Rouge River tributaries Uptown

[Mr. Littlefield St.]

Does anyone know of any "mostly-safe", and legal access spots to Rouge River tributaries Uptown? All I get are sneek peeks as I drive across the little bridges on 6,7, and 8 mile roads near Lahser, Telegraph, ect. I love these little offshoot streams, yet have never really approached any. Thanks.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

There's a little park on the main branch at Civic Center Dr and Telegraph in Southfield. I've seen people down there fishing.

[luckycar]

All thru Birmingham,Franklin and Bloomfield there are access points to the small Rouge branches.In Beverly Hills,Riverside St. just east of Evergreen has a nice pond on the Rouge.

[gnome]

ran into Bob Talbert once while floating down the rouge ... he seemed rather surprised as he was just feeding the ducks in his backyard and then we floated by. This was in Beverly Hills south of 13 and east of Lahser. He lived in Soupy Sales old house.

The tricky part of that branch of the Rouge was at 696. The river dips into a couple of caged culverts as it travels under the xway. That portage is a little tough. South of 696 it is really peaceful and kind of strange becuase it almost follows telegraph rd.

[shovelhead]

Halsted Road between Eleven Mile and Howard Roads in Farmington Hills. Not very scenic there, but further down at Howard and Drake Roads, a lot nicer.

[DetroitPlanner]

Mr. Littlefield: Your best bet would be to search the google maps arieal photography. One place that comes to mind is Bell Creek Park in Redford Township, not really uptown per-se, but close enough to Old Redford.

[lalynch]

check out Joel Thurtell's book 'Up the Rouge: Paddling Detroit's Hidden River.'

[gazhekwe]

The east end of Lawrence Tech's campus has a place you can get to the river, between Ten Mile and Northwestern [[Lodge). I think that is the Evans Branch that also crosses Lahser near the FIre Station between Nine and Ten Mile.

[mkhopper]

Lola Valley park in Redford is a good place where one of the many fingers of the Rouge is [[mostly) accessible. Although the map shows the park ending at Beech, it actually goes all the way to 5 Mile.

I walk the banks on both sides from Kinloch to Beech fairly often.

There's even a decent disc golf course along the stretch north of 5 Mile.

http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&h...,0.019119&z=16

[econ expat]

check out Joel Thurtell's book 'Up the Rouge: Paddling Detroit's Hidden River.'

Dammit, I thought we had the material for a book way back,about 70', someone finally saw the potential!

Think Tom Sawyer, 4 kids paddling a plastic rowboat from 8 mile to Schoolcraft The new tunnel under future 96 spooked us.[[well some of the sights in and along the river too...) And who knew there would be a waterfall, in the cemetery of all places?

[DetroitPlanner]

Dammit, I thought we had the material for a book way back,about 70', someone finally saw the potential!

Think Tom Sawyer, 4 kids paddling a plastic rowboat from 8 mile to Schoolcraft The new tunnel under future 96 spooked us.[[well some of the sights in and along the river too...) And who knew there would be a waterfall, in the cemetery of all places?

Did you sneak into Edgewater amusement park?

[Pickford-Bentler]

Hines Park encompasses a section of the Middle Rouge tributary.

[econ expat]

Did you sneak into Edgewater amusement park?

More often than paying at the gate
Couldn't get on most rides[[or past security) without the arm band, though.

Yes, we paddled through Bonnie Brook, Edgewater, Redford GC, the cemetery, and Eliza Howell park. Edgewater was mostly fenced off along the river, but locals knew how to get in, and the staff was always on the lookout for those who snook in.

[gazhekwe]

Speaking of Bonny Brook, behind the Super K on Telegraph south of 8 Mile, there must be access back there somewhere. Unfortunately a young boy drowned back there a couple years ago.

[Mr. Littlefield St.]

Wow. Thanks folks! Almost too much information about the Rouge! You cats and kittens are awesome. I'm new to this forum, and I love it so far. Peace.

[Meddle]

What do you mean by access? Boating? Fishing? Hiking?

There used to be a trail along side it that I got to from Graham just w/o Telegraph where you could get down the side of the bridge from the road. Used to ride bikes down there.

[Bill07073]

You may find some of this information useful from the State of Michigan.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7...5815--,00.html

[leland_palmer]

You may find some of this information useful from the State of Michigan.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7...5815--,00.html

Wrong river.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

What do you mean by access? Boating? Fishing? Hiking?

There used to be a trail along side it that I got to from Graham just w/o Telegraph where you could get down the side of the bridge from the road. Used to ride bikes down there.

I think this what I was referencing at Telegraph and Civic Center drive in Southfield. You can see the Rouge from Telegraph going north, as you approach Civic Center. There are some stairs you can walk down to the river, where you can fish. I believe it was stocked with fish a few years back. Nice park like setting.

[Meddle]

Nope. This is s/o Five Mile and kind of hidden. No stairs, just a dirt trail.

[econ expat]

I think this what I was referencing at Telegraph and Civic Center drive in Southfield. You can see the Rouge from Telegraph going north, as you approach Civic Center. There is some stairs you can walk down to the river, where you can fish. I believe it was stocked with fish a few years back. Nice park like setting.

I know exactly where that is! That area was developed by Parks and Rec, maybe in the 80's, with a clean up grant. The nearest parking is probably at the senior's apartment complex on Civic Center.

Early 70's I rented the house on top of that hill [[where Southfield Manor is now) above Raleigh House. We never explored the old basement much, it was in bad shape. But heard that during prohibition, the owner of that house had a still down at the river, accessed by a hidden stairway somewhere on the property or in the basement.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Nope. This is s/o Five Mile and kind of hidden. No stairs, just a dirt trail.

Oh.ok Five Mile at Telegraph correct? Does anyone know where the Rouge starts north in Oakland County? I always presumed it was near or past 14 mile rd. Also how long is it from wherever it starts until it dumps in the Detroit river?

[Novine]

There are multiple branches of the Rouge and the main branches are fed by many smaller streams. The main outlet of the middle Rouge starts in Novi at the south end of Walled Lake. Other branches of the Rouge start in Washtenaw County, West Bloomfield and Rochester Hills. This page has lots of maps about the Rouge.

http://rougeriver.com/proddata/mapcatalog.html

[szla]

When I lived in Old Redford we use to go for walks on a real nice trail near six and telegraph. It started at the corner of Dehner [[one block south of six) and West Riverdale [[two blocks east of Telegraph. The trail followed the river on a very large bend. There were rivelets with flowing water, large groves of hackberries, sandy washouts filled with horse tails, trilliums in the springtime, gigantic tulip poplars etc. There was also a large pond [[1/3 acre) where many of the rivelets flowed from. It was very accessible but be careful.

[Novine]

For accessing the river in Novi, you can walk back into Lakeshore Park and see where the stream comes south from Walled Lake towards 12 Mile Road. The next best access is around 9 Mile Road. You can park at Rotary Park and walk to the river. There's also trails that follow the river north and south. Or go south to Northville to Ford Field and Mill Race Village where the river flows between the two heading south from the Mill Pond towards the dam where the old Ford Valve Plant and water wheel are located.

Lakeshore Park
http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&l...55747&t=h&z=15

Rotary Park
http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&l...03484&t=h&z=19

Mill Race Village
http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&t...,0.006968&z=18

Northville Ford Valve Plant
http://detroit1701.org/Ford%20Valve%20Plant.html