Muskegon River

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The Muskegon River is a river in the western portion of the lower peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The river has its headwaters in Houghton Lake in Roscommon County, flowing out of the North Bay into neighboring Missaukee County. From there it flows mostly southwest to Muskegon, Michigan, where it empties into Muskegon Lake. Muskegon Lake is connected to Lake Michigan via a mile-long channel.

The river has several major branches, such as the Hersey River, Cedar Creek and Little Muskegon River. The Hardy Dam, one of the world's largest earthen dams, is on the Muskegon River. Other dams include Croton Dam.

Like many of its neighboring streams, the Muskegon was one of the favored logging rivers during the boom years of the 1880s-1890s, and a keen eye can still pick out remnants of stray logs left over from the spring logging runs which embedded on the river bottom. There is abundant wildlife, including otters, waterfowl, deer and eagles and, although development has been creeping in, the upper reaches are still fairly remote and natural with much of the surrounding land composed of state-owned tracts. In recent years, the river has gained a certain measure of fame as a recreational fishery, boasting large migratory steelhead, brown trout and planted Pacific salmon.

The upper reaches of the river, especially a section of about 85 miles, from M-55 west of Houghton Lake, downstream to the town of Evart, is an ideal stretch for family and beginner canoeing. The biggest drawback is often found in the number of tree falls that dot this section of the river and sometimes require portages or, at least, tricky maneuvering. This can depend on how well the local livery owners have cleared passage. The riverbed is generally shallow and the pace of the stream is lazy. Although no longer maintained by the state, a series of three "Canoe Camps" are strategically placed downstream from M-55 about midway to Leota and still make for ideal wilderness campsites for overnight trips. Though unmarked, these campgrounds are recognizable to the experienced canoeist on steep, sandy bluffs overlooking the river on the lefthand side as one canoes downstream. Usually in the summer months there will be trail-riders camping at these spots, having traveled in by road.

An interesting day trip or longer can be had for those hearty individuals who put in upstream from the Reedsburg Dam near Houghton Lake. Known locally as the "Deadstream" section, this remote and rugged area houses plenty of wildlife and one can easily lose themselves for hours or days in this area. Be careful of the submerged logs.