Other stories in "Canoeing"

• Dreaming of Ely
  From Minnesota town, the wilderness exerts a magnetic pull on city folk.
• Adventure on the Gunflint Trail
  For outdoorsy folks, Minnesota wilderness is a year-round playground.
• Paddling the Bois Brule
  In northwest Wisconsin, a cherished stream is no lazy float.
• Languid in Lanesboro
  In summer, head for lovely Lanesboro and go with the flow.
• Hitting the trails in Trempealeau
  There's lots to do in this Mississippi River hamlet.
• Chasing the Kickapoo
  In southwest Wisconsin, a looping river plays peekaboo.
• Floating Missouri
  Spring-fed streams and springs beg to be explored in the down-home Ozarks.
• Minnesota's Boundary Waters
  For canoeists, vast wilderness is the promised land.

10 great canoeing rivers

From water, see something new around each bend.

In summer, nearly every river is a good canoeing river.

For adventure, try the Bois Brule, which flows into Lake Superior over a series of rapids. For scenery, head for the cliff-lined Upper Iowa, which National Geographic Adventure magazine calls one of America’s Best Adventure 100, along with rafting in the Grand Canyon.

For fun with kids, paddle the crooked Kickapoo. Teen-agers like floating the Crystal River in the tippy canoes rented there.

Below are some of the best places to dip a paddle this summer.

Bois Brule in northwest Wisconsin: This River of Presidents — five have fished there — is famous for its whitewater and for beautifully preserved cabins and boathouses built around the turn of the century. Wildlife-watching is pretty fine, too.

Brule River Canoe Rental rents boats (when water is low, rent a kayak). For more, see Paddling the Bois Brule.

Upper Iowa River in northeast Iowa: Most people don't expect to paddle past 330-foot sheer limestone cliffs and spires in Iowa, but they will on this stretch of river west of Decorah. The most picturesque stretches are the 15½ river miles from Kendallville to Bluffton and the 16 miles between Bluffton and Decorah.

Randy's and Hutchinson Family Farm in Bluffton and Hruska's in Kendallville rent boats. The five looping river miles between bridges 5 and 7 would be ideal for a mountain-bike shuttle or even walking, since the road distance is very short.

Kickapoo River in southwest Wisconsin: The word Kickapoo derives from an Algonquin word that means “one who moves about, now here, now there,’’ which may refer to the tribe that once lived in this region, but certainly can describe the river, which flows in all four direction of the compass on the first six river miles from Ontario.

It’s a good place to take small children because it’s not very deep, and its inability to flow straight for more than a few yards matches a toddler’s inability to sit still for more than a few minutes. Each turn brings a new vista, so it’s nearly impossible to lose interest.

In Ontario, get a boat and a shuttle from Titanic, Mr. Duck or Drifty's. For more, see Chasing the Kickapoo.

Crystal River in east-central Wisconsin: Near Waupaca and its Chain of Lakes, the twisting Crystal River also is a good place to take children. In specially made small canoes, tourists by the hundreds float from Long Lake into the shallow but fast-moving Crystal River, through the village of Rural, a tucked-away historic district of 1850s New England-style houses. The canoes are tippy, so plan to canoe on a warm day. Ding’s Dock rents the boats.

Cannon River south of the Twin Cities: Less than an hour away, the Cannon River is one of the Twin Cities’ favorite canoeing and tubing destinations, and on weekends it’s full of church and school groups. French fur traders named the river not for artillery but for canoes, la riviere aux canots. There are a few riffles near the put-in at Cannon Falls’ Riverside Park, but from there it’s an easy 12 miles through the scenic river gorge.

Welch Mill Outfitters in Welch does a good job of handling the hordes. Canoeists who want a quieter experience should arrive by 8 a.m. People who have their own canoes can bring bikes and return to their vehicle on the Cannon Valley Trail.

St. Croix River east of the Twin Cities: This is the other classic canoeing route near the Twin Cities, part of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway. The most popular stretch is between Minnesota Interstate Park in Taylors Falls and the Wisconsin town of Osceola or William O’Brien State Park in Marine on St. Croix. Wild Mountain rents canoes. For more, see Sightseeing on the St. Croix.

Farther up the river, Wild River Outfitters rents boats from Grantsburg, Wis.

Red Cedar River in western Wisconsin: Between Menomonie and Dunnville, the river is crossed by 11 trestle bridges and lined by wooded bluffs and canyon-like walls of gold sand; canoeists likely will spot eagles, osprey and red-shouldered hawks, along with blue and green herons.

Roscoe’s Red Cedar Outfitters, 715-235-3866, rents canoes from the trailhead of the Red Cedar State Trail, off Wisconsin 29 in Menomonie's Riverside Park. Paddlers who have their own boats can take bicycles and use the shady 14½-mile crushed-limestone trail to return to their vehicles.

Root River in southeast Minnesota: The North Branch of the Root is very picturesque and not as crowded as stretches closer to the Twin Cities. From Moen’s Bridge, it’s 12 miles to the spot where the North Branch joins the South Branch and the Root River State Trail north of Lanesboro, and another four miles to the take-out in Whalan, east of Lanesboro. Along the way, canoeists glide past solid limestone bluffs, the ruins of an old dam and an abandoned 1915 power plant; wildlife sightings may include eagles and herons.

Rainfall speeds up the Root considerably, and outfitters often recommend the slower 14-mile South Branch stretch from Preston to Lanesboro if the North Branch is too high.

Zumbro River in southeast Minnesota: In the upper reaches of Minnesota’s bluff country, this river flows past bluffs and cliffs as it twists and turns its way to the Mississippi. The French called it la riviere des embarras, or river of obstacles, and canoeists have to watch out for snags. The 12 miles from Zumbro Falls to Millville takes about half a day; Zumbro Valley Canoe Rental in Zumbro Falls rents boats, 507-753-2568.

Flambeau River in northern Wisconsin: This wilderness river cuts across the north woods from its headwaters near the Michigan border to western Wisconsin, where it joins the Chippewa River south of Ladysmith. Outfitters in Manitowish Waters, Phillips, Park Falls, Winter, Ladysmith and Holcombe rent boats.

Trip Tips: Great canoe rivers

When to go: For the quietest canoeing with the best chance of wildlife spotting, go on a weekday. If you go on a weekend or holiday, reserve rental and shuttle and try to arrive early in the day.

Cost: Typically, a half day of canoe rental with shuttle service costs $30-$40, less for groups. Two parties who own two canoes and two cars can arrange their own shuttles; another option is to take bicycles in the canoe or leave them at the take-out point. Outfitters are conservative about estimating paddling time, so a four-hour trip usually takes closer to three hours if canoeists don’t loaf too much.

Safety: Before you go, ask outfitters or park employees about water levels; heavy rains can make a river unsafe. Watch out for overhanging tree branches, which tip canoes more frequently than rapids.

Wisconsin canoeing: Wisconsin’s Activity Guide lists 76 places to rent boats in 57 towns; get one at 800-432-8747. Travel Wisconsin also lists outfitters and destinations.

Minnesota canoeing: The DNR sends out free canoe-river guides that include maps and descriptions of public access points, campsites and navigational features. Get them by calling 651-296-6157 or 888-646-6367, or pick them up at  the DNR Information Center, 500 Lafayette Road near downtown St. Paul.

The 30 designated water trails are described on the DNR’s web site, which also reports current river levels and lists 42 places to rent boats on 15 rivers.

Last updated on July 17, 2008