Wisconsin Paddle Guide, a canoe, kayak and whitewater rafting guide.

Wisconsin Paddle Guide

There are five rivers that stand above the rest in terms of popularity to canoe and kayak in northern Wisconsin. These are; the St Croix River, Namekagon River, Flambeau River (North Fork), Bois Brule River, and the Wolf River. The first three offer excellent trips for paddlers of all skill levels and feature long stretches of flat-water along with a few stretches of low to medium hazard rapids. The last two rivers are more narrow, and offer intermediate to advanced whitewater runs that attract paddlers from across the midwest. All five rivers generally have consistent water flows which are usually navigable throughout spring, summer, and into fall.

The "Lower Wisconsin State Riverway", part of the Wisconsin River, offers an excellent 'big river' experience for flat-water paddlers!

River Finder Map

There are a pair of rivers that offer excellent whitewater rafting, the Peshtigo River and the Wolf River. Both have a number of local outfitters which provide guided and unguided rafting trips and shuttle services. Another fun rafting river is the Menominee River through Piers' Gorge, careful though, this one's a beast!

Three rivers that are 'less-traveled' yet offer beautiful, scenic small-river runs are the: Manitowish River, Brule River, and the Pike River. The Manitowish and the Brule are mostly flat-water, while the Pike offers some intermediate rapids and one stretch of whitewater that will challenge advanced paddlers.

Canoe camping seems to be gaining popularity in Wisconsin. The National Park Service and the Wisconsin DNR have developed a large number of excellent riverside campsites for individual and group, multi-day trips along several rivers: the St Croix, Namekagon, Flambeau North Fork, and the Manitowish.

Two rivers offer riverside campgrounds that are accessible by car and are well worth checking out. The first is the Bois Brule River, which features two State Forest campgrounds along the river. The other is the Peshtigo River, which has a pair of well-maintained County Parks with riverside camping. All of the mentioned campgrounds have RV sites, and Goodman County Park on the Peshtigo offers a dumping station and water station.

Check out the River Summary Page for a complete list of all the trips featured in this guide!