Canoeing Juneau County

The Wisconsin, Baraboo and Lemonweir Rivers are all fantastic opportunities to view miles of scenic shorelines in Juneau County.  You will have plenty of canoeing and rafting opportunities, and access and canoe rentals are available at various businesses along the rivers throughout Juneau County.

The Baraboo River offers a relaxing outing with no rapids or falls.

It flows 100 miles uninterrupted from its headwaters near Hillsboro, Wisconsin, winding through Juneau County to unite with the Wisconsin River south of Portage, Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin River offers miles of open waters for canoeing and offers breathtaking scenery and many islands to stop and explore.  Take along a camera because you are sure to see a lot of wildlife and gorgeous panoramic views.

Navigate the Lemonweir River from western Juneau County to its mouth on the Wisconsin River. The current on the river picks up a bit in a few spots but for the most part is a leisurely ride down river for a relaxing trip.  Portages are necessary at a couple of dams if you want to go more than several miles.  A number of sloughs near the mouth can make it difficult to keep on the main channel, so be sure you have your map or compass handy.

 

Buckhorn State Park (Castle Rock Lake)

The Island Self-guiding Canoe Trail

Our 1.8-mile canoe interpretive trail was specifically designed to assist you in enjoying and learning more about one of nature’s most productive ecosystems, wetlands. The trail begins and ends at the canoe launch on the property’s east side. A large map at the launch shows a detailed layout of the trail. There are 10 numbered posts situated along the shoreline that make up the trail. Click on the numbers on the following map to read descriptions.

A brochure gives the interpretive descriptions for each site. The canoeing is easy, and at one point, provides a view of the open part of the flowage. If you are quiet and alert, you are sure to see some wildlife. Deer, herons, ducks, geese and many species of songbirds are common sights along the trail. If you are lucky, you may spot osprey, sandhill cranes, egrets, or even a bald eagle.

The trip usually requires 60 to 90 minutes, but plan for more time. You may want to explore further.

This brochure is also available at the launch or at the park office but is re-printed here so you can get an idea of what you will encounter on your journey.

Welcome to The Island Trail! Enjoy your trip, paddle safely and get ready to discover some wetland wonders!

For your safety.....You must have a Coast Guard approved lifesaving device for each person in your canoe. We recommend that you wear them. Don’t overload your canoe. Please pack out all your trash.

1. Wetlands

Look around at the diversity of life found in wetlands. Water-loving plants and animals, from cattails and willows to turtles and muskrats, make their homes here. Although only a quarter of Wisconsin’s original 10 million wetland acres remain, these valuable areas filter pollutants from water, store water as natural “sponges,” and provide year-round recreational opportunitities. Wetlands have historically been seen as places without much value. They were often filled or drained to be converted to more “useful” areas, such as farmlands, home sites, or even cities. Fortunately, we know better today, and now see wetlands for what they are - natural wonderlands.

Follow the trail south along this shoreline to your next stop.

2. Frogs

In spring, these wetlands are alive with the sounds of frogs. You may recognize the high-pitched peep of the spring peeper, a small tree frog. Other tree frogs include chorus frogs, gray tree frogs, and cricket frogs. All tree frogs have suction cups on their toes to help them climb trees.

Bull frogs, green frogs and leopard frogs live at the water’s edge; wood frogs and toads live on land. Frogs are important because they eat large numbers of insects and serve as food for many fish, snakes, birds and mammals.

3. Nest Box

Do you see the large nest box high on the post straight ahead? Wood ducks make nests in these special boxes. The day after her 10-15 eggs hatch, the female calls the young from below, whileone by one the ducklings jump from as high as 50 feet. Male wood ducks have feathers of red, yellow, white, blue and green, while females are gray and white.

4. Underwater Life

Underwater lurk thousands of fierce predators! Mosquito larvae, hatched from eggs, live underwater until becoming adults. Dragonflies also deposit eggs in water. The emerging nymphs eat other insects and even small fish. Adult dragonflies eat flying insects, especially mosquitoes, which they catch in flight. Other underwater residents include crayfish, clams and snails.

5. Cattails

Would you like to stand in muddy water all the time? Cattails have adapted to their soggy lifestyle by having hollow leaves to move oxygen from air to soil. Muskrats build lodges with cattail stems, while pheasants and rabbits find winter cover among the dried stalks.

Follow the trail across the river to the island’s shoreline.

6. Osprey

Can you spot fish from the air? The osprey, with its five-foot wing span and keen eyesight, spots fish as it hovers above and dives straight down to snatch the fish with its sharp claws (called talons). Look for the osprey’s large stick nests in dead trees or utility poles as you travel through the park.

7. Canada Geese

Canada geese - common park visitors - are recognized by their distinctive V-shaped flocks and loud honking. They mate for life and build nests on raised areas like small islands and muskrat houses. As the downy, yellow goslings hatch, they feed, like adults, on insects, wild rice and other aquatic plants.

8. Beaver

At 45-60 pounds, the beaver is North America’s largest rodent. Beavers use their webbed hind feet for swimming and flat tails for balance, communication,and fat storage. They prefer aspen, alder and willow, using branches to build dams and lodges (like the one you see here). Dams help maintain water depths under the ice, allowing the beavers to stay active all winter.

9. Carp

\Carp, the largest of the minnows, can be over three feet long and weigh more than 50 pounds. Introduced from Europe as a game fish around 1877, they have become common in many areas. Carp are bottom feeders, often uprooting aquatic plants and clouding the water with silt, resulting in declines of some native fish which need clear water to spawn.

10. Muskrat

This mound of cattails is a muskrat house. The muskrat’s eyes, nose and breathing system help it adapt to life underwater. The muskrat uses its long, hairless tail like an outboard motor, swimming rapidly against the current. Mink, foxes, wolves, and hawks feed on muskrats which are also commonly trapped by humans.

This is your last stop. Go back across the river to the canoe launch.

For more information on Buckhorn State Park, please call 608-565-2789 or email Joe Stecker-Kochanski, Buckhorn / Roche-A-Cri State Parks

 

Horicon Marsh Canoeing

To explore Horicon Marsh by canoe is one of the finest ways to experience the marsh and its wildlife. Keep in mind that you are a visitor in an environment that wildlife calls home — treat it with respect! Please be advised that although the marsh offers many opportunities, there are some necessary restrictions.

* Four boat landings provide access to the marsh: Greenhead Landing, Burnett Ditch, and two landings in Horicon. For those who prefer a longer trip, canoes can be launched on the Rock River by putting in at Kekoskee.

* Canoeing is allowed in the state portion of the marsh only. The National Wildlife Refuge is closed.

* The state wildlife area maintains two closed areas during the waterfowl hunting season. These are indicated on the map and canoe traffic is discouraged here throughout the year.

* One of the most popular and scenic routes is on the east branch of the Rock River from the Greenhead Landing. Normally, the current is slow enough to paddle out and return upstream, or continue through to the City of Horicon.

* Along the east branch of the Rock River you will pass the Fourmile and Cotton Island Heron Rookery. This is a State Natural Area and the largest nesting colony of great blue herons and great egrets in Wisconsin. Access to the island is prohibited from April 1 to September 15. Enjoy the site from a distance across the river. Do not disturb the nesting birds. The great egret is listed as a threatened species in Wisconsin.

* Be aware that motor boats are frequently operated on the marsh. Be cautious of the traffic and their wake.

* In the City of Horicon, there is a dam which produces dangerous currents with a high-voltage electric fish barrier. Do not go near the dam.

* If you need to rent a canoe or make arrangements for shuttle service to the Greenhead Landing, call Blue Heron Landing in Horicon at (920) 485-4663.

Enjoy the marsh and its wildlife as you canoe the area. Please observe all regulations and boating safety rules and help us protect and manage our wildlife and its environment. If you have any questions, please contact the Horicon DNR office at (920) 387-7860.

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Contact Information

Bill Volkert
Horicon Marsh State Wildlife Area
N7728 Hwy 28
Horicon, WI 53032
(920) 387-7860

 

Baraboo River Canoeing (Reedsburg Area)

Removal of the Linen Mill Dam in Baraboo has reconnected the Baraboo River with the complex fishery in the Wisconsin River system.  Lake Sturgeon, one of the ten species present below the Linen Mill Dam (and previously not found above), are now able to forage the entire length of the river.  The dominant sport fishery include: Northern Pike, Smallmouth Bass and Channel Catfish.  Panfish are common and forage fish are abundant.  Waterfowl hunting, fishing and canoeing are other popular recreational activities as well.

The Baraboo River descends at an approximate rate of 3 1/2 feet to the mile and an average depth of 5.6 feet, making it an enjoyably navigable river for the entire family.  The scenic stretch of river from LaValle to Reedsburg encompasses a narrow shrub and timber wetland corridor.  Drifting down this picturesque stretch of river is reminiscent of a simpler time.  From the boat launch located in downtown Reedsburg, one can travel down to Rock Springs along a portion of the river that encompasses the most prominent topographic feature of Sauk County.  The Baraboo Bluffs tower approximately 800 feet above the adjacent river valley making for an unforgettable adventure of the entire family.

The Baraboo River is the longest reclaimed river in the nation.  It is an exciting time for us all and we encourage you to give us a call and inquire about the many activities we have for you in the Reedsburg area.  The Reedsburg community has been actively removing logjams and installing boat launches in an effort to make the river more accessible and enjoyable for river enthusiasts.