Muskegon River Adventure – Part 3 Highbanks Park to Hardy Dam | August 6, 2025 West Michigan Kayaking Club | Wild Rivers. Rugged Trails. Real Adventure.

Our third Muskegon River paddle was another great 25-mile adventure—although it took us a long 8 hours to make the journey from Highbanks Park in Big Rapids to Hardy Dam.

The first 13 miles were a little different than expected. We were counting on the river current to give us a push, but it never really materialized. Then, for the final 12 miles through Hardy Pond, we traded the current for a fair amount of cross waves created by literally hundreds of boats out enjoying the water. As well as a strong head wind .

While paddling through the Rogers Dam Pond, we ran into some folks who had been following our journey. That was pretty cool! It’s always great to discover that people are actually following along as we work our way down the entire Muskegon River.

Then came the portage around Rogers Dam.

During the portage, Tim discovered a paper wasp nest—and apparently the wasps decided that I the biggest threat to their territory. They wasted no time launching an attack! 😂 

Along the way, we saw the usual assortment of wildlife, but one of my favorite parts of this section was the underwater gardens. When the water is low and somewhat stagnant, the flowing seaweed and lily pads create an incredibly peaceful scene beneath the kayaks. It’s one of those little details you might miss if you’re simply passing through, but when you’re paddling 25 miles, you have plenty of time to appreciate it.

And finally, a huge shout-out to Feral Hughman for the generous shuttle support. We couldn’t do these long-distance sections without people willing to help make the logistics work.

The next time you’re driving on US-131 and cross the bridge over the Muskegon River, hopefully you’ll be reminded that there’s another world down there—our paddle underneath it.

The back water of Roger's Dam

Going over 131 bridge.