The Kickapoo River is known as "The Crookedest River in the World". It certainly bends a lot. It is a very canoeable river. There is a section where the land is publicly owned known as the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (KVR). Riverside camping is allowed in this area. For more info on KVR, go to
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The river is very charming, however, on my most recent trip, the muddy banks were not. Still, I'd do this trip again in a heart beat.
Here is a report from my latest trip ...
Kickapoo River Trip
Solo
Date: June 19th and 20th, 2004
Put-in: Ontario (WI)
Take out: La Farge (WI)
Water Level: Above average. No hang-ups on gravel bars. Numerous strainers, but easily avoided. Two log jams between Landing 12 and Bridge 13. I was able to paddle over the first. The second I was able to just barely snake through. Two more log jams between Bridges 17 & 18. Both I had to drag the canoe over the top and perform acrobatics to exit and re-enter the canoe. Still, 95% of the paddle was beautiful.
Weather: Nice. Not too hot or cold -- perhaps 70 during the day and high 40s at night. No rain.
No bugs to speak of.
Campsite: Finding a site was very difficult. They were not marked well. Perhaps the recent flooding washed the signage away. The site I eventually found (H) itself was fine. However, the landing was tough. Boot sucking-mud followed by a very steep and high incline. This site was just before Bridge 16 on river left.
Fauna: 2 muskrats, an immature bald eagle, rabbits, chipmunks, 3 owls, great blue herons, crows, spotted fawn, Canadian goose, duck with 4 ducklings, robins, swallows, sparrows, probably others I don’t remember.
Additional Info and thoughts: The banks were all boot-sucking mud. Portaging around obstacles was impossible because of this. I sunk in the mud up to my knees at the take-out canoe landing. I had to crawl a couple of yards till I reach firm enough ground to stand.
Numerous groups, mostly families, were on the river between Ontario and Bridge 12. Things really thinned out after Bridge 5. I saw no one else shortly after Bridge 12. Saw no one at all on Sunday.
Cooked over the fire on Saturday night. Made a LARGE blueberry muffin using my reflector oven and 7” bowl/plate from my mess kit. On Sunday morning I used the esbit stove to heat water for coffee.
Used my Sawvivor for the first time. I was happy with it.
Trip cost me $30 -- $20 for the shuttle; $10 for the campsite. Pretty expensive for a solo. The $10 covers up to six unrelated people. Of course, you can arrange your shuttle with a group or at least share the expense. A group would be cheaper per person.
Timeline:
June 19th
9:00 a.m. – La Crescent Kwik Trip
10:00 a.m. – Titanic Outfitters in Ontario
11:00 a.m. – Shuttle Completed and Launched at Titanic Outfitters
1:00 p.m. – Wildcat Mountain Canoe Launch (about 1 hour ahead of schedule)
5:45 p.m. – Arrive at Campsite H, just before Bridge 16.
June 20th
6:00 a.m. – Got up
8:00 a.m. – Launched from Campsite
10:15 a.m. – At take –out (Bridge 20)
10:45 a.m. – Leave La Farge
11:00 a.m. – Ontario
12:00 p.m. – La Crosse
12:30 p.m. – Home
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