Lake Erie Metropark
(Lower Detroit River)
Presented by
Michigan Sea Grant and
Michigan State University Extension
in partnership with Huron-Clinton Metropolitan Authority
with support from:
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Science Foundation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
MI DNR
DTE Energy
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Lake Erie Metropark (Lower Detroit River) Registration & Directions
See: Full Schedule (PDF) |
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Livingstone Channel Centennial
In October, 1912 (shortly after the Titanic sank) the steamer William Livingstone, piloted by its namesake, became the first vessel to transit the Livingstone Channel. Take a ride through the channel and learn about what was then one of the largest U.S. Government projects to date. Cruise also explores Great Lakes navigation from the 20th Century to the present.
Cruise dates:
Monday, July 16 at 6 p.m.
Friday, July 20 at 10 a.m.
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Shipwreck at Sugar
Just under the waves off a crumbling Sugar Island dock lie the remains of a vessel sunk in 1945. Travel with author Patrick Livingston to the wreck site to learn about the S.S. Seabreeze, the story of how it got there and the circumstances surrounding its mysterious sinking.
Cruise dates:
Friday, July 13 at 10 a.m.
Friday, July 20 at 2 p.m.
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Echos of 1812
Long ago, in a place not very far away, the clouds of war once darkened local skies. The first shots of the second war between the United States and Great Britain were fired along the Detroit River in 1812. If we listen carefully we might still hear their echoes. Join us for a Bicentennial Cruise examining the events and locations of the War of 1812 as they occurred exactly 200 summers ago along the lower Detroit River.
Cruise dates:
Thursday, July 12 at 10 a.m.
Friday, July 13 at 6 p.m.
Friday, July 20 at 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 22 at 2 p.m.
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Eco-Art
Join us as we explore the Great Lakes in a great new way — through Eco-Art! Learn about the Great Lakes ecosystem and combine elements of it with your own imagination to create a unique work of art to take home. Both fun and educational, you will translate what you see and learn into an amazing Great Lakes Eco-Art piece! No prior art experience needed. All materials provided. Wear clothes to get messy in.
Cruise dates:
Wednesday, July 11 at 10 a.m.
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Aliens Among Us
When the French explorers first encountered the Great Lakes, they described a garden of earthly delights. Now, almost four centuries later, we are faced with lamprey, zebra mussels, silver carp, gobies, Phragmites, and purple loosestrife — alien invaders intent on changing the way we recreate and work in the Great Lakes. This cruise will explore the alien species among us, their impacts on the Great Lakes ecosystem, and what we can do to minimize their impact and spread.
Cruise dates:
Tuesday, July 17 at 10 a.m.
Special pricing: $5 all ages
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Night Watch
Join the crew of the E/V Clinton on a late evening cruise and learn about navigating under the stars using charts, lights and the heavens themselves. The cruise will take us through the history of navigation, from the discovery of latitude and longitude to today's Loran and GPS systems. As darkness descends, we will set sail for lighthouses, search the heavens for constellations and use the North Star to help guide us to our home port.
Cruise dates:
Saturday, July 14 at 9 p.m.
Monday, July 16 at 9 p.m.
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Wind, Waves & Weather
The Great Lakes influence our weather, and the weather can have a great influence on the Great Lakes (ever hear of the Great Storm of 1913?). Join NOAA National Weather Service meteorologists on a cruise that explores the "why?" behind the wind, waves and weather around us. Learn how to be safe the next time weather threatens, what some of the old sailor sayings like "Red sky at night, sailor's delight" really mean, why we don't have hurricanes in the Great Lakes, what kind of wave a "seiche" is, and much more! We ship out rain or shine!
Cruise dates:
Friday, July 13 at 2 p.m.
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Detroit River Revival
Come aboard and join the revival — the Detroit River Revival, that is! Dr. John Hartig, Manager of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, will be our guest cruise director and will share his insights on the incredible revival of the Detroit River, including its habitats, wildlife and fishery resources. Learn how this revival has been accomplished, who has contributed, and what's in store for the future. This will be a great opportunity to celebrate the progress made as we visit Humbug Island and other gems of the "new" Detroit River.
Cruise dates:
Sunday, July 15 at 6 p.m.
Special pricing: $5 all ages
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River DeTroit Island History
Cruising among the lower Detroit River Islands we search the human stories that shaped the early history of her waters, from Native American, French and British times to the early years of the Michigan Territory and statehood. It's a time travel experience — without the jet lag!
Cruise dates:
Wednesday, July 11 at 6 p.m.
Wednesday, July 18 at 6 p.m.
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All Aboard Kids Cruise
Learn some sailor talk (the good kind!), rope work, a few pirate skills, anchor haulin', deck swabbing and depth sounding. You'll even get a chance to pull up some of the finest bottom muck you've ever laid eyes on. Aye, it's a fun and educational journey through time and place. Parents are welcome — if they behave.
Cruise dates:
Monday, July 16 at 2 p.m.
Tuesday, July 17 at 2 p.m.
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Eagle's Eye Nature Cruises
Take a naturalist's tour of the lower Detroit River to discover the rich variety of plant and animal life living here in this area, now a part of the International Wildlife Refuge. The river is host to a wide variety of habitats, from submerged plant beds and shoals to coastal marshes. And yes, we know where the Bald Eagle nests are!
Cruise dates:
Wednesday, July 11 at 2 p.m.
Thursday, July 12 at 2 p.m.
Saturday, July 14 at 10 a.m.
Monday, July 16 at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, July 17 at 6 p.m.
Saturday, July 21 at 6 p.m.
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ROV Adventures
Come aboard and join Captain Gary Longton, who will lead us in an exploration of the underwater world offshore of Lake Erie Metropark using Little Ricky, DTE Energy's Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). What do you think we'll see beneath the waves? You may be in for a surprise!
Cruise dates:
Wednesday, July 18 at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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Great Lakes Science for Teachers
This cruise for teachers — active teachers only please — will focus on the Great Lakes from a science education perspective. Learn how to relate biology, chemistry, geology and physics to the Great Lakes that define Michigan. This research cruise is designed to help you share the Great Lakes with your K-12 students. Teachers receive $50 stipends from a grant provided by the U.S. EPA. Also find out about opportunities for additional professional development which come with participant stipends or scholarships.
Cruise dates:
Thursday, July 19 at 10 a.m.
Special pricing: $10 (active educators only) Note: teachers will receive a $50 EPA stipend in addition to reduced registration price.
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Strait Talk Island History
Cruising among the lower Detroit River Islands, we tell the human stories that shaped the 19th and 20th century history of her waters. This look at the living riverscape covers the rumrunners, sailors, fishermen, entrepreneurs and engineers that shaped the recent past along these shores.
Cruise dates:
Thursday, July 12 at 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 22 at 10 a.m.
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Whiskey River
During National Prohibition the Detroit River was better known as the "Whiskey River" due to the incredible amount of illegal hootch that crossed over it from Canada. Let's revisit the bad old days when rumrunners ruled and dry laws were meant to be broken. We'll look at the lower river through the eyes of a bootlegger and spin a few yarns sure to put your truth meter on alert.
Cruise dates:
Saturday, July 14 at 2 p.m.
Thursday, July 19 at 6 p.m.
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Bob-Lo Island History Cruise
Award winning author Patrick Livingston will lead this tour around Bob-Lo Island — Detroit's island playground of the 20th Century. Cruise participants will explore the critical role the island played in the lives of Native Americans and Canadians, French coureurs de bois, British military, Detroit's upper class and the millions of people who escaped to Bob-Lo's amusement park for a one-day holiday for nearly 100 years. Livingston will share island anecdotes and illustrations from his Summer Dreams — The Story of Bob-Lo Island, recognized by the Library of Michigan as a Notable Book of 2009. Feel free to bring along your own Bob-Lo stories and souvenirs as we cruise back in time to the "Greatest Spot On Earth".
Cruise dates:
Saturday, July 14 at 6 p.m.
Sunday, July 22 at 6 p.m.
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Big River Meander
Enjoy
an extended four-hour cruise to explore the natural and cultural
history of the Lower Detroit River and its islands. Our journey around
the north end of Grosse Ile and into Canadian waters will provide ample
opportunities to view manmade structures such as the swing bridges,
navigation lights and passing ships, as well as observe bird life,
discuss aquatic ecology, and explain why the Detroit River is not
really a river at all. Along the way, we’ll meet up with Mama Juda and
find out who put the “Fight” into Fighting Island. This one has it all.
Cruise dates:
Sunday, July 15 at 10 a.m.
Saturday, July 21 at 10 a.m.
Special pricing: $10 all ages
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Journey through the Straits
Park your car at the Lake Erie Metropark marina (east end of Lee Road) and board the E/V Clinton for a fantastic five-hour voyage from the northwestern corner of Lake Erie to the northernmost reaches of the Detroit River. As the Clinton travels in the wake of both the early Great Lakes voyageurs and present day sailors, we'll explore the Straits of Detroit from several perspectives.
Our cruise begins just south of Celeron Island, the boundary between Lake Erie and the Detroit River. We will travel upriver through the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, with its beautiful islands and abundant wildlife. Farther north we will pass the industrial heartland featuring impressive steel mills, and then cruise by the old Bob-Lo boats on the way past the J.W. Westcott mail boat and then under the Ambassador Bridge. We'll also pass Cadillac's landing, the old French ribbon farms, and dock at Harbor Hill marina near Peche Isle, the northernmost island in the straits and the site of Chief Pontiac's summer camp.
We take a shuttle bus back to Lake Erie Metropark marina where you pick up your car to complete your Journey Through the Straits!
Cruise dates:
Saturday, June 16 from 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Monday, July 23 from 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Special pricing: $15 adult and $10 ages 6-17
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