Pike River

Highway 141 to Grogan Road:
A gorgeous rumpus of a river that can be sliced and diced on many individual levels depending on paddling preferences thanks to several outstanding accesses, the first/final 14 miles of the Pike River – one of Wisconsin’s original three designated “wild rivers” – is equal parts scenic and engaging, featuring outcrops whose size and age are beyond comprehension along with rapids ranging from Class I-III.

Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Trip Report Date: June 27 + 30, 2025

Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced
Class Difficulty: Class II-III

Gradient:
≈ 11′ per mile (over 15′ per mile in its steepest segment)

Gauge Recorded on this Trip:
Amberg: ht/ft: 4.1 | cfs: 450 on 6/27/25
Amberg: ht/ft: 3.5 | cfs: 300 on 6/30/25

Recommended Levels:
We recommend these levels.

Ideal levels are between 3.25 and 4′. Below that range the rapids between County K and Barker Road will be unrunnable. Above 4′ Bull Falls/Powerline Rapids is Class III and Yellow Bridge Rapids is a rough and unruly affair fit for only seriously skilled whitewater paddlers. Also, at the risk of pointing out the obvious but to put things in perspective, the river dropped over half a foot in the 72 hours between my two trips.

Trip 1 Put-In:
Highway 141*, Amberg, Wisconsin
GPS: 45.49596, -87.98458
Trip 1 Take-Out:
Barker Road
GPS: 45.47421, -87.87548

Time: Put in at 2:30p. Out at 5:00p.
Total Time: 2h 30m
Miles Paddled: 9.25

* There must have been a time when paddlers launched downstream river-left, as both printed guidebooks state that spot. Alas, today there’s no parking on the east side of the road; however, there’s a dedicated parking area on the southwest side of the bridge. There are two paths to the river, depending on how close to the final drop at Dave’s Falls you want to start at.

Trip 2 Put-In:
Barker Road*
GPS: 45.47421, -87.87548
Trip 2 Take-Out:
Grogan Road, Wausaukee, Wisconsin
GPS: 45.44166, -87.85585

Time: Put in at 11:00a. Out at 12:30p.
Total Time: 1h 30m
Miles Paddled: 5

Wildlife:
Hooded mergansers, kingfishers, woodpeckers, ruffed grouse, great blue herons, wild turkey, and lots of flies.

Shuttle Information:
Ten miles total from Grogan Road to Hwy 141, all paved.

Background:
Originating in northwestern Marinette County, the Pike River is forged by a north and south branch that come together not quite two miles upstream of Highway 141 in the small town of Amberg. From Highway 141 to its mouth at the Menominee River, the Pike plummets some 150’ in 14 miles. Interestingly, each branch is considerably longer than the mainstream itself, but neither is run except by elite-tier whitewater paddlers. The mainstream Pike is nothing to sneeze at, although its steepest drop is “only” 5′ or so (compared to 18′ on the North Branch!).

Even though it is a relatively small stream, the Pike was one of the three original “wild rivers” in the landmark legislation of 1965 that protected it (as well as the Pine and Popple rivers) from development while promoting its tourism draw. Whereas the Pine and Popple have a veritable wilderness allure to them on account of the (again, relatively) primitive landscape in Florence County, where accesses are good but literally few and far between, the Pike is more fragmented. Here, one side of the river may be protected but the other not, or entire segments are grandfathered in. This just means that there are more cabins and houses along the banks of the Pike than on the Pine or Popple. But the private property is minor, all things considered. Moreover, the exposed rock outcrops and lush swaths of forest are so impressive you’ll barely notice the buildings. Besides, you’d want to live or visit there, too – I sure would! The sound and anticipation of so many rapids likewise keeps one’s mind occupied more on the natural surroundings than the unnatural ones.

Depending on how “white” you want your water, the Pike is often split in two trips: 1) Highway 141 to County Highway K (6.25 miles) and 2) Highway K to either the Yellow Bridge Landing at Barker Road or the landing at Pike River Road – both are basically 3 miles (the difference between them being whether you’ll be running Class III Yellow Bridge Falls). Still, there are five lovely miles from Barker Road to the confluence, not to mention intermittent Class I-II rapids.

The Pike has been on my paddling radar for as long as I’ve had one. But it’s 3.5 hours from Madison, and it has Class III rapids that are not to be dismissed. The opportunity to try my luck on the Pike finally availed itself in June of 2025, courtesy of the River Alliance of Wisconsin celebrating the 60^th anniversary of the Wild Rivers Act up in Florence at the Interpretive Center. It was a special occasion recognizing a laudable achievement. For more on that and then some, see here. To commemorate in our own way, we created a “big, beautiful” overview to the Wild Rivers, into which you can deep-dive here.

I came up on a Friday and left on Monday. As such, I divided my paddling trips on the Pike from Hwy 141 to Barker Road on the drive up to Florence and again from Barker Road to the Menominee River on the drive back home. Doing so also allowed me to get familiar and comfortable with the otherwise unknown river – especially vis a vis a canoe. I’d never run Class III in my solo canoe, so I knew this would be a challenge. What I didn’t know was that the river was going to be pretty high on Friday – a whisker above 4′ – which meant that one of the rapids on my first trip, Bull Falls (aka Powerline Rapids) would be a flush and flashy Class III. It’s only half a mile downstream from the start, so running this in a canoe right off the bat would be a baptism by high water. Fortunately, it can be easily scouted either from the river or even the road while shuttling. The same can be more or less said for the sequence of tricky rapids above Barker Road (more on those below).

But knowing where to run rapids is not the same thing as knowing how to run rapids. Whether I truly do know how is perhaps debatable, but I did stay high if not entirely dry on both trips. In other words, while I took in water – I was in a canoe in Class III, after all – I didn’t flip or go for a swim. For the record, I don’t own float bags (which might amuse some while arousing ire in others). Instead, I rigged up a plastic shield over the bow of my boat. Come again? First off, I’m frugal. Secondly, I’m flat-ass broke these days, so I don’t have the money to buy a $100 inflatable diaphragm. Instead, I simply rigged eye bolts under the gunwale from the thwart to the bow, laced them with rope, and connected a piece of pliable carpet runner that I’d cut to shape and draped over the rope; it’s cheap, waterproof, and weighs next to nothing. Voila! It is by no means better than a float bag, but it is indisputably better than nothing. A totally open canoe in Class III water is like paddling in a bathtub; you’re sure to capsize sooner than later. But my poor man’s version ($12 total) allowed a deflection of water while plunging into drops or standing waves without getting totally swamped – just enough to wobble and bob a bit to get to the banks and dump out the wet cargo. Elegant? No. Enough to run Class III in a canoe? You bet.

Overview:
“Let the wild rumpus start!”

Access at Highway 141 is found on the upstream side of the bridge, river-right. It’s a designated parking area that accommodates many vehicles and trailers. You’ll see one of those handmade kiosks/maps done when the DNR had money and imagination for such public works projects, painted blue jay and all. Follow the trail next to it. The trail leads to the river in a couple places, but it also connects to Dave’s Falls County Park. While Marinette County requires a $5/day user fee at its parks, the access at Hwy 141 is part of the Wild Rivers jurisdiction, so it’s free. There were a couple guys fishing below the falls, so I opted for a different spot to launch from. Even at a gauge reading of 4.1’, Dave’s Falls were too narrow and rocky to run. But very cool to look at.

You’ll hear the awesome roar of falls and see lots of foam coming down the, um, Pike. But all’s quiet for the first half-mile. The river ranges from a skinny 50’ to a more generous but still intimate 90’. Soon enough you’ll hear the unmistakable sound of rapids before you see their whipped froth or horizon line. Or you’ll see the power lines above you. Bull Falls (alias Powerline Rapids) comprises a one-two punch or a pivot-right drop followed by a run straight drop, definitively Class II or III at high levels. Scout or portage on the right. Either way, the setting is quite aesthetic, as you’re in the middle of a micro canyon.

Since the river was high, pushy flow vectored to a rock wall on the left, which I wanted to avoid running into, thank you very much, followed by a sticky looking hole at the bottom of the second ledge, also on the left. So, approaching the first drop, I ran it more in the center and then hit the second drop center-right. I took in a ton of water, but it was an absolute blast! I am not an adrenaline junky, but there are certain calculated risks I can’t resist. I’ve said this elsewhere, but one of my main attractions to running rapids is reconciling the disquiet inside me – or getting comfortable with feeling uncomfortable. I won’t just fly off a cliff blindfolded; but I will likely toe up to the edge, take in the awesome view, and then say to myself “let’s see what happens…” before freefalling.

Even before these first (of many!) rapids, you’ll pass colossal rock outcrops along one of either banks, not to mention boulders bathing (or submerged) in the river itself. Without getting too detailed, roughly 1.8 billion years ago (with a ‘b’) two continents collided in what is now northeastern Wisconsin in a process called “orogeny,” a fancy term for “mountain creation.” The upshot, so to speak, was a whole lot of lift. What’s particularly cool, as it were, is much of the rock around the Pike is actually magma than never manifested to the surface but instead stayed under the crust and cooled before being thrust upwards – another fancy term called “igneous intrusion.” In other words, the bedrock here is dazzling, decadent, and incredibly ancient! And also enormous.

The Pike continues to arc northeast for four miles or so, mostly in long straightaways with only modest meandering. Here, the river is an attractive corridor past hallways of conifers and deciduous trees hiding some outcrops while showcasing others off. Cedars hint at spooky mysteries in the woods, while wild iris line the banks. In short, the landscape is positively dreamy, and the paddling in this segment is a mix of quietwater, riffles, and Class I’s. Again, you’ll pass a handful of houses/cabins, but only briefly.

An abrupt bent-elbow of 90 degrees to the right begins a scenic interlude occasionally highlighting genuinely gigantic rock outcrops and boulders the size of one-story houses. The most magnificent of these is at least 20′ tall, double that long, and who knows how wide as it’s part of the bluff off of which the river caroms like a racquetball. It’s also in the shape of a scalene triangle, which is rather remarkable.

Between this massive slab and the bridge at County K there are two notable rapids, both easy and straightforward. The first is a fun run of standing waves about 200′ long. The other is a one-and-done drop of 2′ shortly below the waves. Otherwise, it’s all riffles, woods, and more exposed bedrock of astonishing stature.

The scene at County K is awfully pretty, in spite of the eyesore that is power lines and towers anchored into the exposed bedrock itself. If this isn’t quintessential northcountry, I don’t know what is. Fun, frothy rapids in a C-curve precede and lie below the bridge, too. From here to the next bridge at Barker Road, the Pike doubles down on boulders and rapids. To be fair, there are quietwater interludes; it’s not nonstop rough-and-tumble play! All in all, there are three sets of Class II rapids in the next three miles, the first of which is a straight shot through an area called Scrounge Canyon (love that name!). It’s basically a dells, where a river is constricted between rock walls – thus “Wisconsin Dells” or “Dalles [sic] of the St. Croix.” There’s nothing technical here, just good, clean fun blasting through standing waves. But it offers training opportunities to practice whatever whitewater maneuvers floats your boat, like catching eddies and ferrying.

The second rapids is called Horseshoe Falls. Don’t let its name intimidate you – there are no falls. But a fairly large island does divert the main channel of the river in a right-hand bend through a narrow chute and ledge of 18” or so. I was anticipating this and nursing a worry about running the crescent-shaped lip correctly and avoiding any backrollers at the bottom. But the river was high and the current so fast I didn’t even recognize it for what it was until after I’d gone over it. There’s a second, smaller ledge about 400′ downstream. It’s worth noting that there’s a makeshift access on the left before Horseshoe Falls, off of Lear Road. The relevance of this will reveal itself in half a mile…

The third set of rapids before Barker Road has no name, inexplicably. While more technical on account of an S-curve, the two ledges here can be seen from the Barker Road bridge – they’re only 300′ upstream. Still, by all means scout on river-left. Here, a right-hand bend leads to a small drop where the river pivots left. About 50′ later, a bigger ledge (but still only 1’ or so) directs the flow to the left bank – except that you need to beeline to the right in order to run the next, still slightly bigger ledge about 90’ away. On my experience, at higher than normal water levels, I was temporarily caught in a circling eddy in between the two drops and the flow direction differential (if that makes any sense). I wasn’t trapped, but I was temporarily stuck in place. I just needed to refocus and change my position before finding my line to run the second drop. A huge pool lies below the second ledge, but the river will bend once more to the left. Mind you, this is all on the upstream side of the bridge. Things are wilder below the bridge!

Most paddlers call it quits here and take out on the left bank (there are a couple different paths); only whitewater paddlers continue beyond the bridge. I ended my first trip on the upstream side of the bridge, mindful to do so before getting caught in a whisk-y rapid (kitchen utensil, not the drink) that wants to grab your wrist and drag you to the big dance.

Only 50 yards below the bridge at Barker Road the Pike plunges into Yellow Bridge Falls, a Class III rapids comprising two pitches – the first about 2’ tall, the second a more intimidating 5’ drop with a gulp-inducing horizon line. Unfortunately, both banks here are private property – and the posted signage is unambiguous. In theory, you could knock on the door of the landowner river-right (the driveway is next to the bridge, southwest corner), but whether they’ll be home or friendly to total strangers seeking to walk around their property to look at a river is another whole matter… Here’s the breakdown. Easy Class I+ rapids leads you to rock outcrops that divert the river’s flow slightly to the right. This is the first ledge. It slopes to the right from the left, resulting in weird waves and sticky holes. It’s best to run towards the right/ center-right. There’s a pool at the base of this drop, where you’ll need to make a hard 90-degree pivot left to run the second drop, which you won’t really be able to see due to the horizon line. Again, I ran it right/ center-right, hoped for the best, and said inside “let’s see what happens.”

To recap, the river bends left, then hard right, then hard left, pause, breathe deep, then a hard right followed immediately by a hard left.

But you ain’t out of the woods yet, no sir. About 150 yards of Class II boulder gardens immediately follow the second drop. As is cautioned in every write-up on the Pike, to go for a swim here would be brutal. Another big ledge with a 2′ drop plunges into another huge pool. Off to the far left is a makeshift access that connects to Pike River Road. One can either stop or begin here, or pause to dump water and/or collect one’s nerves and/or celebrate. For whitewater paddlers, one could launch from aforementioned Lear Road, run one mile of liquid bliss, and get out at Pike River Road. Rinse and repeat.

Why “Yellow Bridge”? Apparently, the previous rendition of the Barker Road bridge had a yellow-painted railing.

From here there’s roughly five more miles before reaching the Menominee River. Most of the attention rightfully attracts to the action above and below Barker Road. But the gradient in these final five miles is still about 11.5 fpm – plenty to write home about in its own regard. Long, lean, and linear, the Pike flows southward with only the subtlest bend here and there. Many islands dot the river and create side channel options. There are numerous riffles and Class I’s in the 3ish miles between the rough access at Pike River Road below Yellow Bridge Falls and the actual bridge over the river on Pike River Road. Remember: when something is brought to a simmer, it’s still ebullient! It just has fewer boils.

As the river ricochets east, one last ledge rated Class II with a 2′ drop awaits. I found it simple and straightforward, but there is a backroller to be mindful of. More boulder gardens and many islands appear downstream as the river uncharacteristically meanders like it’s nobody’s business to and past the final bridge. Allegedly, there’s access at the bridge (Pike River Road) – various guides assert that. I found none – at least without serious bushwhacking. Considering that the Menominee River is only two miles away, where there’s an excellent access, why not just take out there? Besides, who doesn’t love a proper confluence? To be fair, the current dies altogether shortly after the bridge, and the environs are broad floodplains. But it’s still pretty. The Pike is such an excellent experience, it would feel like cheating not to see it all the way through. At its toothsome mouth, turn right and find the access off Grogan Road immediately on the right.

What we liked:
Ev-ry-thing! The geology is just outrageous, and the rapids are riotous. The Pike is wild indeed and deserves to be forever protected.

What we didn’t like:
Sure, I could have done without the dozen or so houses along the way, but that’s mincing things on the edge of prissy purism. The bugs were a minor nuisance. Flies zipped around me nonstop, both days, but none bit. The mosquitoes were to be expected.

If we did this trip again:
You dance with the one that brung you. In this case, my virginal trip down the Pike coincided with unusually high levels, which meant a lot of submerged boulders and bedrock. I’d be keen to redo the Hwy 141 to Barker Road segment at a more moderate level. Also, for the sake of safety and fun, I’d do this with another paddler (or more). Otherwise, these trips were absolutely fabulous, and I am grateful to have experienced the river as I did. The Pike is a sacred stream.

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Related Information:
General: Wisconsin Trail Guide
Map: Wisconsin DNR
Overview: Miles Paddled’s Wild Rivers of Wisconsin
Wikipedia: Pike River

Photo Gallery: