90th Street to Zumbro River County Park: An accessible, beginner-friendly, and beautiful paddling experience in the driftless region of Rochester, Minnesota. This section of the South Fork of the Zumbro River is only a short drive from downtown, but…
Plum Creek Road to Wauzeka: An easy, pretty, and primitive trip, this final stretch of the meandering Kickapoo is not endowed with the spectacular rock outcrops and canyons as found in the popular Ontario to La Farge section –…
By Heather Rivérun Friend + Miles Paddled contributor Paddling is a passion in our family. Before the arrival of our daughter, my husband, Mike, and I could be found in our canoe most weekends and were always scheming and…
Here’s some video of the Des Plaines River I captured last fall. A sliver of an oasis located between a densely populated area of northeastern Illinois that flows through the open wetlands of a series of preserves, this trip…
For your viewing pleasure, here’s our Deerskin River video which captured one of the more unexpectedly delightful paddles of 2021. It’s a mostly undeveloped river that gently meanders through classic northern Wisconsin landscape over crystal clear water, a sandy bottom…
Best paddled in spring when the foliage is less dense to expose more of its stunning features, this section of the Grant River has long been one of our favorite Wisconsin driftless paddles. The usual riffles and rock formations…
New Wood River is a short lightwater trip which is quite delightful when running. With constant riffles and occasional Class I waves, it’s best considered a companion run to others in the area due to its short length. (Adjust to…
Well look at that, another year has passed and we’re once again looking back in our year-end review. 2021 was an interesting year for MilesPaddled.com. From an outsider’s perspective, we may not have appeared all that busy, but behind-the-scenes…
If you’ve ever paddled the Boo, specifically the downtown section, I recommend watching Running Free: The Baraboo River Restoration Story. It’s a short film about what’s resulted from dam removals on the river which once shaped the local economy. Removal…
Here’s video of a scenic stretch on the obscure Mill Creek in Richland County which begins quietly in a beautiful swath of Driftless hills and finishes in a white-knuckled tumble down tricky rapids. (Adjust to 1080p for the best…
County Road E to Dam Lane: A very scenic stretch of a truly obscure stream, this trip on Mill Creek begins quietly in a beautiful swath of Driftless hills and finishes in a white-knuckled tumble down tricky rapids. Water…
Russell Road to Wadsworth Road: This section of the Des Plaines River is a sliver of an oasis located between a densely populated area of northeastern Illinois that flows through the open wetlands of a series of preserves. This trip…
Here’s a look at the lower half of Six Mile Creek, a there-and-back trip that offers pleasant paddling without the commitment of shuttling, plus an array of wildlife. Oh, and depending on how far you’re willing to paddle, some…
Touring Lower Six Mile Creek: A delightful little jaunt in the Madison area, the lower half of Sixmile Creek offers a pleasant respite without the commitment of a long drive or shuttling (it’s a there-and-back outing), plus a wide…
County Road Q to River Road: As wild and wooly a ride as I’ve ever had, this stretch of the Middle Branch of the Embarrass River features exhilarating sequences of Class II rapids through obstacle courses of down trees…
Highway 64 to Willow River State Park: I want to avoid the “hidden gem” cliché here, but I won’t in singing the praises of this delightful stream with so much to offer, on the exurban edge of the Twin…
260th Avenue to Brunet Island State Park: There’s potential enjoyment on the part of the Fisher River that conjoins the Chippewa within the boundary of Brunet Island State Park. If you’re a list-maker of rivers you’ve paddled (I admit…
Have a look at (or shield your eyes, I suppose) at the Little Maquoketa River – a trip rich in potential but poor as dirt in reward unless you enjoy getting in and out of your boat a hundred…
Deerskin Road/Forest Road 2199 to Rangeline Road: The Deerskin River is a wild and mostly undeveloped little gem that gently meanders through classic northern Wisconsin landscape over crystal clear water, a sandy bottom and around occasional glacial erratic boulders. It’s…
By Jeanne Scherer Aquatic Invasive Species Outreach Specialist UW Madison Division of Extension, Natural Resources Institute With the discovery of two more invasive species found in Wisconsin waters, we thought it would be a good time to share the…
Graf Park to Durango: A trip rich in potential but poor as dirt in reward, this upstream clip of the Little Maquoketa River can only be done at higher water levels (unless you enjoy getting in and out of…
Short Cut Road to County Road U: When it comes to Wisconsin driftless paddles, the Grant is as captivating as they come with its twists, turns, riffles and rock formations. However, there’s currently one big caveat and by big, we…
Oxford to County Road A: With steady, reliable flows, water that’s cold and clear as gin on the rocks, a sinewy stretch through a marshy area, some tight turns and occasional obstacles of the wooden variety to keep you awake,…
Here’s some more video of a recent return to a previous trip on the Black River that combines two distinctly different styles of paddling. This second section from Halls Creek Landing to Roosevelt Road is a calm paddle on relaxed water…
Here’s some video of a recent return to a previous trip on the Black River that combines two distinctly different styles of paddling. This first section from County Road K to Halls Creek Landing is full of a couple fists of…
County Highway E to Tesch Road: A short northcentral Wisconsin lightwater trip, (made even shorter due to the closure of the once popular put-in just upstream from this ad hoc access point) the New Wood River is wildly appealing…
Here’s some video of an discovered a gem of a paddle in the most obvious of places – upstream the extremely popular section of the Kickapoo River. With water clarity as stunning as the sandstone rock outcrops before and above…
Highway 73 to Willard Road: Two-for-one fun combining primitive-feeling creek paddling with the bigger but still rugged Black River, this outstanding trip is blessed with easy accesses and multiple options to shorten or elongate your time on the water…
Hey all, apologies for the downtime the last couple months but I had a “whole thing” I had to fix (like, moving the entire site). The good news is that we’re back up and the site is healthier than…
So 2020 wasn’t what any of us were expecting, but here we are on day one of a whole new year with hope for better things ahead. Emphasis on hope because let’s face it, nobody wants to relive another…