Delightful Days down the Wild and Scenic Namekagon and St. Croix Rivers, Wisconsin

The Trip

Paddling along the Namekagon and into the St. Croix Riverway will give us a slight inclination of what life might have been like for the indigenous tribes of this area. The river’s name (Namekaagong-Ziibi in the Ojibwe language) means “river at the place abundant with sturgeons." The Ojibwe tribes built dams along the river to be able to spear the great sturgeons. On the upper portion of the Namekagon the tribes would grow wild rice, pumpkins, blueberries, corn, beans, and potatoes. The river was also used as a means of transport by the indigenous peoples and later the fur traders. 

With the invasion of the Europeans came the desecration of the beaver, otter, and other popular fur-providing animal populations for hats and other adornments taken back to Europe. Logging became popular in 1861-1901 with more destruction of the natural forests. Hope returned to the area with the Wild and Scenic River enactment in 1964, and the restoration process continues.

As we paddle this beautiful river system each day, you might get the chance to see a sturgeon swim up to your canoe, witness a bald eagle in flight, hear a kingfisher announce our presence, or watch a deer drink from the river. You will see fallen old logged trees at the bottom of the river, a healthy number of mussel species, abundant plant life in and along the shores of the river, abundant colorful dragonflies, and the peace of mind that paddling a river gives.

Day 1: Meet at 10 a.m. at the Namekagon River visitor center in Trego. We will have a conservation talk with staff and eat lunch, which is the first meal of the trip. After lunch we will convoy to our outfitters, park our vehicles, and shuttle short distance to our put in point. Please be dressed and ready to paddle, and have all your gear in dry bags or other waterproof containers (not trash bags) and ready to be loaded into canoes. We will paddle a short distance, find a campsite, and make camp for the evening. Possible river mile camp sites might be: Namekagon river mile 29.2 or Namekagon river mile 28.4.

Day 2: Paddle the Namekagon downriver, with stops for bathroom breaks, lunch at an attractive spot, and our evening meal at our riverside campsite. Possible river miles campsite might be N24.3-N19.8.

Day 3: Paddle downriver, with stops for bathroom breaks, lunch at another attractive spot. Possible river campsites might be N16.5-N12.1. 

Day 4: Paddle downriver, with stops for bathroom breaks, lunch at another attractive spot. Possible river campsites might be N8.8-N6.2. 

Day 5: Paddle downriver, with stops for bathroom breaks, lunch at yet another attractive spot. Possible river campsites might be: N2.7-N1.3. 

Day 6: Paddle downriver to Riverside Landing, shuttle back to our vehicles left at our outfitter, and say our goodbyes.

Please keep in mind the river levels vary with rainfall. We might be starting farther downriver depending on how much snow and rain the year brings to the watershed. If so, we could continue past the confluence with the St. Croix River.

Getting There

The Namekagon Visitor Center in Trego, WI is approximately 125 miles from the Twin Cities, Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. If flying into MSP, there are many hotels and car rentals available. Carpooling is encouraged, but the leaders are not allowed to coordinate this beyond providing contact information to all participants. 

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

All camping will be at the designated river campsites, which have a picnic table, latrine or “outside pit toilet,” and fire ring. Some sites have a well pump, otherwise river water will be treated for consumption. No bathing with soap or dish rinsing in the river is allowed. All participants must have some type of dry bag or bags for their camping and other gear that does not exceed the height of the gunwales and ideally will fit under the thwarts of a canoe. 

All breakfasts will be prepared to be easy to eat and clean up, and we'll also do some lunch prep at breakfast. Each participant will prepare his or her lunch ahead of the day's launch, and put it in a plastic container that will be kept with the participant in their personal gear. Lunches will also be easy to prepare and clean up: sandwiches, fruit, finger foods, crackers, nuts. Snacks (energy/granola bars, nuts, cheeses, fruit, cookies) will also be available to add to your lunch container. Dinners will have a snack hour (aka “grumpy hour”) beforehand. Dinners will include some dehydrated, some shelf stable, and some fresh foods. Water will be available at all meals. Bladders or re-fillable water bottles are highly encouraged; single-service plastic bottles, plates, and utensils are strongly discouraged.

Participants will be expected to do their fair share of camp chores, food preparation, and cleanup under the direction of the leaders.

If you have vegan, vegetarian, or medical dietary restrictions, you must let the leader know. Those with challenging dietary restrictions may need to bring their own food, cookware, and utensils and prepare their own food to complement group food and provide adequate nutrition.

Trip Difficulty

This trip is advanced-beginner level. You must be able to maneuver your canoe down the channel and avoid obstacles. The river has some class I and (at times with higher water levels) class II rapids. You will need to be able to maneuver through these and be able to get into and out of your boat without much assistance. There is a narrow passage where you will need to maneuver your canoe through two rocks. You will need to be able to carry your gear, group gear, and (with the help of another person) move the canoes into and out of the water at the beginning and end of each day. Including breaks and lunch, we will typically be on the river 5-6 hours per day and you must be able to do this.

Equipment and Clothing

Participants must have quick-dry clothing, a good two-piece rainsuit (no ponchos), multiple layers for cool nights and warm days, appropriate footwear with neoprene due to cooler temps, dry bags, and dry compression sacks and/or a large backpack-style dry bag (not trash bags) sufficient for all gear. Each canoe will have group gear in addition to personal gear. A gear list will be provided once participants are approved. The co-leader has some gear that may be borrowed.

References

• National Park Service Website: https://www.nps.gov/sacn/index.htm
• Wikipedia: 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namekagon_River
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Croix_National_Scenic_Riverway
• Tribal Nations of Wisconsin: https://dpi.wi.gov/amind/tribalnationswi

Conservation

Because the Saint Croix is a Wild and Scenic River, the National Park Service has a conservation plan. Some of the plan's objectives: to remove invasive species, restore native plant life, remove old outbuildings and cabins, and maintain cold water stream systems and water quality. 

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.