FOX CITIES, Wis. — The Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway and North East Wisconsin Paddlers Inc. have created a new paddle adventure, Saturday, May 17 – Sunday, May 18, on the Lower Wisconsin River for the 2014 season. CANOEtananny is two-day paddle totaling more than 16 miles, from Bridgeport to Wauzeka, Wis., that will include heritage tours and a music jam for outdoor lovers of all ages and experience levels.
Photo courtesy of Mark Hoffman
CANOEtananny is part of a Joint-Effort Marketing (JEM) grant awarded by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism to encourage travel and support local economies with new, existing and one-of-a-kind events in the state. CANOEtananny takes in the historic, cultural, environmental and natural heritage of southwestern Wisconsin with two heritage tours, overnight camping, excursions to local communities and folklore entertainment.
CANOEtananny launches at Bridgeport Landing, a secluded local fishing spot in Bridgeport. Participants willpaddle along the river’s majestic bluffs with the hills of Iowa as a backdrop, and then enter the muddy Mississippi, with its barge traffic and enthusiastic recreational boaters. The 8-mile trek will conclude at Wyalusing State Park, where the group will make camp. Campsite fees are free, however a Wisconsin State Park sticker is needed for admittance.
There are two heritage tours planned after the paddle, including a drive up to Pike’s Peak State Park’s 500-ft. bluff that looks out over the confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers, and the two suspension bridges connecting Iowa and Wisconsin. Paddlers can also take a hike to see the Indian Mounds at Effigy Mounds National Monument.
The group will head into Prairie Du Chien that Saturday evening for dinner and then head back to the campsite for a CANOEtananny, featuring live music and paddle stories led by Milwaukee Folksinger Coventry Jones. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own musical instrument to jam into the night.
On Sunday, May 18, the paddlers will launch at Plum Creek Landing on the Kickapoo River and continue to Wauzeka, a distance of about 8.5 river miles. At the start, Plum Creek Road towers above on a bluff. The area is remote with few signs of human interaction until a set of power lines on Hwy 60. From there to Wauzeka, the river is more open. The group will finish their outdoor adventure with lunch at the Horseshoe Tavern in Wauzeka.
Participants can paddle for one or both days, and each paddle is $10 per day. Children, ages 15 and under are free. It is a tremendous value for families. For more information and the opportunity to register for this first-time event in southwestern Wisconsin, visit http://heritageparkway.org/
The Women's Outdoor News, aka The WON, features news, reviews and stories about women who are shooting, hunting, fishing and actively engaging in outdoor adventure. This publication is for women, by women. View all posts by The WON
