WATER TRAILPADDLERS’ GUIDE

The Flint River and its tributaries form a watershed spanning approximately 1,332 square miles of southeastern Michigan. This is a part of our state’s largest watershed – the Saginaw Bay Watershed. The main river and its basin, at 142 miles long, covers most of Genesee and Lapeer counties while touching five other counties. Major tributaries of the Flint River include the South and North Branches, and the Kearsley, Thread, Swartz and Misteguay Creeks. The Flint River flows through Lapeer, Flint and heads North to the Shiawassee National Refuge where it joins the Shiawassee River. The Shiawassee, Tittabawassee and Cass Rivers converge, becoming the Saginaw River, and they complete their journey in the Saginaw Bay of Lake Huron.

THE FLINT RIVER

River conditions are always changing, and high water can be dangerous. Check conditions and local weather reports before launching. Users have primary responsibility for their own safety.

• State law requires a Coast Guard approved life jacket be present for each paddler and that children 6 years of age or less wear a life jacket at all times while on the water. It is strongly recommended that all paddlers wear a properly fitted life jacket while on the water.

• Be prepared. Always pack a first aid kit, whistle and a signaling device.

• Paddling is safest with a partner. You should always tell someone on land your trip plan including location, how many in your group and when you expect to be off water.

• Be aware and respectful of the boundary lines for public and private properties. Users are responsible for following all posted rules.

• Help preserve the river and its resources for future generations by carrying out all trash and items that you take in. Leave all wildlife and vegetation as you found it.

• Wash your boat and equipment before entering another body of water to prevent the spread of invasive species.

SAFE PADDLING TIPS

1

KEY

For information on float times, paddle rentals and guided tours, contact the Flint River Watershed Coalition at 810.767.6490 or flintriver.org

ADA-Accessible

Fees

Restrooms

Potable Water

Access Sites

Hospital / Urgent Care

Dining

Picnic

Hazard / Dam

Note: All included access points have parking.

2

Natural

SKILL LEVELTRAIL CHARACTER

Intermediate

AdvancedSmall Town

Urban Core

Beginner

Natural

SKILL LEVELTRAIL CHARACTER

Intermediate

AdvancedSmall Town

Urban Core

Beginner

Natural

SKILL LEVELTRAIL CHARACTER

Intermediate

AdvancedSmall Town

Urban Core

Beginner

Trail Character Skill Level

Natural

Small Town

City

Beginner

Intermediate

Advanced

0 0.25 0.5 1Miles

Scale

Features

Roads

Land Trails

Flint River Water Trail

Natural Shoreline

Carry-in

Paddle Launch

Boat Ramp

Type Of Access

Lakes

Public Park Land

River Flow Direction

FLIN

T

FLU

SHIN

G

MO

NTR

OSE

SAG

INAW

LAPE

ER

69

75

475

M 13

M 83

M 15

M 15

M 57

M 24

M 90

4

5

6

7

9

8

10

11

12

13

14

3TA

BLE

OF

CON

TEN

TSFa

rmer

s Cre

ek a

t Oak

dale

| C

ram

ton

Park

|

Rota

ry P

ark

| Sa

gina

w S

t

Mill

ville

Rd

Land

ing

| N

orw

ay L

andi

ng

Klam

Rd

| Co

lum

biav

ille

| Ze

mm

er P

ark

Wal

leye

Pik

e Bo

at L

aunc

h |

Hollo

way

Dam

Pu

blic

Acc

ess |

M15

/Sta

te R

d La

ndin

g |

Ri

chfie

ld C

ount

y Pa

rk

Rich

field

Cou

nty

Park

| Ir

ish R

d La

unch

|

Stan

ley

Rd L

aunc

h |

Blue

gill

Boat

Lau

nch

Blue

gill

Boat

Lau

nch

| St

eppi

ng S

tone

Fal

ls |

Bray

Rd

Land

ing

Viet

nam

Vet

eran

s Mem

oria

l Par

k |

Mott

Par

k Pa

ddle

rs’ L

andi

ng |

Mits

on B

lvd/

Rive

rvie

w

Cano

e La

ndin

g

Mits

on B

lvd/

Rive

rvie

w C

anoe

Lan

ding

|

Rive

r Rd

Laun

ch

Rive

r Rd

Laun

ch |

Flu

shin

g Ri

verv

iew

Par

k |

Flus

hing

Tow

nshi

p N

atur

e Pa

rk

Mon

tros

e Ba

rber

Mem

oria

l Par

k

Saginaw St – Mile 50.6 mi1 mi

Rotary Park – Mile 2.5¼ mi 0.8 mi

Cramton Park – Mile 1.6½ mi 0.4 mi

Farmers Creek at Oakdale – Mile 0Launch access from Lake Dr

½ mi 2.1 mi¼ mi

Mill

ville

S M

ain

St

Sagi

naw

St

E Oregon St

W Genesee St / Old M-21Cour

t

Bent

ley

St

McCormick Demille Rd

Demille Rd

Lake

DrTurrill

S M

onro

e St

Davis Lake Rd

E Nepessing St

69

69

LAPEER

1 Mile

M24

4FARMERS CREEK AT OAKDALE TO SAGINAW STNote: Possible logjams. Check river conditions.

Mill

ville

Rd

McKeen Lake Rd

Bronson Lake Rd

Mountview Rd

Plum Creek Rd

Flin

t Riv

er R

d

Flin

t Riv

er R

d

Stanley Rd

Norway Lake Rd

Skel

ton

Rd

Columbiaville Rd

Le Valley Rd

Angle Rd

Millville Rd Landing – Mile 8.72.4 mi

Norway Landing – Mile 16.2

1 Mile

5MILLVILLE RD LANDING TO NORWAY LANDINGNote: Possible logjams. Check river conditions.

N Lake Rd

Colu

mbi

aville

Rd

Colu

mbi

aville

Rd

Pier

sonv

ille R

d

Holle

nbec

k Rd

Barn

es La

ke R

dLonsberry Rd

Peters Rd

Marathon Rd

Hannaman Rd

Mt M

orris

Rd

Klam Rd

Marathon Rd

5th St

Zem

mer

Rd

Rive

r St

Wat

er S

t

Lapeer St

Klam Rd – Mile 22.3

Columbiaville – Mile 24.3½ mi

Zemmer Park – Mile 25.7

COLUMBIAVILLE

Holloway Reservoir

1 Mile

KLAM RD TO ZEMMER PARK 6

Holloway Reservoir

Mt M

orris

Rd

E M

t Mor

ris R

dE

Mt M

orris

Rd

Stan

ley

Rd

German Rd

Stan

ley

Rd

E St

anle

y Rd

Carr

Rd N Henderson Rd

N Oak Rd

N Oak Rd

N State Rd

Holloway Reservoir

Walleye Pike Boat Launch – Mile 29.1

Holloway Dam Public Access – Mile 30

M15/State Rd Landing – Mile 31.7

Holloway Dam(Portage required)

Richfield County Park – Mile 33Launch north of rock bridge

1 Mile

RICHFIELDTOWNSHIP

M15

WALLEYE PIKE BOAT LAUNCH TO RICHFIELD COUNTY PARKNote: Possible logjams. Check river conditions.

7

GENESEECHARTERTOWNSHIP

Mott Lake

N Belsay Rd

N Vassar Rd

N Irish Rd

Gale Rd

E Co

ldw

ater

Rd

Luca

s Rd

E M

t Mor

ris R

d

E Co

ldw

ater

Rd

Carp

ente

r Rd

N Genesee Rd

Center Rd

Center Rd

E St

anle

y Rd

E St

anle

y Rd

E Co

ldw

ater

Rd

Irish Rd Launch – Mile 35

Bluegill Boat Launch – Mile 41.2

Stanley Rd Launch – Mile 39.81.5 mi

James Bassett Dr

Richfield County Park – Mile 33Launch north of rock bridge

1 Mile

RICHFIELD COUNTY PARK TO BLUEGILL BOAT LAUNCH8Note: Possible logjams. Check river conditions.

FLINT

Carpenter Rd

Crosby RdCarpenter Rd

Carpenter Rd

Branch Rd

Western Rd

Saginaw St

James P Cole Blvd

E Stewart Ave

E Pierson Rd

E Pierson Rd

Richfield Rd

N Dort Hwy

E Coldwater Rd

E Coldwater Rd

E Stanley Rd

N Bray Rd

Center Rd

N Genesee Rd

Jam

es B

asse

tt Dr

475

475

Kearsley Dam

Utah Dam(Portage advised)

Mott Dam(Portage required)

Mott Lake

Kears

ley Res

ervo

ir

Stepping Stone Falls – Mile 42.8Portage upstream of buoys, launch access downstream of dam

Bray Rd Landing – Mile 43.2

Bluegill Boat Launch – Mile 41.2

1 Mile

M54

M54

BLUEGILL BOAT LAUNCH TO BRAY RD LANDING 9

James P Cole Blvd

E B oulevard Dr

E Ha

milt

on A

ve

Saginaw St

N Grand Traverse St

Dupont St

Suns

et D

r

N Chevrolet Ave

Flush

ing Rd

W C

ourt

St

W C

ourt

St

Miller Rd

University Ave

N Ballenger HwyBeecher Rd

Colli

ns R

d

Mitson Blvd

S Ballenger Hwy

E 5th St

475

475

69

69

75

FLINTHamilton Dam

River restoration in progress.Portage required.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Park – Mile 47.3Paddling NOT recommended between VietnamVeterans Park and Mott Park due to dams, steep cement walls and lack of access and egress points.

1 mi 1.5 mi

Mitson Blvd/Riverview Canoe Landing – Mile 52.10.6 mi 1.5 mi

Mott Park Paddlers’ Landing – Mile 51.1½ mi400 ft ¼ mi

1 Mile

M21

M21

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK TO MITSON BLVD 10

75

75

Flus

hing

Rd

Flus

hing

RdW

Pierson Rd

N Linden Rd

Mitson Blvd

Mill RdE

Rive

r Rd

Elms Rd

Elms Rd

Potter Rd

Morrish Rd

N Linden Rd

Beecher Rd

Mitson Blvd/Riverview Canoe Landing – Mile 52.10.6 mi 1.5 mi

River Rd Launch – Mile 581.4 mi

FLINTTOWNSHIP

Possible logjam at Mill Rd bridge.

1 Mile

11MITSON BLVD TO RIVER RD

S Se

ymou

r St

E Main St

N S

eym

our S

t

W Mt Morris Rd

W Stanley Rd

Coldwater Rd

Dela

nd R

d

Carpenter Rd

N M

cKin

ley

Rd

N M

cKin

ley R

d

E River Rd W River Rd

Mill St

Terr

ace

St

River Rd Launch – Mile 581.4 mi

Flushing Riverview Park – Mile 60600 ft

Flushing Township Nature Park – Mile 66

FLUSHINGTOWNSHIP

FLUSHING

1 Mile

RIVER RD TO FLUSHING TOWNSHIP NATURE PARK 12

N S

eym

our R

d

N S

herid

an R

dN

She

ridan

Rd

N S

eym

our R

d

Vienna Rd W State St

Wilson Rd Wilson Rd

W Farrand St

Lake RdLake Rd

W Farrand St

W Dodge Rd W Dodge Rd

W Frances Rd

N M

cKin

ley

Rd

MONTROSE

Montrose Barber Memorial Park – Mile 70.70.7 mi

1 Mile

M57

MONTROSE BARBER MEMORIAL PARK 13

M13

M13

M13

Sher

idan R

d

Curtis Rd

W Fry Rd

Shiawassee River

Birch Run Rd

Lake RdM

orse

ville

Rd

Seymour Rd

Seym

our R

d

3 Miles

MONTROSETOWNSHIP

TO SHIAWASSEE NATIONAL REFUGE 14

Flint River Watershed Coalition1300 Bluff Street, Suite 114, Flint MI 48504flintriver.org | 810.767.6490

Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission5045 Stanley Road, Flint MI 48506geneseecountyparks.org | 800.648.PARK

Genesee County Metropolitan Planning Commission1101 Beach Street, Room 223, Flint MI 48502gcmpc.org | 810.257.3010

Funding for this brochure provided by: