"We leave the river as we find it; no glass bottles or Styrofoam coolers are allowed on the trip," Conner pointed out. "This is one of the most pristine rivers in northern Michigan and we want it to stay that way."

For more information: www.boyne.com/boynemountain/activities/kayak.