Chapter Five - Kayaking Stops In Indiana

Interstate 90 runs across the northern edge of Indiana as a toll road. Driving a few miles to the south of I-90 there are roads which run parallel and provide some excellent kayaking stops. The northern part of Indiana is rolling farm country and is dotted with fine flat lakes and Class I rivers just perfect for kayaking. The water's edge is easily accessed in many of the state parks and access is clearly marked with Indiana's water access signs.

The stops listed in this chapter are arranged in east to west order along Route 90. All of the Indiana state parks were well marked along the highway and secondary roads, making them easy to locate.

Paddle Indiana: An Access Guide to Canoeing & Kayaking Indiana Lakes & Streams by Alan McPherson is a wonderful guidebook for paddling information for the state of Indiana.

Map of Route in Indiana

Stop 1: Pokagon State Park, Angola, IN

Directions: Exit 114 off Route 90. I-69 South towards Angola, IN. Park is well marked from I-69.

Address:

Pokagon State Park

450 Lane 100 Lake James

Angola, IN 46703

260-833-2012

Website: http://www.stateparks.com/pokagon.html

Entrance fee: $5.00 parking, $5.00 for kayak - $4.00 daily entrance fee ($5.00 out of state) or a $24.00 annual State Park pass is required in the summer and on weekends and holidays

If you exit Route 90 at I-69 (Exit 114) and drive south five miles you will come to Pokagon (pronounced po-KAG-un) State Park. Located in the rolling hills of Indiana's lake country, Pokagon State Park offers trails, lake shores, rolling hills, wetlands, open meadows, paved bicycle paths, horseback riding, boating, boat rentals, camping, swimming and fishing. Pokagon State Park is located on the east side of Lake James. There are very comfortable changing facilities for those wishing to hike, bike or kayak, and ample parking. The park contains two lakes: Lake James (1,034 surface area acres) and Snow Lake (422 surface area acres). Both these lakes are heavily developed with homes and summer cottages.

The park gets its name from two notable leaders of the Potawatomi Indians, Leopold and Simon Pokagon (father and son). Indiana legend tells us that Leopold Pokagon was the son of a Chippewa father and Ottawa mother, born around the year 1775. He was abducted from his Chippewa village by a Potawatomi chief and given to Chief Topenebee of the Potawatomi. He was given the name Pokagon, meaning "rib", because he was wearing a headdress which contained a human rib. Simon Pokagon, son of Leopold, was born in a Potawatomi village. He studied for four years at Notre Dame, one year at Oberlin College, and two years at Twinsburg College in Ohio. During his college career, he met and married a Potawatomi Indian girl name Lonidaw. Lake Lonidaw, in Pokagon State Park, got its name from the crystal lake where the two were said to have made their home.

After a brief drive around the grounds to get acquainted with the park, the next stop should be the lake for kayaking. Getting to the boat ramp is a bit tricky. Instead of following the signs to the beach or boat rental area you must make the first left turn after the main gate. There is no sign for the boat ramp area, but you will see a sign for the Potawatomi Inn and Restaurant directly in front of you near the turn. Do not pass the Inn or you have gone too far and missed the left turn. After turning left, drive a few yards and you will see a sign that says "Authorized Personnel Only Beyond This Point." This is the entrance to the boat dock and launch area. A short, partially unpaved single-lane road provides the only access to the launch area. I spoke with a park worker who laughed about the sign and told me to go ahead and drive down the road.

Road leading to kayak launch area at Pokagon State Park

There are places for only one or two vehicles at the launch site near the boat dock at Pokagon State Park. It is best to unload everything near the dock then drive back to the main parking area at the Potawatomi Inn and Restaurant. I put in near the boat dock and kayaked this very tranquil lake. There is a nice beach area on Lake James, but getting a kayak down the steep hill leading to the beach is a problem. It's much easier to launch at the boat ramp area, kayak over to the beach (less than a mile), and land on the beach. Here you can rest and have a picnic in the picnic area. The Lake James shoreline also has many nice, sandy landing areas which can make great rest stops.

Rest area on Lake James at Pokagon State Park

Although there were many motorboats on Lakes James I found kayaking here to be very peaceful. The lake is large enough to accommodate all types of boats. The boat dock has about twelve slips for motorboats. There is a concession stand and a changing area next to the dock. The only thing missing from the boat dock area is parking.

Boathouse near dock at Pokagon State Park

Lake James is a lovely kayaking lake in spite of the fact that it must be shared with small motorboats and sailboats. Kayakers can launch from the boat dock, which is low, or use the sandy beach area next to the boat dock to put in. I launched at the sandy beach area and had the lake pretty much to myself while kayaking along the eastern shoreline. Although it was overcast on the day I kayaked Lake James, the water was extremely smooth and there was little wind.

After kayaking on Lake James I enjoyed a scenic bike ride on the paved bike trail through the Potawatomi Nature Preserve. This Preserve contains natural lakes, cattail marshes, sedge meadows, tamarack and yellow birch swamps and uplands covered with hardwoods such as red oak, white oak, wild black cherry, shagbark hickory, and sugar maple. Hiking or biking through the Potawatomi Nature Preserve is a good way to round off a day of kayaking on Lake James.

Pokagon State Park also offers the following activities:

· Boat Motor Permitted / Waterskiing

· Cabin rooms, Inn Operated

· Camping, Electric-200 sites, Non-electric-73 sites

· General Store

· Cross-country Skiing / skis available

· Dumping Station

· Fishing / Ice Fishing

· Hiking Trails

· Inn Accommodations / Potawatomi Inn Restaurant

· Meeting & Conference Facilities

· Nature Center / Interpretive Services

· Picnicking

· Playground Equipment

· Rental-Paddleboat, Rowboat & Pontoon

· Rental-Recreation Building

· Saddle Barn

· Sand Volleyball Court

· Swimming / Beach

· Toboggan Run

· Youth Tent Areas

Pokagon State Park has an extremely friendly staff. I asked a ridiculous number of questions and the staff was always happy to assist. The park offers guided hikes, crafts and demonstrations, talks, historic home tours and interpretive center exhibits. Interpretive naturalists were first called "nature guides" when the program began in 1923. Interpretive naturalists on onsite at Pokagon State Park year-round.

Campsites can be reserved on the Indiana Department of National Resources website at: http://www.indiana.reserveworld.com/. Pokagon State Park makes an easily accessible, enjoyable kayak stop just a short distance from Route 90 and is well worth the stop.

Stop 2: Chain O'Lakes State Park, Albion, IN

Directions: Route 69 South to Route 6 West towards Brimfield, turn left on 9 South towards Merriam, 4 miles to park entrance.

Chain O'Lakes State Park

2355 East 75 South

Albion, IN 46701

260-636-2654

Website: http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_chainolakes.html

Entrance fee $5.00 parking, $4.00 for kayak

After kayaking at Pokagon State Park in Angola, Indiana, I decided to run parallel to Route 90 by driving west on US Route 6 which was nearby. I drove back to I-69 and drove south 13 miles to Exit 134 and headed across US Route 6 toward Waterloo/Kendallville. I drove approximately 20 miles on US Route 6 then exited on Route 9 and drove south to Chain O'Lakes State Park near Albion, Indiana.

The well-named Chain O'Lakes State Park in Noble County, Indiana, consists of eleven lakes, eight of which are connected. Eight of the lakes (Miller, Rivir, Mud, Weber, Sand, Bowen, Dock, and Long) are connected by passageways and it is possible to kayak between them. Three other lakes (Norman Lake and the two Finster Lakes) are also in the park, but are not connected to the other lakes. The lakes in the chain were formed by glaciers and make up approximately seven miles of shoreline in this 2,678-acre park. The lakes at Chain O'Lakes State Park which are typical glacial formations are known as 'kettle' lakes. Lakeside camping is available for canoeists and kayakers between Rivir Lake and Mud Lake. Boat launches are available on Sand, Norman, Dock, and Long Lakes. Canoe and kayak camping is available on Rivir Lake.

Getting to Chain O'Lakes State Park includes driving a wonderful portion of Route 6, the Highway of the Grand Army of the Republic. This is a coast-to-coast highway that runs 3,652 miles through fourteen states. Major William L. Anderson, Jr. (U.S. Army), of Massachusetts conceived the idea of designating US Route 6 as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway to honor the Union army of the Civil War.

Sal Paradise, in Jack Kerouac's novel On The Road, planned to travel west on this highway when he found the "one long red line called Route 6 that led from the tip of Cape Cod clear to Ely, Nevada, and there dipped down to Los Angeles."

Today, Route 6 in Indiana is a two-lane highway with very broad shoulders giving it the feel of the Canadian Transcontinental Highway. The highway goes straight west and runs through very scenic farm country. After approximately 20 miles I turned south onto Route 9 and drove to Chain O'Lakes State Park just as rain began.

After entering the Chain O'Lakes State Park gate, there is a two-mile road which takes you to the first sign for a boat ramp and the first lake, Sand Lake. The boat ramp at Sand Lake is a very steep, concrete ramp with a sandy launch area next to it. The sandy area makes the best place for kayak launching.

Boat ramp at Sand Lake at Chain O'Lakes State Park

Facilities at Sand Lake include a beach, bathhouse, concessions, boat launch, boat rentals, fishing pier, picnic areas and shelters. This part of the park tends to be more crowded than other areas.

A better launch area can be found by driving past the Sand Lake boat ramp, following the signs (a left, then a right) for the next boat ramp at Dock Lake. This is the best place to launch a kayak. There are bathrooms for changing, a boat ramp, and a beach made of small pebbles for launching. Parking is located right at the boat ramp and it was not crowded at all on the summer Saturday when I visited.

When I drove up to Dock Lake and started uploading my kayak, I met two very friendly kayakers who turned out to be from Fort Wayne, Indiana having their lunch and a brief rest. One of the kayakers had built his own kayak from a kit and told me all about the links and passages at Chain O'Lakes. I had to agree with their comment about how nice it was to kayak on lakes with no houses or developments on the shores.

Launch area at Dock Lake at Chain O'Lakes State Park

I put in at Dock Lake and had the entire lake to myself. I was delighted to see nothing but trees, birds, water lilies and clean, clear water. I paddled down a narrow passageway and looked down through the clear water at a sandy bottom only a foot below me. I paddled towards Long Lake. This tranquil setting affords about the best kayaking one could hope to imagine. The mosquitoes became noticeable in the passageways between lakes but a bit of spray kept them from interfering with the beautiful scene. Once I was out of the passageways and a bit of a breeze picked up the mosquitoes were not bothersome.

View from my kayak cockpit while paddling through the passageway to Bowen Lake from Sand Lake at Chain O'Lakes State Park

I kayaked to Dock Lake and took another passageway towards Bowen Lake where I met up with two fishermen and a family of four in a large canoe.

Dock Lake at Chain O'Lakes State Park

Bowen Lake is larger than Dock Lake but is quite an easy paddle to the connected Sand Lake. There are many landing spots along the shore for stretching your legs and enjoying the scenery.

Approaching a trail bridge while kayaking through passageway from Sand Lake to Bowen Lake at Chain O'Lakes State Park

This lake country is a small boater's paradise, but in addition to paddling through the chain, you can hike the scenic trails. There are eight nature trails in the park ranging from half a mile to 2.5 miles long. Most of these trails are easy hikes that circle one or two of the lakes. Trail 6, at 2.5 miles, is the longest trail in the park. It begins at Dock Lake and goes through the southeastern portion of the park.

Visitors can also attend a nature program in the park's Nature Center, which occupies an old schoolhouse next to the easternmost Finster Lake and features a variety of exhibits about the area's flora and fauna. The Nature Center is open from Memorial Day to Labor Day from 12 to 4 p.m.

At nearby Rome City, you can visit the Gene Stratton-Porter Home State Historic Site. Gene (born Geneva) Stratton-Porter was one of Indiana's most famous female authors. She was an independent woman, an accomplished naturalist and a born storyteller. Born near Wabash, Indiana in 1863, she lived until 1924 when a streetcar accident claimed her life in Los Angeles at the height of her second career in movie production. For a biography of Gene Stratton-Porter, read her daughter Jeanette Porter Meehan's book The Lady of the Limberlost.

The following activities are available in the Park:

· Boat Launch Ramp

· Boating / Electric motor only

· Camp Store

· Nature Center/Interpretive Services

· Shelters (Shelter Reservations)

· Rental-Canoe, Paddleboat, Rowboat

· Cross County Skiing /

· Fishing / Ice Fishing

· Hiking Trails

· Swimming / Beach

· Camping, Electric-331 sites, Non-Electric-49 sites, Primitive-33 sites, Group Camp-4 sites

· Canoe Camp

· Youth Tent Areas

· Campground Reservations

My fondness for the state of Indiana grew significantly as I drove west through the beautiful countryside. Driving through northern Indiana you see many signs that say "Public Access Site." You can launch a kayak or canoe at any of these locations. I like a state that takes its citizens' access to water seriously and Indiana provided plenty of water access.

Stop 3: Potato Creek State Park

Directions: Exit 77 off Route 80/90. Take 31 South toward Lakeville. Go West on Route 4. Potato Creek State Park is located in north central Indiana about 13 miles southwest of South Bend.

Potato Creek State Park

25601 State Road 4

P.O. Box 908

North Liberty, IN 46554

574-656-8186

Website: http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/properties/park_potatocreek.html

Entrance fee $5.00 parking, $5.00 for kayak

Potato Creek State Park is located in north-central Indiana about 12 miles southwest of South Bend. Worster Lake at Potato Creek State Park is a beautiful 327-acre lake surrounded by old fields, mature woodlands, prairies and wetlands. The lake is named in honor of Darcy Worster, an early park supporter. The park opened in 1977 and is home to a wide array of wildlife including beaver, raccoon, fox, coyote and wild turkey. As I entered the park and drove toward the East boat launch, I saw several grey herons flying over the lake.

In addition to Worster Lake, the park provides a wide variety of natural habitats including woodlands, restored prairies and well-used wetlands. Activities and facilities available in the park include:

· Bicycle Trail / 3.2 miles

· Boat Launch Ramps / 2

· Boat Motor / Electric trolling only

· Bridle Trails

· Cabins - 17

· Camping, Electric - 287 sites

· Camping Reservations

· Camp Store

· Camp, Horsemen's Electric / 70 sites

· Cross-country Skiing

· Dumping Station

· Fishing / Ice Fishing / Fishing Pier

· Fish Cleaning Station

· Hiking Trails

· Interpretive Brochures

· Interpretive Services (Activities Schedules)

· Nature Center

· Picnicking / Playground Equipment

· Rental-Bicycle

· Rental-Canoe, Paddleboat, Rowboat

· Shelter Reservations

· Swimming / Beach

· Wildlife Observation Area

· Youth Tent Areas

Some wetland areas are located near the Visitor Center, while areas planted with prairie grasses and forbes can be found along the main road going west. Additional wetlands run around the north side of the lake.

Prairie Grasses at Potato Creek Park

As you drive around the lake, you may spot hawks, turkey vultures, eastern bluebirds, eastern meadowlarks, sparrows, willow flycatchers, yellow warblers and swallows. Waterfowl and wading birds are visible just about everywhere. The northwest section of the park provides more prairie and wetland restorations.

The East boat launch area turned out to have a concrete ramp as well as a sandy area for launching a kayak. I decided not to put in at this launch area, as there was a group of workers setting up for an evening fireworks display. I decided to drive over to the West boat launch area to put launch my kayak into Worster Lake.

Crew setting up fireworks at the East boat launch

The East boat launch area has a small wooden dock which extends about 20 feet into the lake. A large red barn sits near the boat dock and helps add to the feeling that you are launching out an idyllic country lake. As I launched a gentle breeze was blowing off the lake and birds were dashing about everywhere.

Red barn near East boat ramp at Worster Lake

I had the West boat launch all to myself except for two boys who were fishing. There was a grey heron perched upon a log in the shallow water's edge standing so still for so long that I was able to get some very nice close-up photographs.

Grey Heron at Worster Lake

The boys said that the grey heron was standing there because he was waiting to eat the fish they caught. He apparently had just made an attempt to get the blue gill one of the boys caught as it was being taken off the line. While I watched the grey heron the boys caught another fish, a four-inch blue gill. Thinking that they would release the small fish I was surprised when they exclaimed how great it was because it was a 'good-sized' one. I guess in fishing all things are relative.

Launch site near the West boat launch at Worster Lake

On the day I kayaked there Worster Lake offered very smooth water and quiet paddling. There were not a lot of loud motorboats around so I was able to get a good look at the many ducks and birds on the water. Leaving such a beautiful spot is always difficult. Even the road leading out of the park was carpeted with wildflowers rising up over three feet high and stretching back from the road several hundred feet.