Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
The spot in two facts
- Moving waterthe water
- 3.5 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
Not for new paddlers. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. See it for grade III paddlers.
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.
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
4 places
- Looking Glass River 18.7 km away
- Looking Glass River 25.2 km away
- Looking Glass River 32 km away
- Looking Glass River 32.9 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 3.5 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 18 km away. The town to stay in is DeWitt. 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 3.5 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 18 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$933–US$1,650 each
about US$933–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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | about 615 km there and back, shared | about US$40–US$54 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$349–US$584 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$637 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or bring your own | about US$201–US$376 |
| Total | about US$933–US$1,650 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: DeWitt
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 1h by car
about US$134/nightcountry average
About DeWitt its beds, food and every spot near it
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 2 November 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 DeWitt · GetYourGuideKayak hire in DeWitt · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at GRAND RIVER AT IONIA, MI, 14 km downstream: 17.9 m³/s, very low for November (updated 3 h 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 18 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
Saved: this link opens the same trip
The link holds the trip itself: nothing about you is kept. Check the forecast again before you book.