Think of your favorite mouth-watering, over the top, restaurant…

You know, the one with the menu that starts with zesty appetizers & ends with desserts just this side of heaven with entres in between that simply soothe your soul.

Kayaking around the Torch Lake area offers the same rich menu of choices as your favorite gourmet restaurant.

Appetizers…

You may want to start with something to wake up your kayaking taste buds & an early morning adventure could be just the thing. Clam, Elk, Skegemog, Torch, Bellaire, it doesn’t matter.  You can put in at any of the public accesses (or your own dock if you’re lucky enough to have one up here) & start your day with a short paddle into a warm summer sunrise.

or the early morning mist…

Soups & Salads

If you’re in the mood for something light & tasty, check out the little rivers that connect our lakes. Grass River, Torch River, & Rapid River offer satisfying experiences without overdoing it. If you’re lucky, you may spot the turtles that pass as miniature signposts along the way…

Turtle in Grass River telling you about an upcoming left-hand bend in the water.

Or if you’re really lucky, you may spot a loon…

or even an eagle…

Entres…

The best entres come with appealing sides & so do padding adventures. When you’re ready for the main course, pick a lake & a connecting river. Recommendations might include Lake Bellaire paired with The Grass River or Torch River followed by Lake Skegemog. Just check in with your kayaking appetite, your map, & the weather report, then make your choices accordingly.

entering Grass Rver from Lake Bellaire

Whole enchilada…

If you’re ready to tackle the “Super-size” meal paddle, you could re-create the Shorts to Shorts adventure this past spring. Hearty kayakers paddled from the Shorts Brew Pub in Bellaire to the Shorts Brewery in Elk Rapids. Yup, that means all the way through Lake Bellaire, down Grass River, through Clam Lake, past the Dockside & the southern end of Torch Lake, down Torch River, into Lake Skegemog, and finally, through Elk Lake to  Elk Rapids. This is a trip that is utterly guaranteed to satisfy any & all obsessive paddling hunger.

Dessert…

Every great meal ends with a fabulous dessert & so it is with kayaking. There is no better way to end your day than with a “dessert” cruise…

into the sunset or even the moonrise…

Just like restaurant critics, kayak critics everywhere, unanimously give this area a 5 star rating!!!

Just choose your course & GO!!!

Me…I’m off to find my life-jacket!!!