Paddling the Black River

Kayakers are a common sight on the Black River near the Lorain Lighthouse. Yes, that's definitely a great trip as we've chronicled here before. For many, the Lorain Lighthouse is an obvious pull, along with the sometimes challenging open waters of Lake Erie at the mouth of the Black River.

Henderson Bridge, Lorain

This time we're going in the opposite direction. We needed a day to remind ourselves just how awesome the Black River gets, east of the Henderson Bridge in Lorain, Ohio. The spectacular scenery, top-notch birding and in this case, brilliant fall foliage. There is a launch right at the Black River Wharf just off 14th St. in Lorain. You can rent single or double kayaks there through November from Grumpy's Bait Bucket. Grumpy is actually not so grumpy. He's one of the nicest guys on the river! Make sure you visit with him before and after your trip. He and his dog Rudy love to sit and visit with paddlers, boaters and fishermen. At the time of this entry, Grumpy's website isn't working but you can reach them at 440.244.5370 or 440.787.8720. This is a great paddle for kids too. The calm waters and endless wildlife are a treat for kids. I took my 12 year old son along and he had a blast checking out the herons, turtles, deer and all the amazing natural formations along the shoreline.

Grumpy and Rudy

Once you push off, just paddle to the right and keep going! Views include a mixture of stunning natural views intermixed with and industrial landscape in some spots. Views not seen from the road! On the beautiful, sunny Saturday we went, we were almost the only ones on the river. We did encounter a group of men tooling along slowly in their motor boat, stopping to exclaim "Have you ever been back here?! It's amazing! We had NO idea!" "Yep" I thought.

As you paddle further along, you will see large expanses of wooded, undeveloped land. This is the proposed Riverbend development owned by the City of Lorain. The City and Port Authority have been working hard on a lower Black River Habitat Restoration Project that includes constructing fish habitat shelves, restoration of eroding river banks, invasive species removal and native plantings.

If you're biking the Back Roads and Beaches and want to add this trip to your itinerary, here are a few suggestions:

• Directions: From SR 6, turn south onto Broadway Ave. 14th St. is less than a mile. Turn left to the wharf. 
• Check out local lodging options and make a long weekend of it. Options closest to this trip are Arbor Lights Bed and Breakfast, Lake Breeze Inn and the Fairfield Inn and Suites. 
• Great dining options (with spectacular sunsets and Lake views) are the Rose Cafe at Lakeview Park and Jackalope Lakeside Restaurant. 

Cap the day off with a spectacular Lake Erie sunset-
this is the view from the Jackalope Lakeside Restaurant.