Columbus to Astico Park: A far more interesting paddle than I ever expected due to a surprising amount of variety – provided, you enjoy some wide-river paddling. The first half is narrow and intimate with easily-navigable deadfall followed by…
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Barry Kalpinski
Rural to Shadow Lake Road: The Crystal River is just that, crystal clear and as charming as the town of Rural that it flows through. It’s never very deep and you’re never far from civilization, so it’s about as…
Kingston to Irene Road: A tale of two personalities on a long-ish section of the South Branch of the Kishwaukee River, a generally easy-going and beginner-friendly trip at first, before flowing through two forest preserves full of large amounts…
County Road A to Rib Falls: There’s something unassuming and subtle, but really engaging about this somewhat-secluded section of the Big Rib River. With many modest outcrops and plenty of gentle riffles, it makes for a scenic and fun…
Nelsonville to Amherst: This short but popular section of the Tomorrow-Waupaca River located in Central Wisconsin is an easy-going paddle that begins as a charming and woodsy small-stream paddle at the put-in, and then transitions to wide marsh-like environs…
County Line Road to Red Horse Bend: A simply solid Northern Illinois day float, this section of the Kishwaukee River is a delightfully appealing paddle with easy accesses to boot. While not particularly scenic, there’s enough unique features to keep…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
In keeping with Miles Paddled tradition, we’re pleased to bring you our annual year-end list of favorite paddles from the past season. While 2020 was challenging for a number of reasons, perhaps the easiest part was choosing twenty of…
Hey all, this isn’t necessarily new news if you’re a regular to the site, but we’ve added a second store for Miles Paddled and Wisconsin paddling gear in our Threadless Shop. Threadless affords us the ability to offer items…
The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage is sometimes referred to as Wisconsin’s Boundary Waters, except on a much smaller scale, of course. The comparison comes from the natural characteristics that resemble those of the BWCA and are indeed prevalent with a similar…
One of several Pine Rivers in Wisconsin, this Pine River in Florence County is notable as one of five Wild and Scenic Rivers in the state. For paddlers, it does not disappoint. When water levels are right, the Pine…
One of the first three rivers to be classified as Wild & Scenic, the Popple River throbs through the heart of national forest and offers paddlers a splendid mix of calm tranquility surrounded by an undeveloped natural landscape, plus…
When it comes to camping the Wisconsin River, most first think of the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, a glorious free-flowing 92-mile stretch where island and sandbar camping is free and easy. But the Wisconsin is 430 miles long, splitting the state…
The reliable east branch of the Pecatonica offers a number trip options that can be tailored up- or downstream from Blackhawk Memorial County Park campground, an off-the-beaten-path gem nestled in the gentle hills of driftless country. This is a…
The historic and hardworking Chippewa River begins as two forks before joining at Lake Chippewa, part of the Chippewa Flowage (also a great flatwater paddle-camping destination). At the southern end of the lake is where the singular Chippewa River…
Location is everything when it comes to canoe and kayak camping, and there are very few riverside campgrounds as equally as attractive as Bagley Rapids Campground. Located in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, the North Branch of the Oconto River sets…
The Lake Superior Water Trail spans the “North Coast” of Wisconsin, changing complexion many times along the way from the industrial-heavy ports of Superior, through the Apostle Island National Lakeshore, and finally to the Montreal river. From urban ports…
The entire Lake Michigan Water Trail encompasses 1,638 miles along Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan’s shorelines. Wisconsin’s section spans 523 of those miles and is largely unfinished, but ultimately, the plan is to offer paddlers evenly-spaced access points (including restrooms)…
The Apostle Islands are one of two National Park systems in Wisconsin. Located on Lake Superior off the Bayfield Peninsula, these twenty-one islands and twelve miles of shoreline are considered the “Crown jewel of Lake Superior”. The alluring (and…