Destination Peshtigo

Destination Peshtigo video link:

Beautiful scenery, easy river access, and fun filled tea-stained class II-III whitewater (class III-IV at higher levels) for approximately 5 miles makes the Roaring Rapids section of the Peshtigo River a gem tucked into the Northwoods of Wisconsin. On this trip, the river was running high, approximately 32”, the highest I’ve paddled the Roaring Rapids section. It was loads of fun!

Photo: Peshtigo River group photo, Chad Lindgren, Marty Colbert, and myself.

The Peshtigo Roaring Rapids section features 6 main rapids, 1st Drop, 2nd Drop, 3rd Drop, Five Foot Falls, Horserace, and S-Turn. In between rapids, the river moves along over fun boulder gardens. Each rapid has several lines to choose from, simple to challenging choices. With easy access points and a quick shuttle multiple laps per day are possible. My group was river running this trip, but many locals take their playboats down this run and play in the holes and waves along the way.

Photo: Bottom of Horserace Rapid.

My favorite rapid is Horserace. There’s just so many choices of which line to take and it changes a little bit with the water level making it a new experience every time. Some of my favorite lines in Horserace rapid are catching as many eddies as possible, bombing down the rapid hitting the meat of the hole and most recently, surfing the challenging haystack wave at the bottom on the rapid. Each time I kayak this rapid I find a new favorite line!

There a few rafting companies and campgrounds on the Peshtigo. On this trip, my group of friends and I camped at Kosirs Rapid Rafts & Campground, a nice campground with multiple spots tucked in the woods next to the river. We also saw Kosirs guides taking raft loads of people down the river, must have been fun for them too with all the hootin n hollerin we heard! We also ate at the local Rapids Resort Bar & Restraurant, excellent service, good food, friendly atmosphere, and right on the river.

The local boaters exude their passion for their home river in their smiling faces and friendliness all around. No matter how many times I’ve been down the Roaring Rapids, each run is different and fun in a new way. The Peshtigo will always have a spot in my heart.

-Hannah Ray J

Link to AW – Peshtigo River
https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/2305/