Canoeing The Driftless

Southeastern Minnesota is a paddlers dream. Throughout the forested bluff land terrain, called the Driftless Area, there are both easy paddling routes as well as challenging, more difficult streams all offering beautifull scenic views and a variety of wildlife. Canoeing The Driftless contains maps and descriptions for over 50 routes covering 600 miles to help you plan your paddling trip. Information such as route length, difficulty, hazards, as well as points of interest, the best put-in and take-out accesses and shuttle routes are included to help in choosing a trip to fit your needs. Also included are River Scenes which have interesting information on history along the routes as well as some personal, sometimes humorous accounts of trips on the rivers. Canoeing The Driftless is written for all levels of paddlers, from the beginner to the most experienced paddler. For the beginner to intermediate paddler there are the main routes on the Cannon, Zumbro, and Root rivers, for the more experienced paddlers the routes on the Bear, Deer, Whitewater, and smaller branches of the Root River and Zumbro River provide more challenging runs.

Both a traveler's tale of a 359-mile canoe trip and an exploration of the dramatic environment of the Upper Midwest's Driftless region, following the streams of geologic and human history.

The Driftless Land, a collection of essays by Kevin Koch, is a search for the spirit of place among the bluffs, woodlands, and prairies of the Upper Mississippi River valley. The Midwest is commonly known for its flatlands, for oceans of corn pressing towards the horizon beneath a big sky. Lesser known are the steep hills and bluffs, the ravines and towering rock outcroppings where the upper Mississippi carves its meandering path. These rugged lands amid the prairies are known as The Driftless Area, a 20,000 square-mile region of northeast Iowa, northwest Illinois, southeast Minnesota, and southwest and central Wisconsin, bypassed by most of the glaciers. Koch observes, "You can 'love nature' and 'love the land'--but you won't know place until you've walked slowly and attentively through Lost Canyon or the Kickapoo Valley Reserve or Swiss Valley or Trempealeau Mountain, and then returned to learn what you can about them." Hidden within the woodlands are the imprints of human history and the deeper geological story as well, the story of a land untouched by the ancient onslaught of leveling glaciers. The result is a call to know place deeply, whatever place you inhabit.

This authoritative guide to the waterways of Wisconsin presents many of the state's paddleable waterways in 60 paddling adventures that include everything from new maps and GPS coordinates to access points, river gauges, and mileages.

South-central Wisconsin provides an impressive array of opportunities for all types of paddling, including some of the very best day trips in the entire state and even Upper Midwest. Paddling South Central Wisconsin, by experienced paddler and author Timothy Bauer, guides all types of paddlers, whether veteran or novice, through whitewater adrenaline or flatwater calm routes near Madison, Rockford, Janesville, Waukesha, and Milwaukee. This paddling guide is the perfect companion for those seeking "the rowed less taken." It describes the best times to paddle 60 diverse routes, alerts readers to each paddle's difficulty level and estimated length, and suggests side trips, optional trip extensions, and alternate routes to paddle, depending on weather conditions. Easy-to-follow maps, complete with GPS coordinates and driving directions, add to this book's high value. In addition, the author provides contact information on local paddling clubs, outfitters, and Internet links.

Paddling Southern Wisconsin will guide you down some of the state's most alluring rivers, immersing you in its shifting landscape and infinite beauty.

Provides more information on Nature Centers; Hiking Trails; Day & Weekend Road Trips; Kids Activities; Camping Spots; Birdwatching Hotspots; Bicycling Trails; Kayaking/Canoeing/Boating; Picnicking Spots; Fishing; Spring Wildflower Viewing; Fall Colors Viewing; Running/Exercise; Winter Activities Such as Snowshoeing, Ice Skating, Cross-Country Skiing, Sledding, and Ice Fishing; Local History; Self-Enrichment Classes and Other Opportunities; Geocaching; and other activities in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Also includes articles that provide advice on camping with kids, enjoying a successful snowshoeing adventure, and much more, as well as personal essays about gardening, enjoying nature with one's children, savoring the fall colors, and protecting the environment. Other resources include contact information for forest preserve districts, state departments of natural resources, and environmental and other nature-focused organizations.

The enchanting, enigmatic Driftless Area of the Upper Midwest is anthologized here with readings and illustrations from the region's Native people, explorers, scientists, historians, farmers, journalists, poets, and artists, including Black Hawk, Mark Twain, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frank Lloyd Wright, Aldo Leopold, August Derleth, and David Rhodes.