Browsing Tag

2013

Yahara River
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Yahara River VI

Stebbensville Road to Murwin County Park: A wonderfully scenic quietwater paddle that’s perfect for beginners and families, this section of the Yahara River is one of our all-time favorites and one that provides a different experience every time we…

Turtle Creek
★ ★ ★

Turtle Creek II

O’Riley Road to Sweet-Allyn Park: Upstream from the most fun and interesting stretch of Turtle Creek lies a wooly (but not wild) trip on a rather wide and slow stretch. This quiet excursion (aside from some highway noise) is…

Badfish Creek
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Badfish Creek I

Old Stage Road to Casey Road: It’s no secret that we love Badfish Creek, or that this is our absolute favorite paddling stretch near Madison – we’ve directed paddlers to Old Stage Road numerous times over the last decade.…

Plover River
★ ★ ★ ★

Plover River I

Jordan Park to Iverson Park: One of the best examples of “finding adventure in your backyard,” this last segment of the Plover River through Stevens Point makes for a wonderful day trip through a mix of floodplains, tall sand…

Little Platte River
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Little Platte River I

Old Lancaster Road to County Road O: A return trip to one of our favorite paddles anywhere in southern Wisconsin, this time to make good on unusually high water levels after some significant rain only a few days prior.…

Yahara River
★ ★ ★

Yahara River I

Veterans Memorial Park to Windsor Road: Adventurous paddlers will enjoy paddling the headwaters of the Yahara River, because at the right levels, it’s swift, riffly and just a whole lot of fun. Expect some deadfall but also expect to…

Maunesha River
★ ★ ★ ★

Maunesha River I

Marshall to Firemen’s Park: A return trip to mark an anniversary of sorts, this second time around was even prettier and less difficult than the first. Great wildlife, a surprisingly scenic landscape, fantastically fun moving water and a thrilling…

Pine River
★ ★ ★ ★

Pine River I (Richland County)

Rockbridge to County Road AA: A wonderful stream that slowly meanders around the bluffs of Driftless Richland County, this trip will require the whole day to paddle but you’ll love it. Just don’t bother doing it in a canoe.…

Carroll Creek
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Carroll Creek

Point Rock Park to Jacobstown Road: In terms of the most mind-blowing bang for your paddling buck, this is probably the best creek I’ve ever been on, anywhere. Seriously. Constant riffles, a fun Class II ledge in the beginning,…

13 Best Paddles of 2013
Feature

13 Best Paddles of 2013

We logged a serious amount of trips and miles this year so we thought it was worthwhile to look back on the season. Here, in no particular order, are 13 of our favorite canoe and kayak paddles from 2013...…

2013 Miles Paddled Outtakes
Video

Miles Paddled Outtakes 2008-2013

While documenting our trips down rivers and creeks throughout Wisconsin, we were bound to capture some (mildly) amusing footage. Here are some outtakes from six seasons of paddling.…

A Winters Paddle
Feature

A Winter’s Paddle

Last year I had the great fortune of perfect timing to paddle a river in mid-December in central Wisconsin, when the water itself was still open, flowing nicely and it began to snow. “Perfect timing” might be relative, as…

Wisconsin River
★ ★ ★

Wisconsin River IX

Pine River to Texas: A very abbreviated segment of the Merrill to Granite Heights trip (11.25 miles) due to lack of time and winter conditions. Highlights include a swift current leading up to one very solid Class I+ rapids,…

Pecatonica River East Branch
★ ★ ★ ★

Pecatonica River: East Branch II

Hollandale to Blanchardville: An exhilarating trip on a skinny river that sneaks its way around one bluff and then another, many of them topped with pine-crowned cliffs, pockmarked boulders and gorgeous sandstone. When not so dramatic, there are oak…

Pecatonica River
★ ★ ★ ★

Pecatonica River II

Darlington to Red Rock: A very pleasant stretch of river that gets little to no attention but is quite worth paddling, the second half of this trip in particular. With small rapids at the very beginning, some hills midway…

Platte River
★ ★ ★ ★

Platte River IV

Big Platte Road to Indian Creek Road: The final stretch of a wonderful river, this segment of the Platte has only a few of the riffles that the upstream sections are full of but the bluffs are no less…

Platte River
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Platte River III

Platte Road to Big Platte Road: This segment, the crème de la crème of the Platte, is second to none with riffles and small rapids the entire stretch, sweeping bluff vistas and great rock outcroppings in the beautiful Driftless…

Nippersink Creek
★ ★ ★

Nippersink Creek

Richmond to Spring Grove: An attractive creek in northeastern Illinois, admirably maintained by volunteers that effectively begins in a glacial moraine and concludes in a woodsy area before feeding one of the chain of lakes, with countless riffles along…

Lake Michigan Port Washington
★ ★ ★ ★

Lake Michigan: Port Washington

Port Washington to Grafton: Take one part jade green water, one perfect launching site, innumerable cool dunes, plus one hike-in gorge and you have the makings of one very fun sea kayaking paddle. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip…

Wisconsin River
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Wisconsin River V: “The Upper Dells”

Lyndon Station to Wisconsin Dells: Gorgeous sandstone bluffs, huge rock walls, labyrinthine islands, slot canyons, nooks, crannies, caves and tourist kitsch; this paddle just about has it all. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: October 13, 2013…

Lake Michigan Ellison Bay
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Lake Michigan: Ellison Bay

Sister Bay to Garret Bay: An absolute gem of a sea kayaking experience on crystal-clear jade green waters, enormous bluffs with excellent rock formations, beautiful vistas and even a visible shipwreck right at the takeout, this trip will be…

Rock River
★ ★ ★

Rock River II

Janesville to Beloit: Beginning in the heart of one city and ending at the beginning of another, this segment of the Rock is not as industrial as one might think. Indeed, there are a few miles on this trip…

Sugar River
★ ★ ★ ★

Sugar River V

Colored Sands Forest Preserve to North Meridian Road: Another in the unofficial “escape to Illinois” series for 2013. This final segment of the Sugar River is actually distinct from its usual connotations in Wisconsin. It’s sandy instead of muddy,…