Chain of Lakes is Close to Ann Arbor

Chain of Lakes – Portage Chain is 20 minutes from Ann Arbor.  One of the nice things about our home is we are on Little Portage Lake, which is part of a Chain of Lakes.

We can start out from our lake – Little Portage and go through the lakes and canals and end up at Zukey Lake Tavern for dinner, which is about a 2 hour leisurely trip. We often go tubing, fishing and enjoy plenty of swimming and schmoozing, with stop overs on the sand bars . I love to use our GPS so I can see where we are as compared to where the roads are because it can get confusing. Featured here on our boat is my husband’s father, daughter, yours truly, and husband Larry on Big Portage, which is the largest lake comprising 644 acres. Click Here to view a great resource on our various inland lake.

Other lakes on the Chain of Lakes are Big Portage, Tamarack, Base Line, Strawberry, Gallagher, Zukey and Whitewood, with lake bottoms on the links. The Huron River actually flows through these lakes to Lake Erie.  This chain covers Livingston and Washtenaw Counties. If boaters need gas or supplies, they can go to Klaves Marina. Click Here for more photos.

Starting on Littlet Portage Lake we go under the Dexter Pinckney bridge (nicknamed spider bridge – now being reconstructed) to Portage Lake, and then go under either of two bridges to the Huron River and go north to Baseline Lake (8 Mile Rd).  Manuevering the Huron River canals, you travel up stream to Gallagher Lake,  Strawberry Lake (watch your prop on the shallow curve), Tamarack Lake (not a destination lake because the tube to get there is a hassle), Whitewood Lake, and Zukey Lake (home of former ice house.)

To access the lakes, there is a DNR public access site on McGregor Rd East of Dexter Pinckney on Big Portage Lake (open 8 am to 10 pm & permit required) that has approximately 30 boat trailers parking spots, so you might want to get there early before it fills up.

We have many parties on our boat on July 4th weekend for the fireworks on Portage Lake.  Stop at Riverside Pizza for a salad Pizza – our favorite. If you can’t anchor on the lake, you can still get great views from walking up on Peach Mountain.

We would love to help you explore the Yacht Club and Pinckney, or the Hi-Land Chain of Lakes. For any more local information, give us a call.

Kathy Toth & Team Ann Arbor Market Center Keller Williams

If you want to be on national TV show House Hunters for ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN, you can be featured on HGTV if you buy a home in the next couple of weeks with Kathy Toth & Team, Ann Arbor, Michigan.