Join us on a lovely fall paddle along a beautiful stretch of the Mason Tract. The outing will take approximately 4 hours. We will stop for lunch at the Durant Castle site, featuring an open picnic area and a pit toilet. This easy trip will allow you the opportunity to leisurely case the trees and shoreline for the various birds and wildlife that inhabit the area. Michigan Live has pinned this date as a peak color opportunity.
We will meet at Chase Bridge at 10:15 AM so that we can have our gear unloaded and be ready to move vehicles by 10:30 AM. Bring your kayak, paddles, PFD, lunch and rain gear.
After lunch, if time permits, we can stop at the open air chapel alongside the river on our way to the take-out at Smith Bridge.
The travel time from Traverse City is about an hour and a half, but it's worth it!
See driving directions on our website; go to South Branch of the AuSable (Chase Bridge)
Mason Tract Wilderness Area
A pleasant, slow-moving stream that is popular with canoeists and fly fishermen alike. The South Branch of the Au Sable River is an appealing stream for paddlers looking for an undemanding and scenic float. It proceeds at a sleepy pace for its entire length, passing through the heart of the Mason Tract Wilderness Area before joining with the Au Sable mainstream. The Mason Tract is a sanctuary of several thousand acres that was bequeathed to the state back in the mid-1950s by George Mason, an auto executive and outdoor enthusiast. Per Mason’s instructions, the entire area—including the river corridor —has been kept in a natural state for successive generations of paddlers and anglers to enjoy. Today its woodlands of cedar, pine, and hardwoods support good populations of deer, woodcock, ruffed grouse, and other wildlife. ------By:Trails.com