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,…
Browsing Tag
Paddle Report
Bear Lake Road to Dells of the Eau Claire Park: A lively section of an intimate river with exciting whitewater ledges, extensive boulder gardens and excellent wildlife all with hardly any development until the end. This short trip can…
Pine Island to Portage: A mostly uneventful but still pretty section of the Wisconsin River located downriver from the Dells but before the Driftless bluffs of the lower 92 miles. The best this trip offers is plenty of sandbars…
Loy Road to Highway 23: A pretty creek but a mostly miserable paddling experience with one notable exception at the very end. I wouldn’t even recommend this trip to my enemies. Unless, of course, you like difficult portages, poisonous…
Waunakee Village Park to South Woodland Drive: If you love to portage, (I mean, really love to portage) this creek is for you, otherwise Six Mile Creek is a dud of a paddle. Rating: ☆ Trip Report Date: June 7,…
Blynn Road to Arena: This final few hundred yards of Black Earth Creek, before it meets Blue Mounds Creek and its eventual confluence with the Wisconsin River is a trip unto it’s own, sharing no characteristics with the upstream…
Chimney Rock Road to Malanaphy Springs: Add one part swift water to umpteen parts spectacular limestone cliffs, rock walls, undulating bluffs and a generous heaping of pretty wrought iron bridges, mixed with a couple cups of springs and you…
Albany to Brodhead: Knowing full well that this stretch of the Sugar River is most popular with the tubing contingent, we caught it before tubing season officially began, so as to avoid the crazies. It’s wide and quite unspectacular…
Swan Lake to Portage Canal: A trip that, in theory, would be pleasant and interesting but in reality, is a dud due to private property and shallow, impenetrable (sometimes disgusting) water. Rating: ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: May 14, 2014…
Grandfather Dam to Lokemoen Road: A short trip alternating between flatwater and Class I-II rapids that begins at the end of the Wisconsin River’s single steepest section and quite possibly, where the coolest hydroelectric dam in the state is…
Goodrich to County Road A: Beginning with a bang and ending on a whimper, this section of the Big Rib River offers an exhilarating trip fit for experienced paddlers featuring a spectacular Dells section with challenging whitewater, root beer-hued…
Mines of Spain to Massey Marina Park: A combination of flatwater, intimate creek within a city park and Mississippi River paddling amongst barges and big bluffs, Catfish Creek is an interesting adventure. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip…
Old Sixteen Road to Highway 76: A quintessential Driftless river blessed with swift, riffly water, gorgeous rock outcrops, rolling hills and superb wildlife, that begins in a private campground with RVs and ends at the Mississippi River past Effigy…
Highway X16 to Old Sixteen Road: A quintessential Driftless river blessed with everything you could hope for: swift, clear, riffly water, gorgeous rock outcrops, rolling hills and superb wildlife. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: May 5,…
Seeley Lake to Hatchery Road: A lovely stream with solid water volume, Seeley Creek is the largest tributary of the Baraboo River that passes by some astonishing rock outcrops and lovely hills followed by one of the prettier sections…
Portage to Dekorra: A mostly overlooked and underappreciated section of the Wisconsin River located after the rapture of the Dells but before the splendor of the lower 92 miles, this quick trip is worth a look. Rating: ☆ ☆…
East Canyon Road to South Apple River Road: Quite possibly the most beautiful stretch of river in all of Illinois (and definitely one of the best in the entire Midwest) the Apple River is rich with clear water, (or…
Bolton Road to Krape Park: A very satisfying creek with clear water, good flow, pretty hillsides, ridges, a number of quite attractive rock outcrops and an absolutely fascinating public park at the end complete with Art Deco bridges, matching…
Argyle to Blackhawk Memorial County Park: Another tranquil, slow-paced trip past oak trees, a couple gentle bluffs and tallgrass in southwestern Wisconsin, this section of the East Branch isn’t dramatic but it’s very pleasant. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report…
Crawford Landing Road to Indian Village Road: A very short segment of the river that marks the natural border between southeastern Louisiana and southwestern Mississippi that is developed but still offers diversions into side channels, sloughs and alluring bayous.…
County Road G to Duck Creek Road: If you like paddling through marsh, this is your ticket, especially in early spring, where there’s lots of birds coming and going. Ultimately it’s a very pleasant, pretty stretch that often feels…
Highway HK to Hollandale: Alternating between serene, sublime and sucky, this trip is quite a mixed bag. The water levels are fickle and the obstructions are frustrating but there are fun riffles coupled with magnificent rock outcrops (ancient in…
South Avenue to Dellwood: A previously unknown creek (to me, at least) that was rich in potential, coursing entirely through public land but poor in practical paddling since it’s almost always obstructed with tree limbs and branches. Rating: ☆…
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,…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…