Black River Falls Canoe-Camping Trip

Black River Falls is a nice place to canoe/kayak/tube and camp. To get there, take I-90/94W, and follow I-94 to Black River Falls. Exit 116 to Hwy 54, then turn left onto 54. Follow 54 past County Rd. X, and eventually turn left onto Nelson Rd. Follow Nelson Rd to the bridge, at which point you should park and unload. The drive from Madison is just under 2.5 hours.

The unloading spot is in heavy use; many companies that rent canoes/tubes will meet you here. To unload, go down to the river (for some reason, there is no ramp built to get to the beach, thus it can be a little tricky to get to the river, especially if it's muddy). Before you get in, you should have all the cars drive to wherever you plan on exiting the river (at the end or at the midway point). Then one person will drive everyone else back to the entry point and leave that car there for later pick-up. (Yes, this is somewhat a pain to do, but there is no other way around this. It will take about 45 min. to do the car shuffling.)

The scenery is beautiful. A good place to stop along the way is where the waterfalls are. They are on the right side of the river, about an hour from the entry point if you paddle slowly. (There is a big house up high as a marker. You can't see the waterfalls from the river, although you can hear it. Just look for where a stream empties into the river.)

The water was low this summer due to lack of rain, so at several points we had to get out of the canoe and push. There is still enough water at some points to do some fishing.

Along the river there are plenty of beaches where you can pull over and rest/eat/camp. If you are going to camp, a good place is just beyond the second set of power lines you will encounter and find a beach near there (it's close to the first boat take-out). Stay right in the two forks in the river en route.

Here's what to bring on the canoe-camping trip:
-Plenty of water! You do NOT want to drink the river water. Plan at least a gallon per person per day.
-Sunscreen and a hat
-Gloves (they can be fingerless) for paddling (after a while, your hands will ache/blister from paddling)
-Lifejackets
-Seat cushion/chair back (sitting on a canoe for hours will really hurt your butt! a cushion with a back rest, similar to those seen at sporting events, is a nice bonus)
-Bailer (in case you get water in your canoe; just cut an empty milk jug in half)
-Aqua socks or waterproof sandles (i.e. Teva)
-Bug spray and citranella candles
-Flashlight, lantern and matches/lighter
-Tent, sleeping bag (the smaller, the better) and mattress pad (sand is not that comfortable). Note that it is somewhat difficult to raise a tent in sand because the stakes won't hold. You may want to bring some twine to tie down your tent to a rock or log
-Trowel (a small spade/shovel) and toilet paper
-Hand sanitizer
-Food and beverages (cans are better because you can crush them to save room in your bag)
-A cooler to store the food and beverages
-Garbage bags/waterproof bags (to collect your garbage, and in which to put your stuff in case of rain/canoe tipover)
-Toilettries (i.e. Ibuprofen, toothbrush, etc.)
-Other things you may need but aren't necessary: plates/napkins, cooking utensils, small grill or propane cooker (if you want hot food; best to just cook over a small fire), towels, saw, hammer, Swiss army knife, foldable chairs, GPS, pillow, camera (there is some beautiful scenery), spare paddles, first-aid kit, football/Frisbee

You don't need a cell phone because the reception is weak, but if you must, use a waterproof canister for storage (I used one for my GPS).

Another note: This is a popular place to canoe-camp. Check around to see if some tour groups (i.e. Rutabaga in Madison) are going so that you can avoid them (or if you have no one else to go with).