Hidden Canals Offer a Side of Detroit You’ve Probably Never Seen

The best way to see Detroit’s canals is by kayak. You can get up close and into some areas that you can’t reach by boat or car.

Detroit River Sports offers a variety of different tours. The “historic canal tour” is the most popular and is a 2.5-hour tour where you’ll see Greyhaven Island, the Fisher Mansion and more. You’ll also learn about the history of the canal. That tour takes place in the morning, but they also offer a sunset canal tour.

Another option to tour the canals is by boat. You can rent boats at a variety of marinas along Lake St. Clair and then boat into the mouth of the Detroit River and into the canals.

If you want, there’s a way to drive the streets of Detroit in the Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood to see the canals. A good place to start is the Windmill Point Lighthouse.

If you want to take a break while you’re kayaking, or relax after, there are four parks around the canals of the Detroit River and Greyhaven Island.

Maheras-Gentry Park is the western-most park and located at 12550 Avondale. It has baseball, basketball, fishing, fitness, nature trails, picnic shelters and more.

Then, there are three different parks right around the canals and right next to each other.

Alfred Brush Ford Park at 100 Lenox has basketball, fishing, picnic shelters, soccer, a walking path and more. Lakewood East Park is right next to Brush Ford Park and offers fishing, and Mariner Park has soccer, fishing, a comfort station and a play area.

Coriander Kitchen & Farm
Not just farm-to-table but “farm AND table,” Coriander is located along the canals of Detroit on Riverside Blvd. The restaurant has a large outdoor area for eating, and creates meals using their own farm-grown produce while support local Detroit and Michigan farmers.

The menu is often changing depending on what’s available, but it’s a great place to sit by the water and enjoy a fresh, delicious meal and great drinks.

Sinbad’s
Sinbad’s is down the street from Detroit’s canals, and the restaurant has been serving up food for nearly 75 years along the Detroit River.

It’s a great spot for seafood, and is famous for its clam chowder. You can arrive by car or boat for lunch or dinner, and the menu has something for everyone.

Yellow Light Coffee and Donut
Right near the Detroit border with Grosse Pointe, Yellow Light serves up house-roasted coffee, fresh donuts and breakfast sandwiches and is a great spot to go before your visit to the canals.

You’ll want to try the fried chicken with maple glaze biscuit sandwich, and the lemon-poppy donut has great flavor.

Norma G’s
Norma G’s is in Detroit’s Jefferson-Chalmers District and serves up Caribbean cuisine. The menu has a variety of Caribbean foods including jerk chicken dinner, curry goat, curry chicken and more.

You can also get some delicious desserts like the mango tango, a rum toddy and more.

Atwater in the Park
Located in Grosse Pointe Park, just down the street from the Detroit border, Atwater in the Park is part of Atwater Brewery. It’s in an old church with a great outdoor biergarten.

They have a ton of different beers from Atwater, including the Atwater IPA, Vanilla Java Porter, Dirty Blonde and more.

You can also get food and their menu includes different sandwiches, appetizers, salads and more.

The Charlevoix
The Charlevoix is a classic cocktail bar in Grosse Pointe Park that serves up delicious food and drinks.

They have chicken wings with a variety of sauces, plus different Po’Boys and snacks for food. They also have a big list of wine and spirits, and a cocktail menu that includes rinks like the Indian Summer which has tequila, grapefruit, lemon, simple syrup, aperol and more, the Yellow Jacket with jasmine-green tea infused gin, the Lazy Boy and more.

Red Crown
Red Crown just recently reopened in an old Standard Oil building, and has a new chef and a new menu.

The new menu includes a variety of tacos, sides like corn jalapeño salad, queso, and some delicious desserts to end the meal.