Johans Kayak Site   www.kanoroutes.nl

Lauwersmeer
CONTENT

Round trip of 37.5 km. passing Zoutkamp and return on the Keegensterried.

Due to excessive plant growth, the passage through the Keegensterried is difficult at the end of the summer.

Starting point Nieuwe Dokkumer Zijlen:

The starting point is easy to find. From Leeuwarden you go east on the N355. Just before Buitenpost there's a roundabout where you turn left on the N358 towards Lauwersoog. After you passed Kollum the road makes a bend to the right and then a bend to the left. When you see a big bridge you're at the starting point. Just across the bridge you'll find parking space and a kayak pier on your right.

From the starting point you head east. After a bend to the left you come at a gully. You pass the small island Senner Oog. On the west-side of the island you can go to the side. You come at the lake Lauwersmeer and turn right passed the Sennerplaat. You head east and cross the gully Simonsgat. On the other side you follow the branches that indicate shallow water. You cross another gully, but this one is not as wide as the previous one. You make a bend to the right and enter the Zoutkamperril towards Zoutkamp. When you're near Zoutkamp you go stright on and pass the locks to the Reitdiep. The locks are usually open. At the camping De Rousant you can portage to the Lauwers. The owner of the camping has no objection to pass their property. It took me two hours from the starting point to get here.
The former river Lauwers makes a bend to the right and you pass the villages Lauwerszijl en Munnekezijl. At the bridge in Munnekezijl there is a picnic table and even a toilet. After Munnekezijl you take the first canal to the right. At a bridge there is a row of farmhouses on your right. This is named De Leegte (Emptyness). After 300 yards you turn right into a narrow canal, the Keegensterried. There is a concrete dam with iron doors. You have to carry passed the obstacle. This canal makes many bends. There are some side canals, but you keep on the main (widest) canal. At a point the canal makes a sharp bend to the left and you see big satellite dishes ahead. When you are near Kollum you come at a pumping station. There are kayak piers so you can carry around. The sides are very slippery though! A little further on you come at old locks. They seem rather usesless to me as there is a new pumping station just a little further on. But they're still there and closed, so you have to carry around. At the next junction you turn right. At the end of the canal you go under a bridge and turn right again. After a bend to the left you see the bridge of the starting point with a kayak pier on the left.

GPS Willem Loréslûs: N 53.3170, E 6.1593.
GPS Zoutkamperril: N 53.3453, E 6.2759.
GPS Munnekezijl: N 53.3017, E 6.2742.

Starting point at the Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen.

Monument at the locks (Willem Lorésluizen) in the Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen. It was placed here in the year 1729 when the locks and dike were completed.

Sea eagle in real size cut out of iron.

Simonsgat.

Zoutkamperril.

Zoutkamperril.

Zoutkamperril.

Zoutkamperril.

Zoutkamperril.

Zoutkamperril.

Zoutkamperril.

Zoutkamp.

Keegensterried.

Keegensterried.

Zoutkamp

The locks in Zoutkamp are open. There is a large floating kayak pier at the locks to the Reitdiep. However, parking is difficult en only short time parking is allowed. So this is not a suitable starting point. Along the Reitdiep there is a boatramp (boothelling) where you can park free. Along the road, it is situated 3 km. from the center of Zoutkamp.