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…
Browsing Tag
Paddle Report
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…
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,…
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…
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…
28th Court to Poy Sippi: An appetite for trying as many Pine Rivers in Wisconsin as I can, and a mild late fall day, led me to this rarely explored river segment. Though offering few standout memories, it has…
Langlade to Markton: An exhilarating trip where the former “teen” Wolf becomes a millennial and starts its sprint. More rambunctious than the segment upstream, but not as volatile as the next segment downriver, this trip is pretty much pitch-perfect…
Hollister to Langlade: A spectacular stretch of a spectacular river, it’s here where the former Wolf pup enters its teen years, transitioning in earnest from its quiet flatwater and wild rice beds upstream to its tumultuous spill down riotous…
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…
County Road N to Oxbow Take Out: One of the most popular, albeit short, trips on the Pine River on account of its peculiar meandering and supreme ease of shuttle logistics, “the Oxbow” provides an ideal moving water-experience for…
Chipmunk Rapids Campground to Goodman Grade Road: The next sequence on the spectacular Pine, here the winding river takes on its Wild and Scenic attributes in true colors, featuring two difficult pitches of whitewater ranging in Class II-III rapids…
Newald Tower Road/Forest Road 2159 to Highway 101: One of the first three rivers to be classified as Wild & Scenic in Wisconsin, the Popple River throbs through the heart of national forest and offers paddlers a splendid mix…
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…
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…
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…
Highway 139 to National Forest Road 2150: Arguably the best a northwoods paddle can offer in terms of beginner paddler-friendly and with reliable water levels, while still offering a bounty of rambunctious beauty, outstanding wildlife, sheer lack of development, and…
Crosscut Road to Quarry Road: Only if you’re a local with time on your hands, intermediate paddle skills, and are just curious enough about what’s north of Quarry Road should you paddle this section. With two-thirds of the paddle…
River Road to Kewaunee: An off the beaten path slog over downed trees and waterless riffles, this trip offers very few redeeming qualities. After the dam at the Kewaunee Fisheries Facility, the river is wide, flooded, deep and slow.…
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…
Touring Starkweather Creek: If you’re looking for a recreational paddle near Madison, there are better options than Starkweather Creek. But if you consider (or reconsider, I suppose) and categorize Starkweather Creek as an urban transportation route, (which in its…
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…
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…
Indian Creek Road to The Mississippi River: A relaxing “lake paddle” on the Platte River to the Mississippi is a great way to spend an evening enjoying nature’s creatures, the sounds of the wonderful outdoors, or enjoying a cold beverage while…
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…
County Road Q to Witek Road: A surprisingly viable paddling prospect when water levels are higher than normal, this Driftless Area trout stream tumbles and meanders past exposed rock outcrops, bluffs, pine relicts, and swaths of prairie. Accesses are…