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★ ★ ★ ★

Au Train River
★ ★ ★ ★

Au Train River

Cameron Crossing Bridge to Au Train Heritage Landing A truly splendiferous (and serendipitous) paddle through the outskirts of the Hiawatha National Forest between Marquette and Munising in the north-central nub of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, this trip features extraordinary clear…

Brule River
★ ★ ★ ★

Brule River II

Highway 55 to Highway 139: A truly enchanting landscape surrounding a creek-like river, this trip down the borderline Brule is simply terrific and, in our opinion, worth whatever logistical hassles it may incur. Paddlers will be rewarded with clear,…

Maquoketa River North Fork
★ ★ ★ ★

Maquoketa River: North Fork II

185th Street to Highway Y31: For the sake of brevity and bang-for-your-buck alone, this clip on the Maquoketa River’s North Fork is second to none. Astounding natural beauty and an atypical sense of wildness (for Iowa) make this trip…

Kickapoo River
★ ★ ★ ★

Kickapoo River V

Steuben to Plum Creek Road Another wonderful daytrip down the lower Kickapoo, away from the hoo-ha and hoi polloi of the more popular segments upstream, this trip makes for a full outing of uninterrupted beauty along rolling hills, wooded…

Crawfish River
★ ★ ★ ★

Crawfish River IV

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…

Turkey River
★ ★ ★ ★

Turkey River

Elkader to Garber: With wooded ridges and robust bluffs lined down the river one after another, together with limestone rock outcrops, enormous boulders, frisky riffles, a dedicated Class I-II rapid at the put-in, a gorgeous historic mill building midway,…

Root River
★ ★ ★ ★

Root River

Lanesboro Access to Peterson Access: A gorgeous journey through the heart of the Minnesota Driftless Area featuring towering bluffs with exquisite limestone outcrops, rolling hills, reputable current (including a few solid Class I rapids) and bountiful wildlife, this scenic…

Manitowish River
★ ★ ★ ★

Manitowish River

County Road W to Highway 47: A quintessential northwoods narrative known not for its rapids or granite boulders, but rather its soft features and easy float, this classic paddle on the Manitowish River is a natural delight for slow-flow…

Big Rib River
★ ★ ★ ★

Big Rib River II

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…

Zumbro River South Fork
★ ★ ★ ★

Zumbro River: South Fork

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…

Kickapoo River
★ ★ ★ ★

Kickapoo River IV

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 –…

Mill Creek Richland County
★ ★ ★ ★

Mill Creek II (Richland County)

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…

Embarrass River Middle Branch
★ ★ ★ ★

Embarrass River: Middle Branch

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…

Willow River
★ ★ ★ ★

Willow River

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…

Deerskin River
★ ★ ★ ★

Deerskin River

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…

Grant River
★ ★ ★ ★

Grant River I

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…

New Wood River
★ ★ ★ ★

New Wood River

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…

Eau Claire River
★ ★ ★ ★

Eau Claire River III (Eau Claire County)

Big Falls County Park to County Road QQ: A nearly wild setting with wooded hills, steep banks, and solitude surrounds the Eau Claire River here in one of its quieter, often over-looked segments. Quieter, that is, after you leave the…

Red River
★ ★ ★ ★

Red River

Lower Red Lake Dam to County Road A: A revisit to the Red River and redux paddle several years after our initial experience, but this time with better water levels, warmer weather, companionship and a successful run of hair-raising…

Rattlesnake Creek
★ ★ ★ ★

Rattlesnake Creek

North Andover to Highway 81: The word ‘non-stop’ is defined as continuing without stopping or pausing, and Rattlesnake Creek provides an abundance of non-stop. This Driftless discovery has small stream characteristics and elusive charm including massive cliff walls, rugged…

★ ★ ★ ★

Pine River I (Florence County)

Highway 139 to Chipmunk Rapids Campground: One of several Pine Rivers in Wisconsin, this Pine River in Florence County is notable as it’s one of the five Wild and Scenic Rivers in the state, and for paddlers, it does…

Prairie River
★ ★ ★ ★

Prairie River III

County Road J to County Road C: A dynamic trip on a magnificent little river that packs a lot of punch, this section of the Prairie River is indisputably its best, featuring a richly restored marsh which contrasts a…

Grant River
★ ★ ★ ★

Grant River III

Chaffie Hollow Road to Potosi Point Recreational Area: The final miles of the Grant River to its confluence-kiss at the Mississippi River, this trip has fewer rock outcrops and slower water than the two more popular trips upstream, but…

Lower Wisconsin Riverway
★ ★ ★ ★

Wisconsin River XIX

Prairie Du Sac to Wyalusing Landing: The Lower Wisconsin Riverway is beloved for its canoe and kayak camping opportunities on the islands and sandbars that dot the protected 92 miles from the Prairie Du Sac dam to the Mississippi…

Little Turtle Creek
★ ★ ★ ★

Little Turtle Creek

S. County Line Road to S. O’Riley Road: A diamond in the rough of Rock County, Little Turtle Creek dazzles with crystal-clear water, steady current, lots of riffles, and a thrilling mix of prairies, pastures and forest. Good accesses…

Scuppernong Creek
★ ★ ★ ★

Scuppernong Creek

Sunset Drive to Gramling Lane: Where the natural wild meets the wiles of exurban development, Scuppernong Creek quietly meanders past back yards and across small lakes, around natural springs, soggy bogs, cattail corridors, hemlocks and tamaracks, with stunningly crystal…

Eau Claire River
★ ★ ★ ★

Eau Claire River III (Marathon County)

Club House Road to Ross Avenue: A wonderful section of a terrific river that embodies the best of “finding adventure in your backyard,” this stretch of the Eau Claire River courses through a mix of residential development, remote stretches…