Hodenpyl Dam

Hodenpyl Dam

Hodenpyl Dam
4.5
About
Dam on the mighty Manistee, where the river is characterized by steep banks and sharp bends making this part of the waterway ideal for canoeists and fishermen.
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2 within 6 miles

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles11 reviews
Excellent
6
Very good
4
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
0

Donald S
Wellston50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Friends
The Manistee River Trail is one of the best hikes I have done. I have hiked from Hodenpyl down to Red Bridge about 6 times. The Fall color hike is the best one ever. You can access by turning off M-37 near Yuma and going West on 26 Mile road towards Seaton Creek Campground. Park up near the dam at the end of O'Rourke Drive. Then decide where to get out. You can park your takeout car at the end of S. Slagle Rd off 30 mile Rd. To get back to Seaton Creek starting point you can take No. 1 Road from 30 mile Rd North to Hodenpyl Dam trailhead. This makes about an 8 mile hike. Or you can hike 10 1/2 miles to Red Bridge.
There are several small water falls/streams that you will cross. The trail follows the high southern ridge above the Manistee River and views are picture perfect must have camera shots. You will pass several primitive camp sites on the bluffs.

I have hiked this beautiful trail in the Fall, Winter, Spring, and Summer. You can also just park one car and hike down and walk back up to your car. Don't miss this hike.
Written October 10, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Latty
Northern Michigan216 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2011 • Friends
Three of us kayaked this river, what a great river! The part above the dam is a little slow. Below the dam is sweet. It is basically a wilderness paddle. I saw one house, one group camping and 5 other canoes/kayaks while on the river.The Pine is fast and fun; but, it is too crowded

This is a hidden gem, it would be a good paddle for families with children or inexperienced paddlers. There are some good hyraulics close to the dam, basically the first 1/4 mile. The rest of the river is quick and keeps you on your toes. The part near Red bridge get pretty flat and slow, probably the last 1/2 mile.
Written December 22, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

detroitdj
Detroit, MI42 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2016 • Couples
We stopped here in hopes of walking a trail along the river. No such luck. This is a place where you can launch a kayak or canoe and travel down the river. Not really much hiking here. The view of the lake above the dam is nice.
Written November 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shari B
Kentwood, MI26 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018 • Family
We canoed from the dam to the red bridge during Memorial Day weekend. After leaving a car at red bridge, drive the paved roads through Marilla to get to the dam (Upper river road is too rough). Also keep in mind that the red bridge is totally closed all summer this year. Might want to ask a local about the river conditions - this weekend the river beneath the dam was extremely fast, we did not need to paddle but basically just steer and pray most of the way. There are many sharp turns and dead trees in the river and with the strong current we hit a submerged tree and tipped our canoe! Rather traumatic honestly. This section is more popular with kayaks but we heard from kayaks who had flipped as well. So keep life jackets on kids (and maybe adults!) tie everything down and be prepared to tip unless you are an expert or the river current is slower. Scenery is perfect. Fish were not biting.
Written May 29, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maria V
South Bend, IN176 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2015 • Couples
Canoed the beautiful Manistee river from Hodenpyl Dam to High Bridge on Labor Day weekend. The stretch from Hodenpyl to Red Bridge was the best leg of our trip. Gorgeous scenery, quiet and smooth flowing river, easy paddling, a lot of primitive/dispersed camping opportunities. At Hodenpyl, we used the Woodpecker Creek access site (a short distance below the dam), as it is more convenient than the access at the dam itself (where you have to carry your canoe down two long sets of steps).
Written September 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Heather W
Holland, MI30 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2018
Fun place to fish! Boating and tubing is fun too. We like to go into Seaton creek and park the boat. Great rope swing there.
Written July 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jjlutefisk
Grand Rapids, MI157 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2013 • Family
A friend and I canoed on the Manistee in August. It was a wonderful trip. We carried the canoe down the steps for our launch and it was very easy. Don't be intimidated by the walk. It's definitely worth it.
Written June 30, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ClaytonHelmuth
Mitchell, SD70 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
When we visited the swinging bridge it was very quiet without many people around, and the views were wonderful. The only problem was that there were no signs for the swinging bridge.
Written May 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Douglas H
Michigan371 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2013 • Family
This part of the Manistee is not taken very much- kayak or canoe down to Red Bridge and the scenery is nothing less than great
Written September 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TriCityDude
Saginaw, MI841 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019 • Couples
New to this place, so went to it. Not impressed with first view. You basically come to a dead end where the consumers energy fences and dam power plant are, with the buzz of the generators.

There are a couple posters with maps explaining the area and trails etc, but other than steps down to the river for a canoe launch, we really couldn’t find any trails.
Must be elsewhere in the area but not here.

We wandered Down To the foot of the dam, but still saw no trails.
We hiked up the steps to the top of the dam and saw the lake. Peaceful and nice. But again, nowhere to go and use it.

Left Disappointed. Nothing available for those on foot here. Clearly will have to check out other spots than this place, to be able to utilize it.

Written July 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Hodenpyl Dam - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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