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Three day-trips on the idyllic Turtle Creek
By Mike Svob
| Mike Svob |
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For southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois paddlers, there's a lot of fun to be had on the 30 miles of Turtle Creek from Delavan to Beloit. A good–sized stream (I've never understood why some large Wisconsin streams are called creeks, while much smaller ones are often called rivers), Turtle Creek offers good scenery, unspoiled surroundings, numerous accesses, a bankside campground, and one of the most beautiful bridges in the state.
Shorelines are generally wooded throughout the 30–mile stretch, with farmland openings here and there. Seldom very deep, except in bends and during flood time, the clear water flows over a sand, gravel and rock bottom, with low, grassy banks and a few wooded bluffs. Straightaways are rare. The farther you go, the more riffly the streambed becomes; the gradient, however, is never very high. Springtime and periods of rainfall
are the best times to enjoy the creek; the wide spots and shoals usually become quite scratchy in July and August.
Water levels can be determined by visiting the USGS Web site at http://wi.water.usgs.gov, clicking on "Real–time data," choosing the "Rock–Fox River" option, and checking the Turtle Creek gauge at Carver's Rock Road (#05431486). The creek has good current and depth at 250–275 cfs, but I've also found it to have plenty of water for
effortless paddling at 175 cfs. I suspect that, below 125 cfs, you'd begin to scrape in the shallows.
Camping is available just upstream–left from the I–90 bridge. Turtle Creek Campsite is a pleasant, private campground off Shopiere Road (County S), with many sites near the banks. Paddlers can access the creek here.
Because there are many places to put in and take out, you can easily design your own trip, depending upon how long you want to be on the
water and what kind of setting you prefer. I'll describe the 30 miles from Delavan to Beloit in three segments that are suitable for day–trips.
Trip 1: Klug Road to Fairfield (Approx. 9 Miles)
This is an "advanced beginner" stretch because the many tight turns and downed limbs require boat control. If you put in at Klug Road bridge
(upstream–left), you'll pass mainly through open farmland for 20–30 minutes; here the creek is often wide and shallow. In approaching State Highway 11, the streambed narrows and the banks become wooded. The State 11 bridge tends to collect deadfall, so a portage is likely. For that reason, and to avoid the mostly open area after Klug Road, I recommend starting your trip at the State 11 bridge (downstream–left).
Alternately narrow and wide, wooded and open, the creek twists through
a series of sharp switchbacks. After School Section Road (where the bridge is identical to the ones at Klug Road and County Trunk C: concrete with three large culverts), there are a couple of relatively straight stretches as you near Highway 14 (access upstream–right). An interesting, old metal bridge quickly follows State 14.
Varying from 35 to 100 feet, the creek winds toward the small community of Fairfield at County C. At one point there's a very dramatic
180–degree switchback with quarter–mile straightaways on either side of the hairpin turn. Take out downsteam–left at the County C bridge.
Shuttle route (7 miles): south on Klug Road, west on State 11, south on County C.
Trip 2: Fairfield to Tiffany (Approx. 12 Miles)
Easily shortened by using alternate accesses (see the accompanying map), this trip ends near the beautiful, 19th–century railroad bridge at Tiffany – a
picturesque limestone structure that draws photographers from near and far. Unlike the previous section, this part of the creek is mostly wooded and sometimes riffly.
Put in at County C (downstream–left), where the creek is only 30 feet wide, later to widen to as much as 80 feet. Downstream, there's also good access at Creek Road (upstream–right) and O'Riley Road (upstream–left). The tree–lined streambed twists back and forth, often
narrows, and splits around several small islands. Farm fords cross twice.
After Carver's Rock Road, the creek becomes more wooded and riffly, and attractive rock outcroppings appear on the right. The State Highway 140 bridge (another good access, upstream–right) is a popular spot for bank fishermen: a deep hole is found there. Downstream, rare cutbanks are followed by high bluffs and a long series of riffles.
Suddenly, after a left turn, Creek Road can be seen briefly on the right. Tree cover continues, but the road will be fairly close on the right shoreline all the way to Tiffany. Take out at Smith Road, upstream–right from the charming, old metal truss bridge. Two hundred yards downstream is the beautiful, five–arched railroad bridge.
Shuttle route (9.5 miles): east on County C, south on Clowes Road, west on Creek Road, and south on Smith Road.
Trip 3: Shopiere to Beloit (Approx. 8.5 Miles)
Gradient increases on the last leg, resulting in many enjoyable riffles. Most of the environs are lightly wooded, and some of the Turtle's prettiest scenery occurs in the approach to Beloit. It's possible to put in at Smith
Road, paddling through the area of the old Shopiere Pond (drained when the dam was removed in 2000), over a rocky ledge, and then through the shallow remnant of the Shopiere dam. But the best put–in is the right bank of Sweet–Allyn Park just downstream from the dam site (upstream–right from County Trunk J).
After gentle bends, a few houses, and a couple of islands, a sharp, riffly S–curve leads to the old truss bridge at Lathers Road. The creek now
heads toward I–90, where the Turtle Creek Campsite is found on the upstream–left shoreline. Downstream, Creek Road can occasionally be seen near the right shoreline, and the streambed becomes more circuitous.
High, wooded embankments begin to appear near the Shopiere Road bridge, which can be accessed downstream–left. After Shopiere Road the creek is narrower, swifter and steeper. One of the loveliest parts of the
creek occurs in a long right bend; the setting is quiet, heavily wooded, and remote–feeling. In the last couple of bends before the Cranston Road bridge, the creek is quite riffly. Another wild, densely wooded, floodplain environment begins after a small subdivision on the right.
Paralleling Prairie Avenue in Beloit, the creek is consistently only 35 feet wide and almost continuously riffly. The best riffles of the trip lead to the
Milwaukee Avenue bridge, where you can take out (a) immediately upstream–left or (b) at a small gravel beach 50 yards upstream from the bridge. Carry your boat through the sparse woods to the nearby trail, which leads to the Turtle Creek Flood Plain parking lot.
Shuttle route (6.5 miles): south on County J, west on Shopiere Road (County S), south on I–90, west on Milwaukee Road (Highway 81).
If you'd like to add two narrow, even more riffly miles to your trip, you
can continue downstream and take out (a) at Turtle Creek Park, 150 yards downstream–right from the State Highway 251 bridge, or (b) near the Cub Food parking lot on the right bank between Park Avenue and Wheeler Avenue. Shortly thereafter, Turtle Creek flows into the Rock River just across the Illinois border.
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