wisconsin canoe company

Our party of four spent Sept. 5 and 6 on the Wisconsin River - from Prairie du Sac to Spring Green (25 miles). We had so much fun floating and paddling the canoe and kayaks, camping on the sand bar and enjoying our surroundings.The trip began on Friday at Noon. Our driver showed up early, gave us lots of suggestions on what to watch for and had us promptly unloaded at the boat launch in Prairie du Sac at 1 p.m. We stowed our camping gear and coolers and paddled/floated until 5 or so, traveling around seven miles, when we found a great small sand bar to pitch our tents. The evening was beautiful and we enjoyed our campfire on the sand. On Saturday we broke camp and had more adventures navigating the river for several hours. The best parts were eagle watching (watching them pick fish out of the water) and paddling the smaller tributaries off the main river, which were super calm and beautiful. By 3 p.m. we found another sand bar to camp on, but received a message from Wisconsin Canoe Company that the dams upstream had been opened and all sand bars were going to be under water by 2 a.m. So, we packed our gear and re-loaded the kayaks and canoe. Fortunately, we were back at the landing in Spring Green before dark where we met Gayle who works for Wisc. Canoe. She was so relieved we were off the river (we were the last group to reach Spring Green after paddling all day and traveling 18 miles on the river). We were disappointed about not being able to camp a second night and relax, but happy that we weren't stuck on a flooded sandbar in the middle of the night! And Wisc. Canoe gave us a small refund for having to finish our trip a day early.The canoe outfitter was fantastic to work with as we adjusted our date a few times to get optimal weather. We'll definitely return for a second voyage on the Wisconsin River. So much fun!

Our trip went reasonably well: left on time, clean bus, enjoyed feeling like we were at summer camp again and very friendly personnel. It was also great to be able to bring our dog. However, one big problem that really dampened our experience: being required to lug our canoes across very long sandbars to and from the shore (when leaving river: had to carry canoes additional 40 yds uphill to a WCC designated drop spot). Four adults 40/50s in athletic shape ,3 boys 11-13, 1 Lab, 3 coolers in 3 canoes. It was miserable as boats are very heavy even when empty. Unfortunately, really impacted our experience and caused a sour start and end to our trip.

This was my first time canoeing. My boyfriend and I had a blast! Even though it down poured a half hour in!!!! Lol we paddled to ferry bluff and waited till it passed. (Which was not long) we did the 18 mile. PIECE OF CAKE!!! Wonderful company to choose for first timers and advanced canoers. We are so pleased with the entire trip!!!!!!! If you haven't gotten your canoe on yet... do it and pick these guys!!!!!!

We did the 10 mile (wish we did the 18 mile since 10 miles is over too fast, especially since the current pulls you and you can actually just float along for stretches if you choose). We launched in Arena, finished in Spring Green (camped one night). This is a great trip for families or several couples...we went with two other couples (all of us late 20s, early 30s). Renting canoes from the Wisconsin Canoe Company was easy, just reserve early and be on time if you're riding their shuttle. We coordinated our own cars so that we had vehicles at the bottom and then we drove one car to Arena and met the shuttle there to unload our canoes. Don't bring glass...bring cans, which are better anyway since you haul out what you packed in. You can buy firewood in the area to bring with, but why bother filling canoe with wood when you can find driftwood and sticks on the shore. I brought a canvas wood carrying "sling" and would make a few walks around the perimeter of the sandbar we set up on. Load up on sunblock and get a good hat to cover your head and neck or you'll get roasted. The water is shallow but there are sudden dropoffs and strong currents, so be careful around those. We didn't have luck fishing where we set up camp...strong currents, but there were other sandbars we stopped at and you could see small fish everywhere in the shallows, so it was likely just bad location for our fishing. The campfire at night was unique since your closest neighbors are hundreds of yards away, which is neat seeing several distant campfires glowing down the river, each one getting smaller. I recommend a cup holder of some sort next to your canoe seat...I set a cooler by me with the lid flipped over so I had the cup holder (it's hot and you'll be thirsty). We loved it and want to go again...this time we're going to do the 18 mile...we felt like we had to often just float along so we didn't cover too much ground on the first day...even checked GPS to make sure we hadn't gone too far. It would have been much more fun to keep paddling until you're tired on day 1, then camp, then check GPS at night to see how far to go. It was hard to know what 10 miles of canoe paddling was like, but now we know...go 18 miles. Also, read their website beforehand, some good info.

If you want to canoe the Wisconsin river this is the group to experience it with. They are well organized and keep the plan on track.We used Wisconsin Canoe for a rental and transportation. The equipment is in good shape and they offer pretty good advice on how to make the most of your trip.We did not contract WCC for guides as they are not necessary even for amateurs.We did a day trip, about 5 hours vs the overnight camping run. It was about 10 miles and the river moves at ~2 Miles Per Hour so if your lazy you can just coast the whole way. There are plenty of sandbars to stop and rest or hang out at with some lunch and a cool beverage while watching nature. Some folks on the overnight trip brought grills. Also feel free to bring your dog, etc..Bottom line - use this group to get you and your gear to the launch site and you will be happy. Read their website for planning advice and make sure you show up at the pickup point at least 10 or 15 minutes ahead of time. As I said they are week organized and don't like to delay others waiting on stragglers who don't plan ahead and show up late.The main reason we picked this company was the quality of their Website, ease of booking and sound information online.

My wife and I took our college bound son and our dog for a day out on the river. We had to change the booking the evening before as one of our party dropped out. This was done with the minimum of fuss and was followed up by a confirmation email.The directions were clear and we arrived in time for the Saturday 10am pickup.. It all went as described and we finished the 10 mile trip in under 4 hrs including a stop for lunch.As this was a peak summer Saturday the river was a bit crowded in places, which was the only negative for us.

Last weekend, my wife and I had the opportunity to take a trip via the Wisconsin Canoe Company, along with two other couples, and we had an amazing time. This was in large part thanks to the laid-back professionalism that this canoe outfitter exudes. The staff was well-organized at both the launch site and end site, and they were extremely friendly to everyone involved. I highly recommend Wisconsin Canoe Company, and my group is excited to make this a yearly trip! Thanks for the great memories!

We enjoyed a great overnight canoe trip on the river this past weekend. Our group of 7 dads and 10 young sons (ages 6 - 12) had a blast. All that was expected from the Wisconsin Canoe Company was: ease of booking, on time/reliable transportation, and equipment in good working order. The company hit high marks for each of these. No complaints and I wouldn't hesitate to use them again (this is our second year in a row with them).The river couldn't be easier to navigate. We went on an August Saturday and spent the night on a large sandbar by ourselves. We look forward to this "boys trip" every year and wonderful memories were made again this year. If you are looking for a canoe company to use for this type of trip, I give WCC a glowing recommendation.

The Wisconsin River is a gentle beautiful relaxing river to canoe and camp on. The river is a flyway for migrating birds in the spring and fall. You will hear cranes and see a variety of water birds. You can fish and swim in the waters. The camping spots are the best you will find in the area. You may have a whole island to yourself on a weeknight. Weekends in the summer are busy and there are many large groups of people and so a lot of noise, but still there seems to be plenty of room for all to enjoy a night on the river. The Wisconsin canoe company handles the logistics very efficiently and with a very friendly easy going attitude. Their equipment is perfect. Canoes can be heavy and there is some carrying necessary for launching and landing. Canoe camping tho is easy and so much nicer than many of the crowded campgrounds that resemble parking lots.

Wonderful experience with Wisconsin Canoe Company. Everything was on-time, smoothly handled, and easy. The kayak I rode was in good shape, the river was a lot fun and managed to find a bald eagle nest! I did the 10 mile trip from Arena to Pikes Landing. It is important to understand that 10 miles is a long way. Most of the groups on my bus were camping over night, so really were doing two-5 mile trips. The full 10 miles took me about 4 hours at a steady clip, and I was beat by the end. I think a 6-8 mile trip would be been a better distance for me.

They were willing to transport people only up river to your put in place. This allows you to have your vehicle at our end point which we find very convenient. Their rental equipment is excellent too. Check out their website. Reservations can be made on-line.

Hi Jake,Thanks for coming out with us and thank you for the review! I wanted to apologize for the late bus - I'm guessing your trip was probably Saturday at 12pm? We're very strict on people arriving on time and it's only fair we should be held to the same standard. Unfortunately when we're in these 5 Saturday of peak season we've struggled with keeping the 10am and 12pm shuttles running on schedule with upwards of 160 people choosing to go out at these times. We're certainly working on improving that and your complaint is 100% valid. Thanks again!Ryan

If you're looking to get outdoors and experience the river, a day trip with the Wisconsin Canoe Company is a great way to do it. They make everything easy - you park at the end point of the ten-mile trip, and they drive you to the starting point and provide canoes or kayaks, paddles, life vests and maps. When you're done, you leave your boat on the shore, text them to pick it up (if they're not there already), and drive off. The equipment is new and high-quality, and the staff is really nice and helpful. Highly recommended.

Wisconsin Canoe Co. website and operations are first rate. We easily booked our reservation on-line and met them at the launch site. They had everything ready just as we requested. We parked our car for a day trip and they took us up river and dropped us off. They unloaded the canoe and kayak we had rented, gave us instructions on use, and went over the river rules and regulations. Then we were off. The equipment was in good shape had no major problems. The Wisconsin river between Arena and Spring Green is very shallow and slow. Perfect for the beginner, but would probably bore an avid canoer or kayaker. There are no rapids and at low water there are a lot of sand bars and low places that you have to portage over. If you are looking for easy to navigate river and/or camping adventure on the river it is great. If you are looking for action kayaking then go somewhere else.

My boyfriend and I rented a canoe for the day trip and had a very positive experience. It was easy to make a reservation online, the confirmation summary included all the information we needed to know. The staff was waiting for us at both ends of the trip. They also provided maps, which was nice. Highly recommend using Wisconsin Canoe Company.