Friends of Island Lake

Prior to our normal monthly Friends meeting, we will hike an out an back section of the blue trail. We will meet at the Blue Spruce Cabin and hike about two miles, before turning around and seeing it from the other direction. Total hike should be about 4 miles, maybe a bit less if we hike casually.

We welcome you to join the meeting afterward, and understand if you choose not to.

This month's meeting will be held at the Blue Spruce Cabin. This is a great chance to check out the park's rustic group cabins, which make a great homebase to explore the park with friends or family.

Beforehand, we will host an out and back hike of a section of the Blue Trail starting at 5PM. We will probably cover about 3-4 miles depending on the pace of the group.

Our meetings are a great chance to meet other people who love the park, and perhaps find your small (or large) way to get involved in stewarding it for future generations, or in helping current generations enjoy the park more fully.
The typical meeting content consists of a few reports and updates about the park, and hopefully some interesting tangents that give us energy to make a bigger impact.

We are a small but mighty group hoping you will come and help us be a bit less small and a bit mightier.

We hope to see you there!

Let's get out on the river for a longer paddle to enjoy the fall colors. The trip from Island Lake to Huron Meadows is about 4-5.5 hours depending on our paddling speed. As always, you can expect some maneuvering around trees after Riverbend. Portages are not expected but possible. We will stop at Placeway to have lunch and a bathroom break.

If you'd like a shorter paddle that ends at Riverbend or Placeway, it is possible that you may find others to arrange a shuttle with. I would suggest starting a conversation in the comments.

A state recreation passport is required at Island Lake and a Metroparks daily or annual pass is required at Huron Meadows.

This event will be cross-posted to other groups.

1. PFD Required
2. Dry clothes optional but recommended
3. we enjoy our alcoholic beverages off-river only due to safety and other concerns. Please respect the event host (It's awkward approaching someone mid-trip) and the clubs position on this matter. We’ll enjoy one with you after the trip.
4. We leave on time to make sure that those who have to drop out with out contacting us can do so. We also can't wait for those who will be running late to keep the paddle in order. Please be on time or early. 5. We leave together after the safety talk and picture. Please remain on land until the host has completed their duties in this regard.

Save the Date: Restore & Explore at Island Lake

Join the Friends of Island Lake for a weekend of stewardship, outdoor adventure, and good company at Island Lake State Recreation Area. We’ll spend part of the weekend helping care for the park through projects such as garlic mustard removal, with plenty of time left for hiking, kayaking, campfires, and simply enjoying the park.

Participants can stay in one of the park cabins on a cot or bring a tent and camp outside. More details and a full schedule will come later.