Download the Inland Waterway and Straits Area Water Trails Plan
Water Trail Plan Inland Waterway and Straits Area Cheboygan and Emmet Counties Funded by: Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce and the Michigan Coastal Management Program, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality with support from the Emmet County, Cheboygan County, Mackinaw City, and volunteers. June 2014 1 Inland Waterway and Straits Area Water Trail Plan Introduction The Inland Waterway is a 40 mile long historic water route that connects Lake Huron by way of Cheboygan, Indian River, Alanson, and Conway and with series of long portages at the headwaters to Petoskey State Park and Lake Michigan. A coastal route, part of the Huron Shores Blueways, connects the City of Cheboygan to Mackinaw City and the Straits of Mackinac. Like the interior water trails, the coastal waters have been used for transportation for thousands of years. The Inland Waterway has long been marketed as the motor boating paradise. Sitting along the banks of the Indian River on a summer afternoon and watching a steady stream of motored craft pass by, attests to the marketing success. There has never been a multi-community effort to organize and promote a paddle trail. Human-powered quiet water sports are among the fastest growing outdoor recreation activities. Combined with other active sports facilities such as the North Central State Trail, North Western State Trail and the North Country Trail, the water trail will bring visitors to the area, add to the quality of life for residents and enhance the rural-recreation sense of place. Furthermore, development of the water trail represents a regional, multi organization effort and will support economic development in the region of the state dependent upon recreational visitors.
[Show full text]