RegattaCentral

To Starting Line:

From I-96, take exit 52 to Lowell and head north (right from WB I-96, left from EB I-96). Follow Alden Nash/Segwun Avenue approximately 4 miles until you cross the Grand River. Turn right to enter the park and follow the signs.

We will have transport available to bring rowers from the finish dock (Grand Rapids boathouse) back to the starting line, at a cost of $5.00 per seat. If you intend to use this option, please register for the bus when you submit race entries.

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To Finish Dock (from Starting Line), with a trailer or car:

Leave the park and turn left to go back to I-96. In 4 miles turn right to enter I-96 westbound. Follow I-96 approx. 20 miles to US-131 north (stay on I-96 past the I-196 cutoff towards Downtown Grand Rapids). Take exit 31B towards Cadillac and Big Rapids and stay in the right lane, you will be taking the first exit, 91, to West River Drive in about 1.5 miles.

You will pass the Grand Rapids boathouse to the right while on US-131. Exit at West River Drive and turn right (southwest). Follow West River Drive approx. 1.5 miles through the small town of Comstock Park until you get to the North Park St. light. Turn left (east) on North Park.

Follow North Park 1/3 mile under the highway to the first driveway on your left, a drive shared by the GR Rowing Association and Greenleaf Landscaping. Turn left and proceed past the landscaping company about 1/4 mile to the boathouse.

Please also refer to www.grrowing.org/boathouse/directions.

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To Finish Dock (from Starting Line), for a scenic fall bicycle ride (~23 miles):

Please note: This route follows some paved but is mostly on roads, some of which may have some fast-moving auto traffic. Make sure to wear a helmet and brightly colored clothing, and that your bike lights work!

Leave the park and turn left. Cross the river and turn right at the light onto Grand River Drive. Follow Grand River Drive about 8 miles to Buttrick Ave and turn right. (Note: about 6.5 miles along on Grand River Drive, you will pass a road on the right to 'Michael McGraw Township Park', with a street sign saying 'LeBlanc Row'. This is the first aid station on the course, at the Forest Hills rowing teams' boathouse - about 7.4 miles into the race).

Turn right on Buttrick and go about 1/2 mile to Thornapple River Drive, turn right. In about 1/3 mile, turn left into the baseball field's parking lot to cross the Ada Covered Bridge. Past the bridge, continue on Bronson Avenue (stop at the Ada Bike Shop if you need something!) for about 1/2 mile to Fulton/M-21. This is a major road - stay on the sidewalks for this section. Follow Fulton to the left/west for 1/3 mile to Grand River Drive. Turn right/north.

About 1.5 miles along Grand River Drive there will be an intersection at which you should turn right to stay on Grand River (continuing straight will be Carl Dr.) Turn right and stay on Grand River Drive. In 3 miles you will come to Knapp St.

(FYI If you turn right on Knapp you will very shortly - a few hundred feet - come to the bridge over the Grand - this is the ~14.4 mile point for the marathon row). 

Turn left on Knapp. You will stay on Knapp for about 3 miles. This portion of the ride has some hills.

After 3 miles, turn right on Leffingwell Avenue. Follow Leffingwell one mile north to 3 Mile Rd, and turn left. Continue on 3 Mile Rd. just over three miles until it ends in a roundabout at Monroe Avenue. Turn right on Monroe and enter the bikeway along the west side of the street.

(Just ahead on the left is an entrance to Riverside Park (for Boat Launch #3). That is where the finish line is. HOWEVER, continue on Monroe to get to the finish dock and post-race party.)

Continue north on the Monroe bikeway just past the highway underpass (~1/2 mile) to North Park St. Follow North Park to the left across the river. The second driveway past the river, on the right, is the entry drive to the boathouse. We suggest passing this driveway and turning right on the White Pine Trail, which is just before the next highway bridge. Continue north along the White Pine Trail about 1/4 mile to the boathouse, on your right.

Have a great ride!

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Driving directions to various waypoints along the course:

Start line to Forest Hills boathouse (7.4 mile point on rowing course / aid station #1)

Use 8400 Grand River Dr. SE, Ada MI 49301 for GPS purposes. Turn left out of fairgrounds and cross the bridge over the Grand River. Turn right at the first light (Grand River Drive). Follow Grand River Drive 6.5 miles to a sign on the right for 'Michael McGraw Township Park', with a street sign saying 'LeBlanc Row'. This is the entry to the Forest Hills boathouse.

Forest Hills boathouse to Knapp St. boat launch (14.4 mile point on rowing course)

Use 5200 Knapp St. NE, Ada MI 49301 for GPS purposes. Turn right onto Grand River Drive from the Forest Hills Boathouse and continue to Buttrick Ave. Turn right and continue 1/2 mile to Thornapple River Drive, and turn right again. Follow Thornapple River Drive just over a mile through the village of Ada until the street becomes Headley, then Bronson, and terminates at an intersection with Fulton St./M-21. Turn left onto Fulton/M-21 and proceed just over 1/4 mile to turn right on Grand River Drive NE. Follow Grand River Drive 1.6 miles to an intersection with Grand River Dr. and Carl St. Turn right to continue on Grand River Drive. Continue approximately 3 miles to Knapp St., and turn right to cross the Grand River. The boat launch is on the right immediately after the bridge.

Knapp St. boat launch to Jupiter boathouse (21.4 mile point on rowing course / aid station #2)

Use 5501 Jupiter Ave. NE, Belmont MI 49306 or 2450 Konkle Dr. NE, Belmont MI 49306 for GPS purposes. From the boat launch, turn left onto Knapp St. to cross the Grand. Turn right on to Grand River Drive NE and drive 4 1/4 miles to East Beltline Ave/Northland Drive NE. Turn right and cross the Grand again in about 1 mile (the Northland Drive Bridge is milepoint 19.5 on the rowing course). Immediately after the bridge, take the unique "West River Drive" exit at the light, to the right, which will loop you around until you are heading west. Follow West River Drive about 1.6 miles to Jupiter Avenue. Turn left on Jupiter Ave. and look for a driveway on the left before the bridge. Follow that driveway down to the river and turn right to go under the bridge to the boathouse.

Jupiter boathouse to Grand Rapids boathouse (25.2 mile point on rowing course / finish dock)

Use 201 North Park St. NW, Grand Rapids MI 49544 for GPS purposes. Cross the Grand River on the Jupiter Bridge. At the first light, approximately 1/4 mile south of the river, turn right onto Coit Avenue. Follow Coit 3.5 miles southwest to North Park Street. Turn right on North Park and head west about 1/2 mile to cross the Grand River. The second driveway on the right is the entrance to the boathouse, and is shared with Greenleaf Landscaping. Continue past the landscaping company about 1/4 mile to the boathouse. Please also refer to www.grrowing.org/boathouse/directions.