WRO Top 5 Tips for New Canoe Campers
We’re bringing almost 20 years of experience and thousands of paddlers to bear with these tips.
- If you’ve never canoe camped before, choose a shorter trip than you might otherwise. Especially if you’re planning for a group, you’d rather finish the trip wishing you’d done more than thinking it would never end.
- Don’t over pack! Take some time to plan the packing for your trip and watch our Packing Video and see our Packing List.
- Bring jugs of water (1-7 gallons) rather than a bunch of small plastic bottles. Water jugs:
- reduce the amount of trash you produce
- can act as ballast in your canoe
- are the right thing for the environment
- Remember, the Wisconsin River is a Pack In, Pack Out river. You will need to take your trash with you at the end of your trip as there are no trash cans at the boat landings – get some tips.
- Be sure to understand our transportation process. We’ll be able to get you on the water more efficiently if you follow our process.
BONUS #6. Many paddlers have the objective of canoeing the bulk of their trip so on the last day they’re within 5 miles of the Boscobel boat landing. This means competition in those last few miles is high, especially on Saturday evenings in July and August.
Avoid the chaos – camp upriver from the Blue River bridge on Saturdays and increase the odds of having your own private sand bar to yourself. If you need to be off the river early on Sunday, rise early, when it’s cooler, and enjoy the peace of the river rolling by while you pack up and get an early start. Most likely:
- It will be quiet except for the birds chirping
- Little to no wind first thing in the morning
- The colors can be amazing in the morning sun
- You’ll beat the heat!
