Browsing Tag

Wisconsin

Platte River
★ ★ ★

Platte River V

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…

Eau Claire River
★ ★ ★ ★

Eau Claire River III (Marathon County)

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…

Castle Rock Creek-Fennimore Fork
Video

Castle Rock Creek/Fennimore Fork Video

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 OK but not great, and there…

Castle Rock Creek
★ ★ ★ ★

Castle Rock Creek/Fennimore Fork

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…

Fox River Illinois Tributary
★ ★

Fox River II

Waterford to Burlington: A suburban paddle by and by, surrounded by highways, bridges, backyards, big box stores, a golf course, and a couple dams, there’s little charm to this section of the Fox River in southeastern Wisconsin but for…

Fox River
★ ★ ★

Fox River III

Highway 33 to County Road O: For all intents and purposes, this trip is the first chapter in the epic story of the historic Fox River in Wisconsin. Beginning at the famous portage that gave a city (and county)…

Devil's Lake
Video

Devil’s Lake Video

An extraordinarily short but delightful paddle within Wisconsin’s most popular State Park, this little adventure provides a different perspective to the towering bluffs of Devil’s Lake, and is especially appealing during the peak colors of fall. (Adjust to 1080p for…

Robinson Creek
Video

Robinson Creek Video: Kelly Road to West Pine Hill Road

The fabled lower section of Robinson Creek features no fewer than five Class II-III ledges through a series of two separate mini canyons. As such, this trip demands caution and care, and should be considered only by experienced paddlers…

Turtle Creek
Video

Turtle Creek Video: O’Riley Road to Sweet-Allyn Park

Turtle Creek is one of our favorite paddles in Southern Wisconsin. This section is rather tame with wide and long straightaways, but the payoff of paddling beneath the beautiful Tiffany Stone Arch bridge is the cherry on top of this…

2020 Canoecopia Show Guide
News

2020 Canoecopia Show Guide

Canoecopia 2020’s Show Guide has landed and is available for download on Canoecopia.com.  This year, not only is Timothy giving two talks, but friend and family of Miles Paddled, Mr. Craig Charles is speaking too. Educator, author, adventurer, and the…

Badfish Creek Video
Video

Scuppernong River Video: Highway 106 to County Road D

If you’ve ever wondered about the Scuppernong, wonder no more. It’s flat and often channelized, but mostly marsh-like and open. And it’s full of birds and sometimes boats. On this beautiful blue-skied Sunday in early-August, it made for a…

Badfish Creek Video
Video

Badfish Creek Video: Old Stage Road to Casey Road

This section of Badfish Creek is our absolute favorite paddle near Madison. With almost always reliable water levels, riffles, sand/gravel bars, and maintained access points, it’s as delightful of a paddle experience one could ask for. Here’s a look at last…

Horseshoe Island Video
Video

Horseshoe Island Video: Door County, Wisconsin

Have a look at the there-and-back Door County diversion we had last July by paddling some big-lake (or big-Bay, I suppose) waters on our way to hike around Horseshoe Island. It’s a great paddle so long as the water…

Pewaukee River Video
Video

Pewaukee River Video: Koepp Park to Bluemound Road

It’s been well documented that at the right water levels, the Pewaukee River has proven potential. But on this specific day, it was far too low – which made for a half weed-choked and half-hoofing-it type of “paddle.” As…

Grant River Video
Video

Grant River Video: Short Cut Road to County Road U

In 2019, we returned to one of our favorite sections of the Grant River. Although we didn’t update the trip report (since nothing was notably different) we did capture the trip on video again. What was unique this time…

Plover River
★ ★ ★ ★

Plover River IV

Boundary Road to Kristof Road: An exhilarating section of the upper Plover River with spectacular boulder gardens, thrilling Class I rapids, and a gorgeous, mostly undeveloped landscape of thick woods. This trip does however, have a few tricky situations…

Stevens Point Area Paddle Guide
Paddle Guide

Stevens Point Area Paddle Guide

In the heart of Portage County in central Wisconsin, the City of Stevens Point sits in the cradle of two magnificent rivers – the Wisconsin and the Plover. Indeed, at darling Iverson Park the moniker “City of Wonderful Water”…

Robinson Creek
★ ★ ★ ★

Robinson Creek II

Kelly Road to West Pine Hill Road: The fabled lower section of Robinson Creek features no fewer than five Class II-III ledges through a series of two separate mini canyons. As such, this trip demands caution and care, and…

Wisconsin Shipwrecks
News

Wisconsin Shipwrecks

It doesn’t get much cooler than this. The Wisconsin Historical Society recently shared news that paddlers can now find direct GPS coordinates to shipwreck sites as well as nearby access points. “Boaters, kayakers, beach walkers, divers, etc. can now…

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…

Little Wolf River
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Little Wolf River III

Big Falls to Highway 110: A lively and lovely trip beginning at the base of a rough-and-tumble Class III-IV falls and featuring an exhilarating Class II rapids shortly afterward, with a bounty of big boulder gardens and innumerable riffles…

Scuppernong River
★ ★ ★

Scuppernong River

Highway 106 to County Road D: A birder’s paradise and paddler’s quagmire, this section of the Scuppernong is part of the Glacial Heritage Area and might be of interest to silent sport enthusiasts. Well, except when a jon boat…

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.…

Wisconsin River
★ ★ ★ ★

Wisconsin River XVII

Touring the Blue Heron Island Loop in Portage County: A circumnavigatory exploration of the backwaters and archipelagic cluster of wild islands surrounded by civilization, this trip is a perfect example of finding adventure (and solitude) in your own backyard,…

Black River
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Black River IV

River Avenue to Riviera Avenue: A gorgeous and largely undeveloped stretch of the beloved Black River, this trip features some of the best “lightwater” rapids anywhere on the Black with two separate stretches of mile-long and half-mile long Class…

Horseshoe Island
★ ★ ★ ★

Lake Michigan: Horseshoe Island

Touring Horseshoe Island in Door County: There are a lot of opportunities for paddling in Door County, but here’s a great half-day destination paddle to a crescent-shaped island that offers a short hike, as well as prime fishing within…

Pewaukee River
★ ★

Pewaukee River

Koepp Park to Bluemound Road: Here’s an example of a one-star paddle that’s given leniency only because of its potential (you’re about to hear that word a lot in this report), and because it was written up in a guidebook…