THE • FACTS •
Put-in/take-out Columbus Dam off Campbell Street/Astico Park near Danville Dam
Distance/time 8.6 mi/Allow for 4 hrs
Gradient/water level 0.5 fpm except for the riffles section/Use USGS gage 05425912 (Beaver Dam River) since the official Crawfish River gage is too far downstream to correlate. Look for a minimum of 60 cfs to avoid scraping.
Water type Quietwater with a section of riffles
Canoe or kayak Either
Skill level Beginner
Time of year to paddle Anytime
Landscape Urban, agrarian, hardwood forest
OVERVIEW A pleasant trip offering a surprising amount of diversity, this upper stretch of the Crawfish has a lot to like. While never far from town or farms, the river nonetheless retains a secluded feel. An unexpected boulder garden with riffles and light rapids adds a spike of fun to an otherwise lazy float trip. The county park at the take-out offers pretty campsites and hiking trails on a peninsular hill, as well as a beautiful old powerhouse next to a dam. Expect to see great blue herons, muskrats, ducks, kingfishers, turkey vultures, hawks, and turtles—maybe even egrets and owls.
SHUTTLE 4.3 miles. From the take-out, turn right on CR T. As you cross the bridge, be sure to slow down and look to the right at the handsome Danville Dam. (Also, you can anticipate the water level by seeing how much is spilling over the dam.) Turn right on CR TT, then turn left on Ninabuck Road. At the stop sign, turn left on WI 60 and take it into town. Turn right on Campbell Street; if you cross the river again, you’ve missed Campbell. At the end of Campbell, you’ll see a path on the left leading to the base of the dam. Park roadside near the path and walk the short distance to the bottom of the dam.
TAKE-OUT N43° 19.565' W88° 56.950'
PUT-IN N43° 20.250' W89° 00.608'
• THE • FLAVOR •
PUT IN BELOW THE DAM. Immediately there will be large rocks to dodge in the streambed, some hard to see due to the clouded water. You will be able to tell right away if the river is shallow: If you’re scraping here, you will be walking your boat downstream. Below the dam, the river is unusually narrow; with trees flanking both banks, the setting is pretty and relaxing. As it widens and slows down, you’ll see some buildings on both banks and a set of power lines overhead.
An attractive truss bridge spans the Crawfish River in Astico County Park.
After a long straightaway, the river bends to the left to begin a bizarre loop. It’s a welcome aberration though, as a pretty set of deep woods lines the left bank. A series of three sharp right-hand turns follows. After the third, you’ll come upon a humongous logjam on the left; fortunately, there’s plenty of clearance on the right to pass it by. It’s an impressive pile up of wood and debris 5 feet high. After this is a random footbridge spanning the entire river, succeeded by another power line.
For a short way, there will be woods on the left and an 8-foot-tall bank on the right. Here, the Crawfish runs parallel to aptly named River Road, but cars are rare. Soon you’ll see an isolated farm on the right up a gentle hill followed by the same power line crossing the river a third time. This signals an unexpected but entirely welcome increase in the gradient, where boulders add to the velocity.
What follows for the next 2 miles are riffles and, in higher water, light rapids through a boulder garden where the river is narrow and the woods deep. Considering how ordinarily slow the Crawfish—a.k.a. “Crawl-fish”—is, this exceptional section is a real treat. The muddy water becomes clear, and even the banks rise to add to the woodsy feel. A mix of hardwoods predominates. If the river is low, this already shallow section will not be runnable. It’s too fun and unusual to forfeit due to bad timing, so be sure to check the water levels before you go.
Alas, the river will widen again, and where there’s a clearance of trees on the left, you’ll see a large house. Immediately after is the restored Ninabuck Road bridge. From here, the river makes a child’s crude letter N to the northeast, passing under the stately CR TT bridge as it does so. You will see a dock for canoes and kayaks on the right just below the bridge; it’s one of two landings in Astico County Park. Just after this, you’ll see a wayside park on the left parallel to WI 60.
The river will then make a bend to the right, following the curve of a hill in the park. You’ll see some attractive—and secluded—campsites, some with their own private access to the river. There’s even an artesian spring well. The Crawfish becomes wider yet as it straightens out. A beautiful truss bridge for hikers in the park lies before you. On the left, you’ll see a pier and dock, but wait! There’s one last thing to see before taking out.
Paddle downstream less than half a mile to the Danville Dam. Rising 4 stories above the river, its wood handsomely weathered and resembling an old mill from New England, the house on the right is so photogenic that the lake-like impoundment hardly matters. Unfortunately, it’s private property, so the right bank is off-limits. But there’s a portage trail to the left if you want to get out for a better view. Or simply turn around and paddle back to the bridge.
• THE • FUDGE •
ADDITIONAL TRIPS Continuing downstream from Astico County Park is rather dull, due to the monotony of agricultural fields and development. Putting in upstream of Columbus also is not recommended on account of the many logjams, even though the river here is pretty.
CAMPING AND RENTALS Astico County Park (just south of WI 60 at N3620 CR TT; 920-386-3700)
SHOUT-OUT If you’ve never been to Columbus, check it out. There’s impressive architecture, including the city hall and the ornate Farmers & Merchants Union Bank, designed by Louis Sullivan.
3 Crawfish River B: COUNTY ROAD I TO COUNTY ROAD G
• THE • FACTS •
Put-in/take-out County Road I/County Road G
Distance/time 6.8 mi/Allow for 3 hrs
Gradient/water level Under 1 fpm/There should always be enough water to paddle this trip.
Water type Quietwater
Canoe or kayak Either
Skill level Beginner
Time of year to paddle Anytime
Landscape Marsh, sedge meadow, glacial drumlins, hardwoods, prairie
OVERVIEW This a perfectly delightful jaunt, half of which lies within a protected wildlife area, so encounters with critters are excellent here. Expect to see bald eagles, great blue herons, sandhill cranes, hawks, snowy egrets, deer, turkey, turtles, pheasants—maybe even mink and beaver. On a sunny day in autumn when the colors are peaking and migrating birds are a-wing, this trip
