What are you interested in?
Update (6/14/2013): Dare I say we're in the clear for high water?! River levels have dropped 2 feet since yesterday and our trusty benchmark sandbars have made an appearance. Current predictions will keep river levels falling throughout the week. For right now, sandbar camping is back on the menu!
Who We Are
Wisconsin Canoe is the fastest growing canoe and kayak rental company in the midwest. Based on the Wisconsin River in Spring Green, along with House on the Rock, Taliesin, and the American Players Theater. We offer the best people and the best equipment to get you to your favorite sandbar on the Lower Wisconsin River covering Prairie Du Sac, Sauk City, Mazomanie, and Arena.
What started out as a new business with 10 old canoes and a trailer run by a couple of college kids has evolved to include a husband and wife team (yeah, two of those college kids) now operating the newest fleet of over 100 canoes and kayaks on the Wisconsin River. From Sauk City to Spring Green, we've been putting over 5,000 paddlers on the water every season.
The River
The Lower Wisconsin itself is nearly 100 gentle miles of free flowing, undeveloped riverway that runs from the last dam at Prairie Du Sac all the way to the Mississippi River. There is very little development on the shoreline due it's protected status and because there are no rapids, it's a great place to get away and relax with friends and family.
It's been dubbed the "River of a Thousand Isles" for good reason. Sandbars are everywhere along our stretch of river (the river is over 90% sand bottom) and almost all sandbars are available for camping (no permits required). As a bonus (or maybe drawback), the only nude beach in the state of Wisconsin (attracting ~70,000 people every year) is located here (don't worry, it can also be avoided). Come see why the Wisconsin River is gaining a place as one of the top river destinations in the country.
Planning Your Trip
We've tried to collect every piece of information and knowledge you might want to know in order to plan your trip. If this is the 20th year for your group and you already know it all, great! If this will be your first time, even better! Paddling the Wisconsin River really is a life changing experience (and we're not just saying that because we have to - heck, it certainly changed our lives) and we're excited to have more people discover what they've been missing right in their own backyard (even if you decide another company is a better fit for you).
A few quick things to point you in the right direction:
You're strongly recommended to reserve your canoe rentals as far in advance as possible. Every single year, we've completely soldout every weekend in July and August at least 2-3 weeks in advance (2012 sold out 12 of 14 weekends) so planning your canoe trip sooner rather than later is a good thing (it's also a big help for us as well).
If you've never paddled the river and wondering what to expect and what you should know, check out the trip planning section for everything you'll need to know about what to bring, where to camp, and answers to the most frequently asked questions.
For those just looking for information to go out on your own, you can download our detailed river maps (no joke, they are the most detailed maps of the river ever produced) and bookmark our current conditions page to see hourly changes in flow rates, water temperature, and gauge depth.
