The Grand Traverse Bay watershed spans 976 square miles in Antrim, Kalkaska, Grand Traverse and Leelanau counties. Waterways in these land areas drain to Grand Traverse Bay, which holds 9.9 trillion gallons of water! The following article highlights some favorite places to explore in the watershed. Grab your hiking boots or kayak.

 

By Garret Ellison 

Here's the game plan: sleep in, get up, eat, grab a canoe and a partner, paddle overnight at 60 to 90 strokes per minute along a 120-mile winding Michigan river course with numerous portages for the next 16 hours … and then lose in the morning to the guys with shoulders that look like they're carved out of steel. Sound like fun? If not, then you'd better plan on watching the flotilla of canoes in the 61st annual Weyerhaeuser AuSable River Canoe Marathon from shore -- if you can.

If getting out on the water during the winter sounds fun but a little scary, try heading out with Jordan Valley Outfitters.