By Brad De Young | The Kayakers Journal
West Michigan Kayaking Club – Wild Rivers. Rugged Trails. Real Adventure.
Long before Michigan had highways, railroads, or even established settlements across much of the state, its rivers served as the original transportation network. Among the earliest Europeans to document a journey across Michigan's interior was British fur trader Hugh Heward, whose remarkable 1790 expedition became one of the most important recorded canoe journeys in Michigan history.
Hugh Heward's Historic Journey
In the spring of 1790, Hugh Heward and seven French-Canadian voyageurs departed Detroit in two birch-bark canoes with a bold objective—to find a more direct route across Lower Michigan to the Illinois Country.
Rather than traveling the traditional route through the Straits of Mackinac, Heward paddled westward by way of the Huron River, crossed the portage into the Grand River watershed, and eventually reached Lake Michigan at present-day Grand Haven. Along the way, he carefully documented his travels in a journal that remains one of the earliest written accounts of Michigan's interior rivers and landscapes.
Today, historians recognize Heward's journal as an invaluable historical record, preserving details about Michigan's rivers, Indigenous communities, wildlife, and the early fur trade during a time when much of the region remained wilderness.
The Hugh Heward Challenge
More than 200 years later, canoeing legend Verlen Kruger and Michigan historian Jim Woodruff revived Heward's incredible accomplishment by creating the Hugh Heward Challenge.
Held each spring on the Grand River, the event commemorates Heward's legendary 50-mile day of paddling. Participants can choose from three distances:
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Full Hugh – 50 miles
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Half Hugh – 25 miles
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Quarter Hugh – 13 miles
While many elite paddlers participate, the event is much more than a race. It is a celebration of Michigan's paddling heritage, river stewardship, endurance, and community. The Hugh Heward Challenge welcomes paddlers of all experience levels who want to experience a piece of Michigan history from the seat of a canoe or kayak.
West Michigan Kayaking Club Proudly Supports the Hugh Heward Challenge
The West Michigan Kayaking Club is proud to be a sponsor and participant in the Hugh Heward Challenge.
Our members travel to the Grand River each year to paddle alongside fellow canoeists and kayakers from across Michigan, honoring the pioneers who helped shape our state's rich paddling tradition.
Supporting events like the Hugh Heward Challenge aligns perfectly with our mission:
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Promote safe and responsible paddling.
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Preserve Michigan's rivers and waterways.
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Celebrate paddling history and exploration.
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Build a welcoming community for paddlers of every skill level.
Whether members choose the Quarter Hugh, Half Hugh, or the challenging Full Hugh, the event represents everything our club stands for—adventure, perseverance, friendship, and respect for Michigan's waterways.
Keeping Michigan's Paddling Heritage Alive
The West Michigan Kayaking Club believes preserving paddling history is just as important as creating new adventures.
By supporting the Hugh Heward Challenge, we honor not only Hugh Heward's historic expedition but also the generations of Indigenous peoples, voyageurs, explorers, and modern paddlers who have traveled Michigan's rivers.
Every stroke on the Grand River reminds us that we are part of a tradition more than two centuries old.
We invite paddlers of all abilities to join us in future Hugh Heward Challenges and experience one of Michigan's most historic river journeys for themselves.
Join the Adventure
Visit the West Michigan Kayaking Club to learn about upcoming paddles, trips, conservation projects, and special events.
Website: https://www.westmichigankayakingclub.online
Join the conversation on our Facebook community and paddle with one of Michigan's fastest-growing kayaking clubs.
Wild Rivers. Rugged Trails. Real Adventure.
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