Kickapoo River Trip

This weekend we took a short trip to one of my favorite areas in the state- the Driftless Area. It is one area of the state that was not touched by glaciers, so the river valleys and rolling hills are very picturesque.  We drove the "slow" route by taking the winding Highway 33 through the tiny towns of LaValle and Hillsboro.  This part of Highway 33 should really be considered a scenic drive.  It winds through the wooded hillsides, through small towns and past Amish farm pastures.  It's a great change of pace and very relaxing.

View from the top of Wildcat Mountain

Just past Wildcat Mountain State Park, we stopped in Ontario and rented a canoe to take a trip down the Kickapoo River.  If you ever have a few hours to spare on a summer day, I would highly recommend making an excursion to take this trip.  The canoe rental rates are reasonable and you can choose whatever length of trip you feel like, from 2 hours to the entire day. 

Luckily we had started out early in the morning and were one of the first to set out down the river.  The current drifts lazily as it winds around back and forth through the river valley.  The portion of the river that we traveled is very scenic.  It cuts through areas with steep rock ledges where the trees stretch out, springs trickle in, and deeper pools swirl in the currents.  The river twists and turns so frequently that you never know what's up ahead.

 

 

rock outcropping                 lazy paddling    

another mysterious bend in the river...

 

           A sunny swimming spot!

The water is clear and shallow, and the sandy bottoms make great areas for wading in to cool off.  Early on in the day we saw a lot of wildlife at the river banks.  Kingfishers and swallows swooped from the tree tops to the water and families of ducklings and muskrats paddled along the river edges.  Later into the afternoon, just as we were ending our trip, the sandy banks started filling up with groups of people and families out for the day to enjoy some swimming and a lazy drift down this winding river.