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Fun in a rented "ducky" at Horserace Rapids on the Peshtigo River. Photo by Mike Svob Best picks for paddlers My column this month is another exercise in self-indulgence, but one that hopefully will give my readers an idea or two about places to paddle. One of the commonplaces of magazines and newspapers is articles that list and describe the "best" of this and the "best" of that, be they restaurants, vacation spots, hotels or whatnot. Here, I'm doing the same thing with a retrospective and evaluative look at various locales that I've paddled in the past. Obviously, my doing so is highly and unapologetically subjective, but hopefully you can glean something of interest. Before launching into my list, I'd like to extend an invitation to readers to send in their own "best of" nominations. I'll be happy to include these in future columns in Silent Sports. As usual, send your comments to mikesvob@yahoo.com. Without further verbiage, here's my listing of the best (and in one case, the worst) that Midwest paddlesports has to offer. Most enjoyable rapids There are many candidates here, too numerous to mention, actually. But for me, one stands out: Boy Scout Rapids on the Wolf River. Beginning at a picturesque wooden footbridge, the river offers half a mile of complex Class II boulder gardens running alongside a Boy Scout Camp, with a couple of small, intervening pools and a big river-left eddy just before a second footbridge. Friends and I have spent many a happy hour playing there – darting from one eddy to another, paddling back upstream, and having an exhilarating time. This was where I got my first "combat roll." Best flatwater river So much to choose from: the Kishwaukee and Fox in Illinois, for example, the Grant, Lower Black or the Sugar in Wisconsin, and many others. Over all, however, I have to give the nod to the Lower Wisconsin River, the final 92-mile, dam-free stretch below Sauk City. My usual predilection is small intimate streams – which the Wisconsin is not – but this is a very special waterway. It flows through a wonderfully undeveloped landscape, with terrific public accesses, inviting sandbars, riverside bluffs, delightful communities like Spring Green, and is imbued with lots of history. My favorite part is the stretch from Spring Green to Boscobel. Prettiest bridge Another tough choice. Lovely structures – like the Cobban Bridge on the Chippewa, the four arching bridges at McClintock Park on the Peshtigo, the stone railroad bridge on the Oconto upstream from Wisconsin Highway 32, and many others – come to mind, to say nothing of the various 19th-century wooden bridges that have been preserved in Wisconsin and Illinois. For sheer elegance, symmetry and classic design, however, I don't think you can beat the graceful stone bridge over the Vermilion River in Lowell (Illinois Highway 178) immediately upstream from the put-in for the famous Wildcat section of the river (see photo). Best canoe-camping river A few years ago I wrote an article on camping rivers for this magazine, mentioning such standouts as the Flambeau, Namekagon, St. Croix, Lower Black, Bois Brule and Wisconsin. Over the years, I've camped on dozens of rivers in Wisconsin and Illinois – some, repeatedly – but the one that I enjoy the most is the Namekagon. Included in the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway, this river is fairly close to roadways much of the time, but still has a wonderfully remote feel with lots of riffles, high sand banks, curves and shoreline campsites that are available only to canoeists. For me, the best part of the river begins at County Trunk K below the Trego Flowage, continuing for 35 miles to Riverside Landing on the St. Croix. Best liberated river Wisconsin has an enviable record (probably the best in the nation) of getting rid of unnecessary, aged and dangerous dams. In the process, a number of long submerged sections of river have been opened up within the last couple of decades – notably on such waterways as the Milwaukee, Bark, Kickapoo, Manitowoc, Sheboygan and Yahara, with more to come. For me, two stand out: A succession of dam removals on the Baraboo, especially the recent ones that freed a remarkable set of rapids within the city of Baraboo; and the removal of the Dells Dam on the Prairie River northeast of Merrill. In the latter case, a beautiful gorge – with continuous Class II rapids flowing through it – was restored to a natural state. Best face-lift Along the same lines as the previous entry, there are several instances of incredible stewardship on the part of enlightened individuals and groups who have actually reversed the destruction wrought by previous generations. There are two remarkable examples in Illinois. One is the Middle Fork River near Danville. Once located in the midst of an area scarred by the spoil piles and ponds left by strip mining, the river has been reclaimed and nature has recovered. More recently, an effort to dam the river was defeated. Today the river is an absolute delight, with lovely scenery, multitudes of riffles and excellent accesses. The other example is the beautiful Nippersink Creek in northern Illinois, where the McHenry County Conservation District eliminated a long, channelized section and restored the original, meandering channel. Best canyon The most impressive canyon that I've ever paddled through was the Lower Canyons section (90-plus miles) of the Rio Grande River on the Texas-Mexico border. But there are some glorious canyons in our area, too. No paddler can fail to be awed when paddling through the canyon of the Montreal River below Saxon Falls, for instance, or the gorgeous Upper Dells of the Wisconsin, Piers Gorge on the Menominee, Horserace Rapids on the Peshtigo, or the dells of the St. Croix, Wolf and Prairie. Even the mini canyons of the dells on the Little Wolf, Big Rib and Jump rivers are impressive, all with good rapids. But the best of the bunch, for me, is the heart-stopping dells of the Wolf, with its sheer walls, narrow streambed and the tricky drop at the entrance. This is Class II-III stuff, but you can visit the dells (plus Big Smoky Falls) by following the signs along a dirt road off of State Highway 55. Best urban river There is no shortage of rivers that flow through cities, many of which involve regrettable flowages, dams, noise, motorboats and riverside development. Some of these cities, however, are surprisingly pleasant, such as the city of Oconto Falls on the Oconto, the village of Rural on the Crystal River, the city of Darlington on the Pecatonica, and various communities on the Milwaukee River. In my experience, the most remarkable examples are found in one of the most heavily populated regions of the United States: the Chicago area. There are sections of the Du Page River, Salt Creek and the Chicago River that flow through forest preserves and other protected areas where you can barely tell that you're surrounded by millions of people. My personal favorite is the wooded, 10-mile stretch of the Chicago River that starts at Willow Road below the Skokie Lagoons. Best drop Nothing gets your adrenaline flowing like plunging several feet into turbulent water. Some drops are spectacular, such as Big Smoky Falls and Sullivan Falls on the Wolf, Missicot Falls on the Menominee, Horserace on the Peshtigo, Big Falls on the Eau Claire, Little Falls on the South Fork of the Flambeau, and Monastery Falls on the Red (the latter being a Class III most of the time). They're all fun and challenging, but my all-time favorite is a somewhat less demanding drop (Class II-III) called Yellow Bridge Falls on the Pike River in northeastern Wisconsin. It's the piece de resistance of the gorgeous stretch of river from County Trunk K to Pike River Road. It has a special place in my memory because it was the first Class III drop that I ran when I took up whitewater paddling. Most relaxing river This is an absurd category, in a way, because there is such a huge number of rivers and creeks that allow you to relax, forget your anxieties and blend in with the beauty that surrounds you. In fact, I find that any river – including whitewater streams – provides blessed relief from whatever is bothering me. However, in my opinion, the No. 1 river in this category is the Mecan, near Princeton, Wisconsin. Narrow, winding and wooded, it is the antithesis of the Wisconsin River, and even more relaxing, offering 20 miles of delightful, small stream paddling in an intimate, remote setting. And it enjoys the tremendous advantage of being served by one of the best outfitters in the Midwest: Mecan River Outfitters and Lodge. Most underrated river In Illinois, the Middle Fork River is justifiably popular and famous, offering good scenery, excellent accesses, a state park and even National Wild and Scenic River status. But there's a nearby river called the Salt Fork, which eventually joins the Middle Fork, that is equally beautiful, if not more so. Before the junction of the two rivers, the Salt Fork runs through an isolated setting with numerous riffles and attractive rock formations. The only drawback is the lack of developed landings, although this is no problem for seasoned paddlers. Ugliest river I had never paddled in southern Illinois until I did the field work for my guidebook Paddling Illinois in the late 1990s. Frankly, I found it to be a disappointing experience. Despite the presence of the huge Shawnee National Forest and the sparse population, I discovered little to write home about in that part of the state. There are few streams that I would recommend to other paddlers (with a few exceptions, such as Lusk Creek and a couple of places on the Cache River). In fact, I found several major rivers to be downright ugly because of the prevalence of muddy water, steep mud banks that made getting in and out of a canoe virtually impossible, scarce accesses, monotonous channelization, etc. The Saline and Big Muddy rivers were both depressing (although the bald cypresses along the former are interesting, and the latter does offer some good local attractions). But forget the Little Wabash: in my 30-mile day from Carmi to New Haven, the only pleasant sight was the take-out. And now for a few quickies: Best biking/canoeing river: The Red Cedar River from Menomonie to Dunnville is a wonderful canoeing stream, with the added value of being paralleled all the way by a scenic, well-maintained bicycle trail. Most scenic riverside cliffs: The Kickapoo River from Ontario to La Farge, hands down. Also nice are the Grant, Black, Menominee, St. Croix and Wisconsin rivers in Wisconsin, and the Apple, Galena and Fox rivers in Illinois. Most remote river: Starting near the town of Mason, the White River flows through 13 miles of riffles and rapids with almost no signs of civilization. Also very isolated are the long stretches of the Brule, Pine, Popple and upper Peshtigo in northern Wisconsin. Best combination of river and lake paddling: North of Minocqua, you can put in on the Manitowish in several locations (such as U.S. Highway 51 or State Highway 47) and paddle westward. Eventually you'll reach the Canada-like Turtle-Flambeau Flowage and take-out at Murray's Landing. There are many canoe campsites along the way. River with the most scientific interest: The Mazon River, in the Morris, Illinois, area, is world famous for its abundant fossils from 300 million years ago. I've collected bucketsful over the years. Also worth mentioning, the marvelous geological formations (anticlines, etc.) along the Vermilion River near Lowell. I hate to end on a sad note, but I've had to eliminate paragraphs on the categories of Best canoe/kayak outfitter and Best campground because of the recent destruction of the Bear Paw Inn by a horrendous tornado. This was an enormous loss in many ways. Jamee Peters and Shirlee Roche, the owners, have always been dedicated, knowledgeable and indefatigable in their work at the Bear Paw, and I urge all of my readers to do what they can to help them get back on their feet again after this disaster. The loss of the Bear Paw literally leaves a big hole in the enjoyment of Midwest paddlesports. -Mike Svob is a native Illinoisan and longtime northwoods devotee. He has canoed and kayaked for more than 30 years in 18 states and several foreign countries but regards Wisconsin as paddling paradise and home. He now spends a majority of the year in Tucson, Arizona. He is the author of Paddling Illinois, Paddling Northern Wisconsin and Paddling Southern Wisconsin, all published by Trails Books.
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