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East Fork Chippewa River Water Trail |
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Like us, rivers spring from obscure sources and flow toward unavoidable destinations. If the sea represents eternity, the rivers that flow into it are the twisting, bold, and unstoppable currents of time.
The East Fork Chippewa River Trail Guide takes you down the expanse of the river beginning at the Stockfarm bridge and ending at barker lake. The guide will navigate you through the winding river and provide an explanation for the wildlife you may find on your way. Below is an excerpt from the "At the Landing" section of the guide:
Click here to download a copy of the completed Trail Guide. (in PDF format 758k)
-Click here for further info and instructions-
-Click here to download reader directly-"Water was the first transportation system used by humans. Here in Wisconsin, Native Americans, French voyageurs, missionaries, and early European settlers paddled rivers, crossed lakes, marked portages, camped and settled along shorelines long before the development of Kevlar boats, bent shaft paddles or freeze dried foods. Perhaps luckily for rivers, humans went on to develop highways and airways, leaving many rivers to return to their wild and lonely state. When we launch a boat on a river or lake, we should remember the grand tradition we are joining.
Here on the East Fork of the Chippewa River, the sound of the wind high in a white pine may be much the same as it was 200 years ago however; the river has seen many changes. This interpretive brochure shares a few landmarks from the past and features from the present. The river trip takes about eleven hours, give or take a bit for wind and rest stops. It covers over 28 miles of river, from the put-in at Stockfarm Bridge (Forest Service Road 164) to the take out at the Chippewa Flowage. The map shows approximate locations for the interpretive stops and alternative put-in/take out sites. There are a good number of moderate rapids and one fairly difficult set at the outlet of Barker Lake. If water is low there may be occasions were a rapid must be walked (or a lot of boat hull scrapes left behind on rocks)."
Acknowledgements: The Basin Partner Team would like to thank Terry Daulton, researcher, author, and illustrator for this guide, and Bruce Swanson, retired Basin Water Team Leader for their work to make this guide a reality.