Fayette to Heron Road:A truly exquisite experience, this section of the beguiling Volga River will be hard to catch with enough water to paddle, but oh so worth it when serendipity presents itself! Almost entirely enclosed within public land (a rarity in Iowa!), crystal clear to jade green water teeming with riffles and light rapids flush you past the unabashed bling of exposed limestone outcrops and lovely bluffs for miles on end. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: April 21, 2024 Skill Level: Intermediate (on account of swift current with some obstacles to dodge) Class Difficulty: Class I G ..read more

Touring the Lower Cache River Swamp Trail:A veritable bayou trip down near the southernmost tip of Illinois, this section of the big Cache River is renowned for its breathtaking cypress and tupelo trees, some of which are 40′ in circumference at their base and over 1,000 years old. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: April 6, 2024 Skill Level: Beginner Class Difficulty: Flatwater Gradient: < 1′ per mile Gauge: n/a Recommended Levels: Water levels are always reliable. Put-In + Take-Out:Lower Cache River Access off Access Road, Ullin, Illinois GPS: 37.29732, -89.05306 Time: Put in at 1:00 ..read more

Galena to Mississippi River:A fairly primitive yet tidy trip, this last leg of the Galena River starts in its historic namesake city and then ends in a side channel of the Mississippi River. While the current is next to nonexistent and the water clarity is between brown and opaque, there’s virtually no development in the first four miles but for railroad tracks and some power lines. There are, however, steep hillsides and ragged bluffs, not to mention the novelty of paddling into the Mississippi River. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: February 27, 2024 Skill Level: Beginner Class Difficul ..read more

West Council Hill Road to Galena:A hinge trip that comprises two opposites – first, a rugged and ragged landscape teeming with bluffs, rock outcrops, and galloping riffles, then a kind of makeover landscape approaching the quaint town of Galena with its levee and decorative buildings set atop hills, where the once-singing river is now a silent ditch – this leg of the Galena River feels like a mash-up of two distinctly different segments. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: April 15, 2024 Skill Level: Beginner-Intermediate (on account of riffles and deadfall to avoid running into) Class Dif ..read more

Elba to Highway 74:A very pretty and intimate little stream, this creek-like river courses through large swaths of public land corridors and is surrounded by tall, attractive hills. Water levels are usually reliable, but this stream is more appropriate for experienced paddlers, due to its narrowness, constant twists, and deadfall obstructions on a lively current. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: October 4, 2023 Skill Level: Intermediate Class Difficulty: Riffles Gradient: ≈4.8′ per mile Gauge Recorded on this Trip: Beaver: ht/ft: 693′ Recommended Levels: Medium levels are between 692′-697 ..read more

Here’s some video of a wonderful trip on the upper Wisconsin River that comes with two very distinct personalities. The first is a scenic and rugged section with numerous boulder gardens, riffles, and light rapids. The second is also scenic, but along wide-open marsh and lake-like surroundings. (Adjust to 4k for the best picture). Wisconsin River XX Otter Rapids Dam to County Road O Eagle River, Wisconsin July 18, 2023 ..read more

Iverson Bridge Road to Kumpf Access:A wonderful finale to the mighty Upper Iowa, this section of the river begins and ends with excellent accesses and sublime bluffs unlike any other. In the nine miles between, paddlers will be rewarded with teeming riffles, spectacularly clear water, and dazzling displays of wildlife. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: October 16, 2023 Skill Level: Beginner Class Difficulty: Riffles Gradient:≈4′ per mile Gauge Recorded on this Trip: Dorchester: ht/ft: n/a | cfs: 245 Current Levels: Dorchester: ht/ft: n/a | cfs: 168 Recommended Levels: We recommend this l ..read more

Lower Dam to Iverson Bridge Road:A veritable journey into the very heart and soul of the Upper Iowa River, this long day trip can be shortened by using one of several alternative accesses. I can’t promise that you’ll see as many eagles or fish as we did, or feel a similar epiphany, but I can guarantee that, if you’re wearing socks, they’ll be knocked the heck off by the spectacular grandeur of the landscape. Steep ridges, deep ravines, magnificent, steep bluffs, boulders, riffles, light rapids, and a palpable sense of wondrous abandonment abound. The water’s already there; just add you. Ratin ..read more

Canoecopia 2024 is almost upon us! Best yet, paddling proselytizer, guidebook scribe, and Milespaddled.com’s own Timothy Bauer will be presenting two talks over the three-day event. That’s right,  not one, but two presentations that will surely be equal parts informational and entertaining (or info-taining?) Come out this weekend, say hello, and grab a sticker! Here are the details on both talks and when Timothy is scheduled to present: Adrift in the DriftlessHidden in the middle of the Upper Midwest lies an area that is home to cliffs, caves, sinkholes, natural springs, breathing hills ..read more

Trout Run Park to Lower Dam:As diverse as a day trip’s portfolio can get, this section of the Upper Iowa begins in an industrialized area outside of downtown Decorah and ends at the historic Lower Dam thirteen river miles later. Along the way, paddlers will be treated to very intimate stretches of the river with obstacles to dodge and outcrops to ogle at. Multiple accesses allow for abbreviating this trip, but taking out at the Lower Dam requires a 600′ portage around the Upper Dam. Rating: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Trip Report Date: October 18, 2023 Skill Level: Beginner Class Difficulty: Riffles Gradien ..read more