The surprising Plover River
in central Wisconsin For motorists habitually headed north on Highway 39/51 to their weekend cabins, the Plover is only a barely noticed stream bridged near Stevens Point, Wis. For devotees of little rivers, however, the Plover is a wonderful place for a relaxing quietwater trip. Never
very dramatic (no gorges, waterfalls or the like), it nevertheless offers varied and beautiful settings that include gentle riffles, wooded bluffs, lowland hardwood forest, some marshy vegetation and almost unbroken tranquility. The Plover is clearly one of those rare "finds" that few people know about, frequented only by local paddling enthusiasts who relish its quiet intimacy.
Clean and clear, with a slight copperish tint, the river is seldom very wide, averaging only 35 feet. Boulders are scattered on the sand-and-gravel bottom. Houses are infrequent, and wildlife is often spotted. Eagles and herons are common, for example, and the banks are often adorned with colorful forget-me-nots, joe-pye weed and (unfortunately) the invasive purple loosestrife. Fishermen catch crappie, bullhead,
smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, perch, northern pike and pumpkinseed; the upper reaches of the river (i.e., upstream from Bevent) are managed by the DNR as quality trout habitat.
The river generally holds its water well, and becomes uncanoeable only after sustained dry periods. Unfortunately, there are no USGS gauges on the Plover. Several private campgrounds are available in the Stevens Point area, but your best bet is the riverside camping area at Jordan Park, north of town. Jordan
Park is a lovely place to spend some time, whether you're canoeing or not.
Beginning as a tiny rivulet a few miles south of Antigo (an area that is also the source of the Eau Claire, Embarrass and Red rivers), the Plover flows to the southwest through an entirely rural environment until it joins the Wisconsin River at Stevens Point. The best area for paddling begins at the small community of Bevent and continues for about 25 river-miles to Iverson Park in Stevens Point.
Along the way, the river environs change considerably, offering choices to fit your preference for the day. Three sections lend themselves to pleasant day-trips. The second and third are, perhaps, best suited for beginning paddlers.
1. Bevent to Shantytown Road (8 Miles) The river is gorgeous at the beginning of this stretch – only 20 feet wide, winding through many
boulder-laden riffles, with cedar, white pine and white birch on the banks. Put in at the Highway 153 bridge (upstream-right) in Bevent, where the steeple of St. Ladislaus Church is a prominent landmark. The path down to the low bank is on private property, so please be respectful of it.
After the narrow, circuitous beginning, the river widens somewhat but continues to flow through abundant
tree cover. After passing under an old, low-clearance bridge, the river narrows in a right curve; as it does, observe the tall white pine on the right with a huge eagle nest in it.
After the setting briefly opens up at the Bevent Drive bridge, dense woods soon resume and the river passes Pinery Road bridge. Soon thereafter, two more low-clearance farm bridges are followed by a very wild area where downed trees must be avoided, especially in an S-curve immediately after the second farm
bridge.
Widening again in the approach to County J, the streambed narrows once more and is wooded and winding to the Shantytown Road bridge; take out on the grassy bank, downstream-right. After Shantytown Road the Plover becomes increasingly marshy as it heads toward the old mill dam that forms Bentley Pond.
Two caveats about this trip: (1) at higher water levels, the three farm bridges are too low for safe passage;
and (2) the S-curve after the third farm bridge tends to collect deadfall, so a portage may be necessary. Stay off the river if the water is high.
2. Bentley Road to Jordan Park (7 Miles) Less intimate than the previous section of the Plover and more open than the following section, this middle stretch of the river is generally wider and less prone to deadfall than either. Most of the trip is wonderfully
quiet and isolated. Put in below the Bentley Pond at Bentley Road bridge, downstream-right. For the next few miles there are a couple of long, beautiful, heavily wooded segments as the river flows between a mixture of low, grassy shoreline and higher, forested banks. Current is usually brisk and the water clear as the river continues to flow over a sand-and-gravel bottom, with occasional boulders. There's an excellent sandy landing at County K, downstream-right, a good alternate access.
The same setting continues after K until the river briefly passes through a marshy area and pulls alongside County Y at the site of the old Van Order mill and dam. You can end your trip here by taking out upstream-right at the dam remnant, alongside the mill parking lot, or you can continue downstream by portaging on the left. Most of the dam has been removed, but there's still a turbulent drop of a couple of
feet through a pile of rubble. At certain water levels, a clean run is difficult. Woods and riffles resume after the dam, and Jordan Pond soon follows – an attractive little lake ringed with wooded banks. Paddle down the right shore past the swimming beach and take out at the boat ramp, not far upstream from Highway 66.
3. Jordan Park to Stevens Point (7 Miles)
Because of its proximity to Stevens Point, this stretch of the Plover is paddled frequently. You'll be grateful for this popularity because other boaters keep the river reasonably clear of obstructive trees and limbs that would otherwise have you in and out of your boat much of the day.
This is almost as wild a stretch as you'll find anywhere: dense lowland forest, few bridges or houses, no
power lines, and no nearby roads most of the time. The almost constant need to maneuver in tight turns and past partial obstructions makes this a potentially frustrating stretch for beginners. There are splendid parks at the beginning and end, with convenient accesses. For 3.5 miles during the second half of this trip, the river is roughly paralleled by a hiking/biking path that is part of the Green Circle Trail, which surrounds much of Stevens Point.
Put in at the canoe landing in South Jordan Park, just west of the Highway 66/County Y intersection. The landing is upstream-right at a foot bridge, which in turn is just downstream from the old Jordan dam and power plant that produced electricity for the Stevens Point area from 1904 to 1965. Densely wooded and narrow, the river winds around in sharp turns over the sand-and-gravel bottom. Occasional patches of
marsh vegetation are seen along the shore, together with several beautiful groves of white pines. The consistently low floodplain banks make it difficult to find a place to stop for lunch or a rest break, and sloughs are often found off the main channel, especially in sharp bends. Eventually, after Highway 39/51, the woods are less dense and the environs more open. Immediately after the Highway 10 bridge, you enter
Iverson Park; take out on the right along the low wall and carry your boat to the nearby parking lot.
For Further Information Much more detailed descriptions (and maps) of the Plover – together with descriptions of 31 other rivers – will be found in the author's "Paddling Southern Wisconsin," to be published next spring. The southern half
of the state is filled with charming little rivers like the Plover.
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