Travel by Any Means Necessary

Tag: Port Austin

Kayaking to Turnip Rock

Turnip Rock from the Water

After our three weeks out west, we took the month of July off travel, but the first weekend in August, we headed out again! Five years ago, we took a trip to Michigan’s “thumb” with the hope to kayak to Turnip Rock. Well, the weather had other ideas for us, as it thunderstormed the entire weekend. Our camping set up at the time was inadequate, especially for that weather and overall, it was a miserable weekend.

Well, years passed and I still wanted to experience Turnip Rock, so I booked a weekend camping at Sleeper State Park. Our last time in the area, we stayed at Port Crescent, so this was a new campground for us. Sleeper is a big campground with a beautiful beach on the other side of the road. The campground is like most in the Michigan State Park system, with decent-sized, fairly wooded sites, but Sleeper is definitely missing that waterfront charm that Port Crescent has. If you are planning on camping in the area, I would recommend Port Crescent over Sleeper.

Kayak at Turnip RockWell, we woke up early on Saturday morning and headed to Bird Creek Park and inflated the kayak. It is a three-and-a-half-mile paddle along the shores of Lake Huron to get to Turnip Rock. The wind was at our back and we made great time getting to the rock formation. The way back was much more difficult. We were paddling into the wind and I swear the waves were bigger. The funny thing is when paddling on calmer bodies of water, my arms get tired and I need to take breaks. My adrenaline kept me going and I didn’t even feel tired until we got back to the car. I am very glad we didn’t try this five years ago because it was not an easy paddle and we didn’t have the experience back then that we have now.

The rock itself was smaller than I imagined it to be. It was very cool to see it, I’m glad we made the trek out there, but it looks so much bigger in pictures. As you can see below, there were already quite a few people when we got there. I can only imagine how busy it must get later in the day.

Turnip Rock

Something to note, Turnip Rock is located on Private Property. The only way to see it is by water. You are allowed to beach your boat and get out as long as you stay below the high water line. It is illegal to climb the rocks and the Point Aux Barques community that owns the land does prosecute for trespassing.

Turnip Rock is a very unique spot in Michigan and everyone should check it out, if you are able. If you are interested in Kayaking Turnip Rock, you can rent from Port Austin Kayak. It is a good idea to follow them on Twitter because they share the daily weather conditions. Even if you have your own kayak it is good to check with them because if PAK is not renting, it’s probably not safe to make the trek.

Thanks for stopping by! To read about some of our previous trips, visit my Trips Page. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page and follow me on Instagram! You can purchase prints on Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my updated Gear Page.

Wordless Wednesday: Photographing a Sunset

Lake Huron Sunset

Wordless Wednesday: Beach at Sunset

Beach Sunset

Wordless Wednesday: Storm Rolling In

Storm Rolling In

Exploring the Thumb

The Fury of Lake Huron

This past weekend we ventured to Port Crescent State Park, at the tip of the thumb. I had never been to that part of the state before and I was excited to check it out. Luckily, we were able to catch a stunning sunset the first night because it rained the rest of the weekend. I was really hoping to kayak to Turnip Rock, but I wasn’t about to do that in a thunderstorm.

We decided to not let the rain get us down and we drove around and explored the area. The lake was gorgeous like all of the Great Lakes, but honestly, there wasn’t much else to see. It’s a very flat part of the state and is mostly filled with farms and windmills. Maybe it was the weather, but The Thumb didn’t win my heart like the Ludington area did. I’m sure we will be back because I still want to check out Turnip Rock, so maybe my second impression will change my mind.

To learn more about the Thumb Region, visit ThumbTourism.org. Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.

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