Interesting....There are acutally 2 good spots in plainwell here. the one that is by Gilkey elementary (follow Joel's description to get there) or the easier one to find at the Old Allegan Canoe rental parking lot. I personally perfer the one at Gilkey easier wave to surf. Both great spots! Edit

Never had a problem getting to this site. Park at the Old Allegan Canoe Rental Parking lot. There is a boat dock just downstream of the old Plainwell Paper Mill. There are 3 great eddies for surfing and 2 nice standing waves. Only problem is water quality. High PCB's and phophorous levels from the old paper mill. Try not get to wet! Best WW spot I know of in the Grand Rapids area.

There has to be an easier way to get to this place. Does anyone know if there is a service road along the power lines? <br /> <br /> Anyway, from Gilkey, at the end of the trail and a tree has fallen over the old spillway, which obstructs the waterflow. The upstream side of the tree/spillway is the put in. The play holes and old dam are upstream a bit and not visible from the put-in. Once you get to the hole it is fun (even in low water) but a bit of work to get there. Coming back take the main river back to the side of the school parking lot and avoid a walk.

To get to this spot from Gilkey Elementary, Hike down the nature trail (their are spurs to the right and left, but stay on the center trail). After a good 1/4 mile the trail ends along the mill race where some water falls over a small old dam into a channel back to the main river. Put in here in the mill race and paddle upstream about 200 yards to the top of the old dam on the main river.

This is a little &quot;hidden&quot; gem in Southwest, MI. It's really more than just a hole. You have a perfect green wave on river right for most levels. The rest of the river is a ledge which forms 3 to 4 retentive holes, some more steep than others. You have 2 large eddies on either side of the river with a couple of eddies midstream that are perfect for stern squirts, practicing ferries, etc.