Paddle Report: Kayaking from Long Lake to the St. Joe River

My wife dropped me off at the Northern Tip off Long Lake in Union, MI. There is a small boat launch across from Zimmyville. I paddled down to a friends house and she joined me and helped me find the entrance to Trout Creek which eventually leads into the St. Joe. It was a little hard to find because it is through a bunch of lilly pads in between Long and Coverdale Lake at the southern end. We found it and I was off on my own down Trout Creek. It was a beautiful Fall day and a beautiful stretch of scenic waterway. I floated downstream through some obstacles but it was very passable and fun. After getting to the St. Joe River somewhere in between Mottville, MI and Bristol, IN, I kept going downstream to the bridge by CR 17 in Elkhart. It took me about 4 1/2 hours and covered 2 states and 4 waterways--awesome!

I would do it again in a heartbeat! One of the best kayak journeys I've paddled!