The reliable east branch of the Pecatonica offers a number trip options that can be tailored up- or downstream from Blackhawk Memorial County Park campground, an off-the-beaten-path gem nestled in the gentle hills of driftless country. This is a…
Browsing Tag
Pecatonica River
We’re often asked where to canoe and kayak camp in Wisconsin, so we thought it was long overdue to create a guide of go-to destinations, as well as some you may or may not know about. Paddle-camping opportunities in…
Highway 78 to River Road: A long overdue redux trip on an excellent stretch of the East Branch of the Pecatonica River that is easy for beginners, poses minimal obstructions, and rewards the paddler with truly terrific scenery and…
Lake Ludden to S. Oak Park Road: A truly peculiar but unique branch of the Pecatonica system, this trip offers an obstacle course around strainers, some fun light rapids, and several stretches of gorgeous geology in a serene setting.…
Sunny Ridge Road to Banner Road: An intimate stream hidden in plain sight buffeted by bluffs, rolling hills, and exquisite rock outcrops, with many riffles and diverse wildlife, this obscure branch of the Pecatonica River system offers a lot…
Pecatonica River Nature Preserve to Trask Bridge Forest Preserve: A simple paddle that’s as pleasant as it is dull, where merely being on the water is more important than the surrounding landscape or fun rapids. This short jog on…
Hollandale to Horseshoe Bend Road: A revisit to one of our faves, this time slightly tailored to shorten the trip and double-down on the bluff-lined landscape, this section of the Pecatonica River’s east branch is quintessential Driftless deliciously close…
Oak Park Road to County Road O: A short but lovely jaunt that begins wonderfully and rewards the paddler with several glorious bluffs, exposed rock outcrops, as well as some riffles, but ends in a tangled obstacle course of…
Mifflin to Jones Branch Road: A surprisingly swift section of the otherwise sluggish Pecatonica River surrounded by steep hills, modest bluffs, several striking rock outcrops and very little development, this trip suffers from shallow water levels, poor accesses and…
Woodford to Highway 11: The last stretch of the Pecatonica’s East Branch, before it merges with the mainstream between South Wayne and Browntown, offers some truly pleasant moments (modest rock outcrops, tall bluffs and some riffles) but it’s a…
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…
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…
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…
Highway 78 to Argyle: This section of the East Branch of the Pecatonica River is a tranquil, mostly slow-paced trip past preserved oak savannas, tallgrass prairie, lowland forests, southern sedge meadows and coquettish rock outcroppings in southwestern Wisconsin. Rating:…
I was introduced to the Pecatonica River a couple weeks ago. It's a really nice paddle that starts in Calamine and ends in Darlington, Wisconsin...…
Calamine to Darlington: While not overly spectacular, the Pecatonica is just a solid and pretty paddle located in the driftless area. Coupled with a convenient atv trail for a bike shuttle, this is a very accomodating waves-to-trails paddle. Rating:…