Baraboo, Wisconsin, US

Hwy.12 to Hwy.113 (4.5 miles)

Canoeing on the Baraboo

Canoeing on the Baraboo
Photo by Thomas O'Keefe taken 06/27/10 @ 1530 cfs

Gauge Information

Name	Range	Difficulty	Updated	Level
BARABOO RIVER NEAR BARABOO, WI
usgs-05405000	500 - 2000 cfs	I	02h06m	307 cfs (rc= -0.4 )
	Likely too low for any reasonable whitewater. (Or . . . add a comment if you find playable waves at these low levels!) Gauge (609 sq.mi. drainage) lies a few miles downstream of reach. No significant tribs intervene, so it should be quite accurate for flow in this reach.

River Description

Removal of three dams has restored this stretch (formerly known as the "Baraboo Rapids") to free-flowing.

Generally gentle gravel-bed rapids in a wide, shallow riverbed may provide some local entertainment at the right flows. Specifically, the best rips (that I'm aware of) occur:
(1) at the put-in (within sight right upstream of Hwy.12),
(2) at the former "Oak Street Dam" site, where some minor playable waves form up, and
(3) near the Circus World Museum.
All may be viable as individual park-and-play sites, or the full reach may be enjoyed as a pleasant swiftwater 'splishy-splash' run for local novice boaters. (At the levels I have looked here, I have not seen anything which would appear to merit very far a drive for serious whitewater play boaters, but ....)

There is a very scenic longer reach upstream of the described reach which would make a pleasant flatwater float trip. This has been detailed in published canoe guidebooks.

Below is a fine bit of video (~7.5 minutes) from Tom Lindblade, running the longer reach. The video shows a stretch of rapids from about 2:00 until 3:25 on the 'counter'. (This is not the only rapids on the river, just the only significant rapids on the video.) You can watch the whole video, or (once enough of the video is loaded) click-and-drag the 'slider' to the 2-minute mark to view the (class I, splishy-splash) rapids.

Fun fact: Boat thru Circus World Museum property!