The Northern Woods on a National Scenic River
A Quiet Autumn on the Namekagon, Wisconsin
Oh, the northern woods! A lovely and quiet time in autumn, but quiet doesn't mean it is without it's own adventures!! We're talking about wildlife, hidden boulders, low bridges, colors and wind blowing upstream.
In planning the trip with our camping buddies we decided to take it easy and do 62 miles in 5 days, from the town of Hayward in Sawyer County (mile marker 66.1) to Namekagon Trail Landing (mile marker 4.8) in Burnett County. We shuttled our own cars because it was the end of the tourist season and most shuttling services had already closed. Shuttling took two hours. So we camped at the landing in Hayward before even hitting the water. If you want easy canoe camping, this is it!! Vaulted toilets, fire ring, picnic tables, benches and a dock. PLUS, within walking distance of two different restaurants to choose from:
Flat Creek Lodge https://flatcreekhotel.com/restuarant-bar
or Steak Lodge https://www.steakhouseandlodge.com/dining-menu .
Since, we were in the middle of the Covid crisis, we decided to carry out our order and dived into a meal of Walleye at our picnic table along the Namekagon River.
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| The Dock at Hayward Landing Photo by Debbie Braaksma |
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| Getting an Early Start Photo by Debbie Braaksma |
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| The Beginning of Fall Colors |
Every so often that tranquility was cracked due to trains, or loud engines, but it was just a reminder how you can be in such beauty while so close to society's busyness. The river was clean, clear with no trash. Even though we understand this a popular river with inner-tubers in the summer, you wouldn't know it in the fall. Our first day included playful rapids causing us to be alert as rocks were abundant and a chute (right after Stinnett Landing Mile marker 57.7) that was fun but not technical. The river was often too shallow for a loaded canoe causing us to scrape bottom many times and sometimes we needed to get out and pull the canoe.
Each day our lunch stop came with a surprise. During our first lunch our conversation stopped because we heard sounds like drums, but way out here? What was it? As we were asking each other “what could that be?” a pair of Trumpeter Swans swept into view, taking off from the water with raucous honks. Wow!
At the end of each day, we tallied our sightings including many Bald Eagles. The first day netted two bald eagles, 2 trumpeter swans, wood ducks, a few turtles, groups of common mergansers and beaver dams. We also tallied the number of people on the river. Zero! We camped at Mile Marker 52.1 after canoeing 14 miles. We preferred the group camp sites because they included a picnic table along with the “throne” and fire ring.
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| The Throne |
Camp sites were pretty evenly spaced along the river – one at least every two to three miles. But contact the local National Park Service because the maps are not always up to date and several campsites listed on different maps have been removed. Camps at mile markers 25.3, 21.2, 9.3 were closed and perhaps others that we missed.
We relied heavily on the detailed maps of www.wisconsintrailguide.com which our camping buddy had laminated and put together on a ring (pretty cool idea)plus www.nps.gov/sacn/planyourvisit/maps.htm
Whoa! Our second day started with what we came to call “Hidden Boulder Rapids” just before Springbrook Landing. We hit a hidden boulder and stuck, swung sideways and hit a second rock, lodged onto two rocks! Not exactly a great angle for loaded canoes in rapids. When we extricated ourselves, we were going backwards! We always say, that we have never tipped, and we were working hard to make sure our actions in that moment still reflected our words. Somehow we made it through totally dry.
We stopped at mile marker 45.7 for lunch and our friend caught a Northern Pike. We were told that the fishing was good between Mile marker 46.3 to 41.8. While eating lunch, a little green bird made our acquaintance, but paid us no attention, hungrily snatching up caterpillars and insects within inches of us. We came to call it our weird little green bird.
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| OUR weird little green bird friend Photo by Debbie Braaksma |
Continuing our journey, intense warm southern winds caused large waves to move against the river current so that we couldn't ease up on our paddling the last three miles to Earl's Landing (mile marker 41.3). It was supposed to be our relaxing day of only 10 miles, but with the strong wind and hidden boulder rapids, it turned out to be an intense day and we were glad to rest at the landing. Earl's Landing has beautiful open campsites on green grass under large pines. It included vaulted toilets, picnic tables, a fire ring and drinking WATER!
As we talked to people who were starting off from Earl's Landing, they commented on how we had “braved” the boulders. Ha, Ha! We guess we did! New wildlife for our tally included some playful otters and an osprey. Bald eagle sightings continued daily. People: Zero, before Earl's Landing. Fresh Northern Pike for dinner was a real treat.
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| One of many Bald Eagles Photo by Debbie Braaksma |
As we started our third day, we were anxious about facing more wind while paddling on a large body of water, Lake Trego. We were imagining being blown across the large expansive lake and fighting the wind. We paddled through the town and many bridges, even under a bridge that was so low that we had to squat and duck down into our canoe to get under it. When we got to the lake, it turned out to be long and narrow (approximately 6 miles long) with beautiful lakeside homes. The first part of the lake is dotted with large islands of grass and the wind was wonderfully at our back, so our fears were for naught. There was one private camping and cabin place in Trego along the river before we got to the lake, called the Log Cabin. Https://logcabin-resort.com They have cabins and camping with showers, electricity, flush toilets if you are wanting several steps up from primitive camping.
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| Low bridge in Trego |
We stopped at Trego Landing on the southern side of the lake off of County Road K to stretch our legs. It was not on our map. The lake is almost entirely private property, so there is very little opportunity to get out on land.
We finally saw the dam at the end of the lake. The short portage is on the right side of the dam. It is a very narrow path through the reeds. We really wish they had a picnic table for a lunch break. We ate lunch here anyway, sitting on the ground, near the port-a-johns – the only shade nearby 😏.
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| Trego Lake Dam |
After the dam, the river is easier and we finally left the road noise and civilization behind. But other canoers seemed to appreciate the easiness as well so whereas we rarely saw other canoers the first two days, now they became more frequent, which also meant that more of the campsites would be occupied.
Each day the tree colors intensified. The autumn colors were vibrant with all the red hues imaginable, even florescent. Our responses were similar to watching fireworks, breath-taking, with ooh!, ahh!, at every turn.
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| Photo by Debbie Braaksma |
We were headed to Marker 25.3 to camp when some canoeing angels let us know that it was closed. So we camped at 26.7. A wonderful item we brought on this trip was the solar shower. A black bag filled with water which sits on top of the load soaking in the sun so by day's end a luke-warm shower is possible. So refreshing even in September in the Northern Woods. Tally: Another bald eagle sighting and many small ducks that swim with their tail in the water and don't let us get close enough to identify them. People: We don't tally them after being spoiled with ZERO.
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| Campsite 26.7 |
Day Four:
We are completely away from any road noise. The river is becoming deeper and we don't scrape the bottom as often. The bottom alternates between gravel and pure deep sand. In the sandy bottoms, groups of River Redhorses are visible, a bottom feeding fish which can get up to 20 inches long. We glimpsed our first giant sturgeon in the sandy bottoms. The sturgeon seemed to be as long as our paddles.
Lunch was at Howell Landing (Mile Marker 16.9) along with a large group of Texans. We filled up with fresh water there.
We camped at 12.5, an overlook over a sharp turn in the river with grassy islands and beautiful evening views.
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| Camp 12.5 Photo by Debbie Braaksma |
Tally: River redhorses, sturgeon, 3 bald eagles, a great blue heron and green heron, deer, and a young common water snake.
Day Five:
Knowing we just had a few miles left on the river, we rose early in the morning and were ready to go. The river is wider and deeper with large expanses of sandy bottoms and less obstacles to maneuver. Lots of curled silver maple leaves floated on the river, accompanying us, like little boats. We disembarked at Namekagon Trail Landing (Mile Marker 4.8). We originally had planned to canoe to Riverside Landing on the St. Croix, but the Park Service said that the St. Croix was too low for loaded canoes. It was so good to see our truck sitting there and we easily loaded it and drove back to Hayward to get the other car.
Tally: River Redhorses, three bald eagles including immatures, Canada Geese.
Heading off, we were all thirsty and seeing an A&W we stopped for a Root Beer Float treat! What a great way to end a quiet river adventure!
Autumn Water
surface of the river
reflecting the lime greens,
neon pinks and Ruby red
smeared together
an impressionistic painting
surface of the river
ripples, swirls and dips
translated by the sun
into black and white mosaic moving patterns
on the sandy bottom
surface of the river
sounds of inexplicable drumming
when two hidden swans gain flight
glimpsed for seconds
Oh, their webbed feet, the drums!
surface of the river
delicately curled
silver maple leaf boats
floating, accompanying us
gently down the river
We are never alone.
September 22, 2020
Namekagon River, WI
