Paddling the Cedar River

Photo by Ken Scott

By Linda Beaty
Sun contributor

We’d had a cold, wet spring in northern Michigan the morning that my husband and I hauled out our old Radisson canoe for a paddle down the Cedar River. It was a Sunday in early July, and finally, the sun was shining — an encouraging sign of warmth to come in the months ahead. We got to the boat launch at Victoria Creek Community Park in Cedar and put in, and I settled back for a lazy ride down the slow-moving waterway, eagerly anticipating the flash of a kingfisher or a glimpse of a turtle sunning itself on a log. But as we began to move downstream, it was neither of those that grabbed my attention, but the melodious sound of polka music.

It was the final day of the Polka Festival in Cedar, and while I’d attended the event each year since I’d moved to the area, I’d never heard music quite like this. Not the rollicking, foot-tapping polka tunes that invite dancing, but something more haunting — even spiritual. I realized that I was listening to the melodies of the festival’s Sunday Polka Mass. The mass, with live polka musicians, is held each year on the final morning of the festival at 11 a.m. sharp, and is followed by the traditional Polish Procession of Our Lady of Czestochowa.

The music followed us downriver, and I closed my eyes to enjoy it. I’ve paddled many rivers in Michigan, from the southeastern and central area’s Huron, Pine, Pigeon and Raisin, to the Upper Peninsula’s Ontonagon and Northern Michigan’s Boardman, Platte and Manistee. And while each river has its own unique personality, that particular trip down the Cedar River, to this day, was the best paddle I’ve ever taken.

Even sans polka music, a trip down the Cedar River to the south end of the pristine Lake Leelanau is well worth your time, because although fairly short, it’s a fascinating body of water. The name, for one thing. If you’ve heard it called “Victoria Creek,” “Cedar Run Creek,” and “Cedar River,” all are correct at one point or another, said Matt Heiman, director of land programs for the Leelanau Conservancy. According to Heiman, the Cedar River is formed from the joining of Victoria Creek, which enters Solon Swamp from the west, and Cedar Run Creek, which enters the swamp from the south. “The actual Cedar River is only about the quarter mile of water above Lake Leelanau,” he said.

But it’s fine — even less confusing — to collectively call it Cedar River, laughed Heiman.

If you’re wondering why Victoria Creek in Cedar would be deep enough to paddle before it joins up with Cedar Run Creek, it’s because the water is backed up into the lake all the way down, thanks to the Leland Dam. Built in 1854 to power a sawmill operation at the outlet of the Leland River, it caused Lake Leelanau — and Victoria Creek’s — water levels to rise. The Cedar River is some 3-5 feet deep, maybe more in places, said Heiman. “It’s hard to accurately say because of the soft substrate bottom,” he explained.

The dam also makes the river current almost non-existent, which means that it’s entirely possible to paddle downriver to Lake Leelanau, then turn around and paddle right back up. Or you can head onward to the landing at Solon Township Beach, which is four miles east of Cedar.

Without a doubt, the most special thing about the Cedar River is that it is home to the Leelanau Conservancy’s Cedar River Preserve, a 440-acre undisturbed wetland complex that provides habitat for a vast array of wildlife and vegetation.

What can you expect to see? At different times of the year you’ll see different things, said Beverly Christensen, a Cedar resident who heads the Cedar Area Community Foundation, which hosts a yearly Cedar River evening paddle (this year on August 1).

“If you quietly round a bend, you’re likely to see a great blue heron or a nest of sandhill cranes or a mallard family,” said Christensen. “Occasionally we’ve seen a muskrat or mink.”

As for plants, she added, “There are prairie roses in blossom about now, and one can see Joe-Pye weed, wild irises, and of course, water lilies, both white and yellow.”

According to the Conservancy’s website, Cedar River critters also include osprey, kingfishers, turtles, whirligig beetles, fish, green frogs, and the compelling and rare Saturniid moths, famous for their wing spans as great as five inches across. As for plants, expect to find cattails, bog lady’s tresses, sundew, bladderwort, and the insect-eating pitcher plant.

What to know before you go? You’ll want to plan enough time — roughly one hour of steady paddling from the boat launch in Cedar to Lake Leelanau, said Christensen. And it’s good to use the restroom beforehand, because there’s no place to stop and get out along the way, she added.

As for safety, always bring your personal flotation device. “Also be aware that this river has a lot of muck on the bottom, so never hang on to a branch or snag along the river, because if you go over, it’s very dangerous,” advised Christensen.

Most importantly, she said, “Leave nothing but the ripples from your paddle. Whatever you bring in, take out. Please respect our wilderness and don’t leave trash behind.”

For more information on the Cedar Area Community Foundation Cedar River Paddle, contact Christensen at 231-228-3426.