It was 10:00pm and we sat hunched over a soggy picnic table, swatting mosquitoes while eating mac and cheese. The noodles were shaped like characters from SpongeBob SquarePants and the meal ranked among the top ten most delicious that any of us had ever eaten. On the other side of the trees, the Namekagon River flowed on endlessly, ever ready for another day’s adventure.
My friend Katie and I had planned a three-day moms and sons canoe-camping trip on the Namekagon River as a closer-to-home alternative to a Boundary Waters excursion. Charlie (12) and Louis (8) would be paddling solo in kayaks for the first time, and we had plotted a 25-mile route that would take us through the Namekagon Barrens as well as the confluence of the Namekagon and St. Croix Rivers. We packed our truck full with two moms, two boys, two kayaks, one canoe, one mountain bike, and a whole mountain of gear. In exchange, the Namekagon supplied one million mosquitoes and a copious amount of water.
Our first day began auspiciously. The sun was warm and the river flowed swiftly, thanks to rain, rain and more rain throughout May and early June. We finished our short, 6-mile paddle with ease and enjoyed an evening under clear sky full of bright, sparkling stars. The next morning, however, we awoke to rain.
The rain continued throughout the morning, thoroughly soaking both our gear and our spirits. By the time we had packed-up, eaten, and dropped-off my bike at a downstream launch, it was almost 2pm. None-the-less, we enthusiastically launched ourselves onto the river for that day’s 12-mile journey, confident that we’d finish before the night arrived. Technically, we succeeded, thanks to a Herculean output of energy that entailed Charlie and I racing our kayaks through the last 3.5 miles of the route, me pedaling my bike non-stop through the deep sands of the Namekagon Barrens, and Katie ferrying a canoe, piled high with camping gear, up-river to get back to our campsite. We ended Day 2 exhausted, covered in bug bites, and eager to enjoy a more relaxing paddle during our final day on the river.
Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. On Day 3, we awoke to even more rain, as well as threats of severe weather later in the day. With a sigh, we traded our last day of paddling for a hike in the barrens and bid farewell to the Namekagon for a while.
The Namekagon River is located in northwestern Wisconsin and flows 101 miles from the Chequamegon–Nicolet National Forest to the St. Croix River, ending a few miles northeast of Danbury. It is the St. Croix’s longest tributary. The name “Namekagon” comes from the Ojibwe word Namekaagong-ziibi, which means “river at the place abundant with sturgeons.” In fact, my son Charlie was lucky enough to see one of these enormous fish while we were paddling between Howell and McDowell Landings. He described it as being 3-4 feet long and almost a foot wide, with three little white fish attached to its body, diamonds down its back, and whiskers on its mouth.
Together, the St. Croix and Namekagon form the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway and both are federally protected Wild and Scenic Rivers. What this means for visitors is that you can enjoy a semi-wilderness experience on the Namekagon with minimal road crossings, canoe-in campsites, and an undeveloped riverway, filled with turtles, deer, wildflowers, and other natural wonders. The Namekagon is well known for its abundant brook and brown trout, and also offers opportunities to fish for sturgeon, bass, and muskellunge.
It is possible (but not easy!) to run a multi day paddle-camping trip on the river with only one vehicle. If you’d rather not navigate the logistics of shuttling by bike, however, there are also numerous outfitters offering canoe, kayak, and tube rental, as well as shuttle service. Even if it rains, I promise you’ll still enjoy your trip!
Learn more about paddling and camping on the St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers at the National Park Service website: www.nps.gov/sacn.
East Metro Water 