Boy Scouts

Wisconsin Canoe generally puts 20-35 different troops on the river each year for an overnight sandbar camping excursion accommodating up to 250 scouts at a time. 

Why should your troop paddle the Wisconsin River?

The Wisconsin River is a fantastic place for scout troops to get into the wilderness and practice their skills. This is one of the few places in the Midwest that offer a true wilderness camping experience.  You’ll paddle downriver with your equipment and find your own campsite (choose from any of a hundred different sandbars); no electricity, no bathrooms, no neighbors. 

Check out our canoe camping page for specific details about canoe camping on the Wisconsin River and the overnight trips we offer.

Scouts are also able to earn a number of merit badges – canoeing and kayaking chief among them.  See Badge Requirements below.Cold weather camping on the Wisconsin River

Why should your troop choose Wisconsin Canoe Company?

Best Equipment

We provide composite boats and comfortable ski-style life vests. Our boats are the youngest on the river (and we can slip in a couple seatbacks for the trip leaders).

Best Shuttle System

We shuttle you upriver at the start of your trip so you can paddle back to the cars on your own time. Finish, pack up, go.  We’ll do the rest.

Best Communication

Your entire reservation can be done online. We’re available via phone, email, SMS, and facebook.  It’s not uncommon to get a quick response at 10pm and our emergency line is staffed 24 hours a day.

Best Group Discounts

Variable pricing means your troop can get significant discounts on midweek trips and, to a lesser extent, on the weekends.

Best Guarantee

We guarantee 130% that the boats you reserve will be ready and waiting for you.  No overbooking here.

Best Safety Record

Thousands of customers and hundreds of thousands of shuttle miles – no accidents, 100% survival rate.  In case of inclement weather, we’ll keep you up to date with email and SMS alerts.

 

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The canoe trip was epic and will be remembered for a lifetime. The canoes and equipment were tip top and you guys were great. Website was very helpful and pricing was competitive. I will definitely recommend WCC to anyone. We will be back! Have a great rest of the season!

Kenley Perry

Camp Director, JCYS Camp Henry Horner

 

 

Things to keep in mind when planning your trip

Safety

Safety is always a consideration for scout groups and while no outdoor outing is without risk, the Wisconsin River does offer a few benefits to help leaders and put parents at ease.  Yes, the lower Wisconsin is completely protected from development, thus the feeling of wilderness, however there are convenient access points every 6 to 8 miles along the riverway in case a quick departure is necessary.  Cell phone coverage is getting more reliable along most of the river depending on your cell provider (U.S. Cellular and Verizon are best; AT&T/Sprint/T-Mobile less so but generally still adequate and text messages should go through). Most important, in case of a real emergency, both Prairie Du Sac and Spring Green (the start and end point to most trips) have search and rescue teams specifically trained and equipped for river rescue (this includes hovercraft).  There is no charge for these services in an emergency, simply dial 911.

Equipment

Wisconsin Canoe provides all equipment necessary to safely canoe or kayak the river.  Our equipment is never more than a few years old and very durable.  Our boats (Old Town Discoveries and Necky Manitous) are a 3 layer polyethelene construction which makes them quiet, stable, and indestructible.  It’s also worth mentioning that these will not become extremely hot in the sun like aluminum canoes, i.e. you won’t get burned.  Canoes are 15’8″ long and 36″ wide with a weight capacity of 1,100lbs.  They’ll hold more than you think but all the same, try to pack only what is necessary. All scouts are also provided with a comfortable ski-vest style life jacket they won’t mind wearing and outfitter grade paddles.

Rates

Scouts qualify for our large group and overnight discounts.  Depending on the size of your group and the duration of your trip, scouts will receive up to 20% off the standard day rate.  These discounts are automatically applied when booking your trip through our automated reservation system.  The larger your group, the bigger the discount.  If you also choose to go overnight, you’ll see an additional price drop.

If your group has a tax exempt form, you can send us an electronic copy after making your reservation and we will fully refund all sales tax.

Trip Planning

Trip planning is covered in more depth in the Planning Center.

Merit Badges

This would be a perfect opportunity to prepare your group for canoe and/or kayaking merit badges.