Quiet Backcountry to Roaring Rapids
The Peshtigo River is one of the most popular whitewater rafting and kayaking rivers in the upper Midwest. The section named 'Roaring Rapids' is four miles of nearly continuous Class II to Class IV whitewater, a magnet for intermediate and advanced paddlers looking for exciting challenges. Several large outfitters in the immediate vicinity provide guided rafting trips, shuttle services, canoe and kayak rentals, camping and other fun outdoor adventures.
Another fun, challenging whitewater run is from Burnt Bridge to Goodman Park*. This twelve mile reach features the Upper Dells Rapids (class II), Michigan Rapids (class III), Dells Rapids (class III), Taylor Falls (class III) and Strong Falls, a technical class IV. There are also several pitches of riffles, class I and class II+ rapids. A large number of access points in P3 provides plenty of choices for which rapids you want to run. The runnability of this segment is best when river levels are medium to high. The rapids are scrappy in low water conditions.
Quietwater enthusiasts will enjoy the upper reach from Big Joe Landing to CCC Bridge, where the river winds through a remote wilderness area of northern lowland maple forest. Wildlife is abundant in this stretch, especially in the early morning hours and late afternoons.
South of CCC Bridge, the river flows through more beautiful wilderness scenery. A mix of hardwoods and conifers canopy the banks, including ash, popple, birch, aspen, maple, oak, red pine, white pine, hemlock, spruce, and tamarack. This is a scenic run for novice whitewater enthusiasts that features several class I and class II rapids.
The waters of the Peshtigo tend to have a dark color due to the numerous tamarack swamps surrounding the upper reaches. The dark water can make it difficult to spot submerged rocks in several of the rapids.
River Camping
The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest maintains several, primitive canoe campsites in segments P1, P2 and P3. Segment P1 features a small, three-site campground at Big Joe Landing. There are two more campsites, 18 miles downriver at Burnt Bridge Landing, one on each side of the river. Another campsite is at Burton Wells Bridge. Every site is vehicle accessible and all are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Marinette County Parks & Campgrounds
Two of the most scenic county parks in Wisconsin are located on the Peshtigo River in Segment P4. Goodman Park and McClintock Park both feature beautiful day-use areas with grass-lawn picnic areas, scenic trails, and footbridges leading to small, picturesque islands. Goodman also has a modern, children’s playground.
Both parks have shady, riverside, family campgrounds. Goodman is the more popular of the two and with level spurs for RV/trailer camping, and a dump station. McClintock offers more seclusion in a scenic setting on a pine-covered hillside overlooking the Peshtigo a half-mile south of the day-use area. Both campgrounds offer reservable, and first-come, first-served campsites.
You may reserve a campsite at both camprounds by visiting the Marinette County Parks Reservation website.
River Camping for Advanced Whitewater Enthusiasts
The Peshtigo River is the only river in Wisconsin that offers the opportunity for multi-day, whitewater river-camping for advanced-level paddlers. A 3 day / 2 night trip would feature segments P3 through P5. Camp your first night at the Goodman Park Campground, and then your second night at the McClintock Park Campground. Both campgrounds are on the Peshtigo and both have reserveable sites.
Day One (P3): put-in at Burnt Bridge Landing and spend the day running the following rapids: Michigan Rapids (class III), Upper Dells Rapids (class II), the Dells Rapids (class III), several pitches of fun class I and II rapids, a stretch of scenic flatwater, Taylor Falls (class III), and Strong Falls (class IV). Camp your first night at Goodman Park.
Day Two (P4): Day two may be kind of boring since there's no serious whitewater until "Roaring Rapids" further downstream. So, after breakfast, run Strong Falls again if you like, and/or take a stroll along Goodman Park's scenic riverside trails and boardwalks. After lunch, pack your gear, then paddle the easy four-mile trip to McClintock County Park where you can stretch your legs and spend some time exploring the trails and island in the park's scenic day-use area. Jump back into your kayak and paddle the short 1.3 miles to the beautiful McClintock County Park Campground, where you'll camp your second night.
Day Three (P4 and P5): First you'll have to paddle about 4.4 miles of flatwater and low-hazard whitewater... Stop for a snack (or lunch) at the Farm Dam Public Landing at Otter Creek. If you've parked a vehicle here, get rid of all your camping gear because the real fun is about to begin! The next 5.1 miles offers some of the best class III to class IV whitewater in the midwest. When river levels are medium-to-high, the rapids in this segment are awesome. Named features include: First Drop (class III-IV), Second Drop (class III), Third Drop/Joey's Hole (class III), Five Foot Falls (class III), Horserace Rapids (class III-IV), and finally, S-Curve Rapids (class III). Takeout at Kosir's at County High Highway C, or at the public boat landing at WPS Landing #12.
On it's own, this is a scenic, fun, challenging, multi-day intemerdiate/advanced-level whitewater river trip. However, if you're planning on an extended whitewater trip out west, like the Grand Canyon or Salmon River, the 'Pesh' provides an excellent prooving-ground for testing your skills and preparing you for some of the challenges of whitewater kayak camping.
Private Campgrounds and Adventure Resorts
All the local rafting/shuttle services have excellent campgrounds. Three offer modern cabins: Kosir's, Thornton's and Wildman's Adventure Resort. There are links to their websites on the Local Area Directory page. Wildman and Kosir's are directly on the river in the "Roaring Rapids" segment (P5). Both are outdoor adventure and rafting resorts that specialize in guided rafting trips on the Peshtigo and Menominee Rivers. Wildman Whitewater Ranch is just below Horserace Rapids. Kosir's Rafting Resort is on river-left just below the Highway C Bridge. Thornton's is located near the Cauldron Falls Flowage and also offers trips on the Pesthigo and Menominee.
Camping in the Chequamegon
The Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest has several campgrounds in scenic recreation areas within a short driving distances of the Peshtigo. Each segment has brief descriptions and links to the closest campgrounds.
Camp in a Wisconsin State Park
Governor Thompson State Park and the Peshtigo River State Forest are both less than a 25 minute drive from the “Roaring Rapids” section. Governor Thompson State Park has 2,800 acres of forest and lakes along with six miles of undeveloped shoreline on the Peshtigo River's Caldron Falls Flowage. The park also features over 16 miles of hiking trails and a family campground with 106 reservable campsites in a scenic wooded setting.
The Peshtigo River State Forest is Wisconsin’s newest state forest and features over 12,000 acres of beautiful woodlands and scenic waters. The Old Veteran's Lake family campground sits in a hardwood forest next to a small lake and offers sixteen reservable campsites.
Season
The best paddling is usually in spring and early summer. After the spring melt-off, rainfall has a major impact on river levels. Even a moderate rainfall can cause the levels to rise dramatically for a few days. These changing water levels alter the river's character as well. During summer and fall, what one day may be a scratchy class II boulder garden can become a roaring class III rapids, especially above the Rat River confluence near the end of Segment P4.
If you are planning a trip on the Peshtigo during mid-summer or later, you should contact one of the local outfitters about river conditions before you embark.