The Grand: Rivers of Michigan Series

In the early days the Grand River, the longest in Michigan, was the superhighway for Native Americans, French fur traders and later settlers. With one portage they could cross the entire lower peninsula of the state. On its way from the Irish Hills to Lake Michigan the river passes through three major cities, Jackson, Lansing, and Grand Rapids, and many small settlements begun with great hope. Steamboats carried a steady traffic into the 20th Century, but today have been replaced by excursion boats taking tourists on scenic trips. Canoes, kayaks and motorized vessels share the ripples.