Pecatonica River – East Branch

We took advantage of a nice fall day and did trip on Oct 29, 2022. We dropped are boats on the South side of the Hwy 38 bridge on river left, drove down and parked our car at the Horseshoe Bend Rd bridge, then biked back to our boats. Although it is a bit hilly this is a beautiful shuttle because it runs along a ridgetop with some fantastic views of the countryside. It was especially nice because the road was technically closed for "through traffic" due to construction,so there was very little traffic and it had just been paved so it was one of the smoothest roads I have ever biked on. The trip itself was equally beautiful. This is a fantastic trip to do in the late fall because it is much easier to see all the gorgeous rock formations after many of the leaves have fallen. I am happy to report that the muti-tree blocake just north of the Mckenna bridge has now been cleared up, so the river is open all the way from Hollandale to Horseshoe Bend and according to other reports all the way to Blanchardville. This is an easy and fun trip that I tink is doable by anybody unless levels are high. Here is a link to a map and pics of our trip https://www.relive.cc/view/vQvxpnjJnBv

Here’s an update from 2021! We went on June 5 from Hwy 39 to Blanchardville (155 CPS & 4.72 ft @ Blanchardville). We accessed on the NW side of the bridge as others have. This access OK, but there wasn’t really a path, and getting down is pretty steep and rocky. Wild parsnip was further to the left. My boyfriend almost lost his muck boots in the quicksand-like muck, so be careful how far you wade in! The highlight of the first section were the bald eagles + nest ~3 miles. The low lights were a downed log that we balanced on to pull the boat over, and then the massive log jam others have mentioned before McKenna Road. To get around, the left side of the river had stinging nettles and more wild parsnip. The right side had grass and wild cucumber, so we scrambled up the steep right bank and bushwhacked a trail ~30 m to a fairly nice put in, actually - some branches to lower yourself back down into the boat instead of dealing with the muck! It didn’t seem like we were the first to go this way. The rest of the trip was clear, and we appreciate the efforts of volunteers who made it so! We saw the paved launch at McKenna road and kinda wished we had put in there instead. The exit at Horseshoe bend road looked very steep with some stairs to get up to the road. The highlight of the next section was definitely the cliffs at Horseshoe bend. As we got closer to Blanchardville, the current really slowed down, which made the last few miles kind of a slog. And there was very little shade (vs the first sections that had very nice tree cover!), which made for a hot and sunny 90+ section. We had planned a bike shuttle from the park in town by the dam, but then noticed a paved ramp ~0.2 mi north of there, where we took out instead. Getting out by the dam would be doable; the banks were almost 2 ft above the water, but it looked like there were some rocks to step on to help. We highly recommend the paved launch with parking! Portaging the dam would be challenging, because of the exit and also the put in - the banks just below the dam are very steep. The next access point looks to be a paved ramp at McKellar park, as mentioned.

Took advantage of a sunny 50+ late Nov day and paddled this section with a few friends on 11/28/20 (220 CFS and 5.4 ft) The trip took us about 2 hours and 45 min, started at 11:45 and finished at 2:30. Conditions were great, good water clarity, decent current, and just a bit of mud at the take out and at the 1 portage. The portage, just upstream of McKenna, is still there and and is a series of 3-4 groups of trees completely blocking the river. We portaged on river left, bank is muddy and slippery and the pretty steep where you put back in. River right looks like it might be easier to put back in but I did not see an easy place to get out. After McKenna the river is unobstructed all the way to Horseshoe Bend Rd. I agree with your earlier comment, and next trip I will put in at McKenna, where there is what appears to be an old concrete slab landing, and go down to Blanchardville

did this trip on 8/6 with a bike shuttle, levels were at about CFS 225 and 5.5 which seemed almost perfect. There were several obstacles to go over/under/through but only one complete blockage, just upstream of Mc Kenna Rd. that required a portage, we did the left bank but had to walk a ways (50 yards?) to find a place to put back in that was not too steep and muddy, perhaps right bank would be better. The river is much less obstructed after McKenna Rd. This would be a great trip to do in the late fall or early spring to take advantage of the lack of foliage so the rock outcroppings would be more visible. Yes the shuttle has a few hills, but it also has great views from the ridge tops. A stop at Nick Engelbert's Grandview is a must for anyone who likes outsider or quirky art environments and it is less than 2 miles from the put-in

We paddled from Hwy 39 (near Hollandale) to Horseshoe Bend Rd. on 28June2020. Gauge was 270 CFS and 6 ft. After scouting, we chose to put in upstream river right (nearest to the parking lot), which was muddy. Quite a bit of wild parsnip to be careful of as well. Not far upstream from the McKenna Rd. bridge, there were three sets of downed trees. Depending on water levels, boat length and commando skills, these three jams require some combination of portaging, exiting to climb over logs, and sneaking through tight thickets of branches. The portage route had some stinging nettles. Downstream from McKenna Rd., there were no jams, although boat control is still essential. Compared to the photos from previous years, the river seems to have eroded quite a bit, with more mud at put-ins/take outs.

I did the trip on 10/20/19. with a bike shuttle, there were a few tough hills but very little traffic and it is only 5 miles with some great ridge top views so all in all not too bad. Water levels were fairly high (approx 390 CFS and 7.2 FT) so there was a good current the whole way and the trip only took us a bit over 2 hours. The put-in/take-out were easy and thanks to the high water not too muddy. There were a few tight spots that required a bit of ducking under and or sliding over and one spot just north of McKenna Rd where we had to get out of the boats to pull them over a blockage but we never had to get off the river. some of the obstructions that we were able to float over might be more difficult at more typical water levels The rock outcroppings and fall colors were fantastic, especially the section between McKenna and Horseshoe Bend Rd. I think this section would be suitable for any level paddler, and the section from McKenna to Horseshoe Bend, would make for a great short after work fall/winter paddle.

No typo...it took 4+ hours. I'm slow though...3 hours might be more typical.

Hello! Thanks for the write up. Did it really take 4+ hours or is that a typo? Rich

Did this section with a bike shuttle, the river was at 212 CFS and about 5.3 ft. Great trip, very quiet and peaceful, saw lots of wildlife but not a single person the entire way. A few duck unders, slide overs, and tree branches to slip through, but I never had to get out of my boat. I cleaned up a few spots so its a pretty clean trip right now. One strange thing to note, about 25 yards downstream from the put-in there is a white and orange buoy, like the ones marking swimming areas, that says KEEP OUT NO BOATS. Knowing Wisconsin laws about navigable waterways I ignored it. But you may want to add a note about it for other kayakers and canoeist.

Thanks for the update Chris...this really helps out other paddlers.

Attempted Highway 39 to Blanchardville on September 2, 2017. Encountered Five complete blockages before McKenna Road where we called it quits. Recommend avoiding this section.

Thanks for the feedback! Too bad about the downed trees...probably came in from our recent storms.

Paddled Hollandale to Blanchardville 5/19/17. Many downed trees along the way. If water was any lower we would have been dragging boats over trees, thankfully we were able to slip over them. Really nice few hours spent on the river, looking forward to doing other sections of the Pecatonica.

Wow, great site! My husband and I are new to kayaking. We went on our first camping/kayaking trip last year to Pattison State Park and kayaked the Bois Brule. It was great. We both tipped, I lost my sunglasses, but it was great. We're going to kayak the Pecatonica this August.