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Every time I drive over the Black River on I-94 when heading into northern Wisconsin, I long for a canoeing Black River Wisconsin adventure. The Black River State Forest and the Driftless Region are two of my favorite areas of the state, and this river slices through both of them.

Black River Wisconsin canoe adventure

Wisconsin a diverse river system

Wisconsin has one of the most diverse river systems in the United States. There are whitewater rivers, there are lazy muddy rivers that meander through the dairyland, there are northwoods rivers with clear water that flow through pine forests, and then there are the majestic Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers – the confluence of which meets in southwest Wisconsin.

Lately, it seems I have been stuck on the Wisconsin River. I first canoed this wonderful river when I was 10 and have continued to enjoy it at least once every year since. I have dabbled on a few other rivers including the Kickapoo and the Brule, but a majority of my paddling has been on the Wisconsin.

Related: Halls Creek canoeing adventure

Put-in just below the town of Black River Falls to begin canoeing Black River Wisconsin

Plotting a Black River Wisconsin canoe adventure

This changed thanks to an early May trip to the Black River. The first river on my list is the Black River. The most popular stretch of the Black River is between Black River Falls and LaCrosse where it flows into the Mississippi in God’s Country. This is about 30 miles downstream from Lake Arbutus.

The many facets of the Black River and the state forest

I have paddled the Black River in the past, but only the stretch into the Mississippi River into LaCrosse. This section goes through Lake Onalaska and the river generally widens out as it prepares for its confluence with the mighty Mississippi. I thoroughly enjoyed this stretch, but I longed to paddle the more narrow river upstream with golden sandbars.

Further upstream, the Black River is a whitewater stream with class III-IV rapids. It is amazing the different personalities one river can exhibit as it flows downstream.

Outside the pine trees and the rocky bluffs, the Black River looks quite similar to the Wisconsin

Since this post, I have also discovered there are several tributaries of the Black River in the Black River Forest. Robinsons Creek, Halls Creek, and Morrison Creek all run into the Black River in the state forest. I absolutely loved Halls Creek and look forward to checking out the other options in future years. There are just so many streams in Wisconsin to paddle.

Furthermore, the area also has some of the best cross-country skiing in the state. When there is enough snow in the Black River State Forest, which is a big “if” these days, the trails are phenomenal.

Related: Black River State Forest cross-country skiing

Similarities and differences between Wisconsin River and Black River

The Black River is very similar to the Wisconsin River. In fact, it used to be called the Little Wisconsin River. The river is the same color and it flows through the sand country in the state’s Driftless Region.

It is called the Driftless Region because it is the only section of the state untouched by the glaciers, so its terrain is a little different than the rest of the state and the rest of the upper Midwest. The bluffs and hills are a little more interesting here as they are craggier and less smooth for they have not been scrubbed by giant sheets of ice.

Differences between the Black River and the Wisconsin River include that the Black is a little farther north, there are more pine trees along the Black as this river marks the beginning of the Wisconsin northwoods, and the Black is also smaller with less channels. Both rivers are equally beautiful in my opinion, but the Wisconsin is a little more majestic.

Canoeing Black River Wisconsin – A great spot to watch the river flow

Arriving at the Black River and canoe plans

After a night camping in Mirror Lake State Park, I drove up the hour and a half to the small town of Black River Falls right off I-94. 15 minutes and miles later I entered the Lost Falls Campground. I was greeted by Rose and the friendly crew at the campground, where I got my things together and was shuttled back to Black River Falls to start my two day adventure.

My plan was to canoe for two days from Black River Falls and stay one night out on the river. I rented a solo Old Town Canoe and loaded it down with the kitchen sink. Since there are no rapids and no portages, weight and space were not a big issue, so I brought a large cooler full of beer and food as well as a big overnight pack.

Camping on the river is free, but the canoe rental cost me $94.00 for two days. At Lost Falls they charge by the duration of the trip, but the shuttle service is included in the fee. They also rent kayaks, tubes, and SUPs.

Black River Wisconsin canoe adventure – One loaded down solo canoe

Black River Wisconsin canoe adventure

The river was up thanks to snow melt and spring rains, but the river was receding. I put a stick out at the sandbar I camped at to mark where the water’s edge. The next morning the water line was 10 feet down the sandbar and had virtually erased the channel between my campground and the island in front of me.

I expected to see hordes of people due to Memorial Day weekend, but I had the river to myself for most of the weekend. I saw only 6 other canoes, and only a handful of people along the shore fishing. There was not one motorboat on this stretch of river.

The stick marked the waterline the night before

Black River Wisconsin canoe adventure – Lovely campfire with bluffs in the distance

Canoeing Black River Wisconsin wildlife

I did see plenty of birds: mainly several beautiful bald eagles. I also saw kingfishers, many Baltimore orioles, woodpeckers, and a couple of white-tailed deer. Gnats and mosquitoes were also present, but thankfully no ticks. Wisconsin is infamous for bad insects after the spring rains, but perhaps the cold winter staved off the usual spring tick infestation.

Black River Wisconsin canoe adventure – Bald eagle taking off on the Black River

Canoeing Black River Wisconsin

Thumbs up paddling with Lost Falls Campground

Lost Falls provided me with an amazing map. It had the mile markers and several landmarks like canoe put-ins, parks, bluffs, and islands along the way that made navigation easy. My fear when canoeing a new stretch of river is finding the take out.

As much as I love canoeing, when the trip is over, I am ready to get off the river. On this stretch, the only bridge across the river is at Highway 108, which is the take out near Melrose, Wisconsin. Overall, I canoed 24 miles.

Black River Wisconsin canoe adventure – Take out for the Black River comes into view

This was the first time I have canoed and camped on the Black River since doing the lower stretch into LaCrosse over 10 years ago. It was great to be reunited with a lovely northwoods river that rivals the Wisconsin in beauty. I definitely will be back soon to check out other stretches.

Lost Falls only caters to day trips – Other rental options

Lost Falls Campground rents canoes and operates shuttles on this stretch of the river, but they only do day trips. They allowed me to do an overnight trip as an exception. You can camp at their campground.

I definitely recommend staying with them and paddling with them; however, I also recommend you stay a night on the river. River camping on the Black River is a must.

There are several other canoe livery services that serve the lower stretch of the Black. Melrose Express Canoe rental services the river from Melrose to North Bend. Their number is 608-488-7017.

Adventure on!