On our way up to Minneapolis for a paddle down the Mississippi River to do a little research for “Paddling & Pastimes”, we stopped in the town of Ontario WI. There we visited Tony Kelbel, owner of Drifty’s Canoe Rental, and kayaked a river I wrote about in the “Canoeing & Kayaking Wisconsin” book: the beginner accessible – and unforgettable - Kickapoo River.

The Kickapoo is the longest tributary to the longest river in Wisconsin: it flows south/southwest for 130 miles and ends by merging into the 430-mile long Wisconsin River. The Kickapoo features the most beautiful rock outcroppings we’ve ever seen on a river. You paddle by 12 separate rock formations on the short 2 hour trip (6.6 miles) that begins at Drifty’s Canoes.

Millions of years ago, the valley where the Kickapoo flows today did not exist. The sandstone and shale rock formations were continuous layers that stretched across where the river valley now is. Over time, erosion cut thru these geological layers, leaving a deep valley for the Kickapoo to flow thru. Most of SW Wisconsin was untouched by glaciers during the Ice Age. It’s an area known as “unglaciated” or the “driftless region”. Glaciers deposit sediment called “drift” which would’ve flattened or eroded these outcroppings, had the glaciers not bypassed the SW corner of the state.

Although the drive to Ontario WI is a long one for folks from Michigan (9 hours from SE Michigan), the beauty of the Kickapoo creates a memory well-worth your time.