Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
65Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Tue 3: Wind 11 kn gusting 22, Air 22 °C, River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go
Tue 3 · 73 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 22kn
- Air
- 22°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 66 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 18°C
- Rain
- 6.2 mm
Thu 5 · 64 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 1.8 mm
Fri 6 · 61 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 19kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 1.2 mm
Sat 7 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 61 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Mon 9 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 14kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 3 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 9 days
Full forecast- Mon 271, good
- Tue 373, good
- Wed 466, good
- Thu 564, good
- Fri 661, good
- Sat 760, good
- Sun 861, good
- Mon 957, fair
- Tue 1040, poor
The spot in three facts
- Moving waterthe water
- 12.1 kmthe section
- Best Jun–Sep7 good days in 7
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 71, good | 9 kn | 18kn | 18°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 73, good | 11 kn | 22kn | 22°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 66, good | 12 kn | 24kn | 18°C | 6.2 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 64, good | 7 kn | 13kn | 13°C | 1.8 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 61, good | 8 kn | 19kn | 12°C | 1.2 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 60, good | 1 kn | 10kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 61, good | 8 kn | 17kn | 12°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 57, fair | 7 kn | 14kn | 10°C | 3 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 40, poor | 13 kn | 24kn | 8°C | 2.4 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
best Jun–Sep
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for grade III paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb0of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr3of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May6of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct4of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec0of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Grand River on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
2 places
- Grand River 0.3 km away
- Grand River 14.9 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Grand River
A river section on the Grand River, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 12 km along the river. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 15 km away. For grade III paddlers the best months are usually June, July, August and September, with about 7 good days in 7; in January, February and December, about 0. From the weather of past years. The town to stay in is Lyons Michigan. Within 5 km we also list 2 kayak spots.
- River Grand River
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Length 12 km along the river.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 15 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$931–US$1,650 each
about US$931–US$1,650 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: fuel, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | about 610 km there and back, shared | about US$40–US$54 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or bring your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$931–US$1,650 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Lyons Michigan
1 min by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Lyons Michigan its beds, food and every spot near it
Nearest town: Lyons Michigan, 0 km. We have not checked places to stay in Lyons Michigan yet. The nearest beds we have counted are in Hastings, 46 km away (about 1h 25m by car). Search before you plan on staying there.
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 3h 45m
About 3h 45m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 3h 45m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Lyons Michigan · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Lyons Michigan · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at GRAND RIVER AT IONIA, MI, 2 km downstream: 17.4 m³/s, very low for November (updated 36 min ago). Low: it may be too low to paddle.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in the United States: U.S. Geological Survey (public domain). Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
BeachSide 15 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits