Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Billy and I just went on an 25-mile, overnight kayaking and camping trip on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway, just west of Madison, WI. It was such an amazing trip, we can’t wait to go back!

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

The Wisconsin River is a wide, shallow river with a pretty strong current and lots of sandbars. The Lower Wisconsin Riverway is ideal for a multi-day paddling trip, especially because there are no dams in the 92.3 mile stretch from Prairie du Sac, WI to the Mississippi River.

We always try to take a weekend camping trip for my birthday. This year Billy planned a trip to Yatesville Lake State Park in Kentucky. We were going to camp at a boat-in site, so I dehydrated a bunch of meals in preparation for the trip. On the Thursday before our trip, I checked the weather. The forecast said rain, and flood warnings to boot. So we scrapped those plans and decided to kayak the Wisconsin River instead.

On Friday, we loaded up the car and headed out. I wasn’t able to find a campsite, most of the state parks in the area were booked up. We decided to try Tower Hill State Park, just outside of Spring Green. Tower Hill has a handful of sites, all of which are first come, first served. Luckily, we were able to get a nice campsite and set up camp.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

We headed into Spring Green and had a great lunch at Freddy Valentine’s, a historic bank building that is now a bar restaurant. Then we drove around trying to find an outfitter that would be able to shuttle us and our kayaks. Wisconsin Canoe Company was able to help us out. They charged us about $60 to shuttle us and our kayaks from Peck’s Landing to Prairie du Sac. We planned to kayak 25 miles down the Wisconsin River and return to our car at Peck’s Landing.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

We returned to camp and Billy figured out how to fit all our gear into the kayaks. Here’s a complete list of what we brought. Most of our food did not require a cooler. The only things in our small, soft-sided cooler were a few beers and some sharp cheddar  (American Cheese is a good alternative, since it does not require refrigeration).

This was our menu for the weekend:

  • Friday Dinner: Tortellini with Dehydrated Tomato Basil Sauce
  • Saturday Breakfast: Oatmeal with Dehydrated Peaches, Blueberries and Bananas
  • Saturday Lunch: Dehydrated Chili, Pita Chips and Dehydrated Hummus
  • Saturday Dinner: Broccoli Noodle Salad and Pie Iron Grilled Cheese
  • Sunday Breakfast: AlpineAire Bandito Scramble, Cheddar and Dehydrated Hash Browns
  • Sunday Lunch: Leftovers (I had planned a Dehydrated Feta Dip, but it didn’t turn out. I won’t be dehydrating feta again)

I’ll link to recipes as I post them. It’s not necessary to dehydrate foods for a trip like this, but I found it convenient since I didn’t have to worry about food spoiling. Dehydrating food does save some weight, but without a reliable source of water (see cow below), you have to pack water anyway. Canned food would work just as well.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

On Saturday morning Amy from Wisconsin Canoe Company shuttled us up to Prairie du Sac. On the drive up, she gave us a lot of information about the river. We unloaded our gear, packed up our kayaks and we were off.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Right after we left Prairie du Sac, we started seeing wildlife.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

We spotted a Bald Eagle flying, and then landing in a tree off in the distance. We’ve seen a few Bald Eagles this summer. It’s great that they have made such a comeback.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

We knew we were in Wisconsin when we spotted this cow chillin’ in the river.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

We stopped for lunch on a little island. The river is really shallow, only 5′ on average. Our kayaks bottomed out a few times trying to get to the island. By the end of the trip, we got better at avoiding shallow areas.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

I sat on the beach and made lunch, while Billy hiked to the end of the island to check out a bird on the shoreline. It was an Osprey. We ate pita chips, hummus and veggie chili for lunch.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

After lunch, we set back out. A little ways downriver, we stopped off at Ferry Bluff State Natural Area for a hike to a lookout point that Amy had recommended. She said that the hike would take about ten minutes, but the bugs were so bad I think we did it in five.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Bugs aside, the view was well worth it. Breathtaking!!

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

We hopped back in our kayaks. Shortly after, we came across Wisconsin’s only nude beach. Did you think I was going to get closer for a photo?

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

As the sun started to set, we found a nice little island with a sandy beach to set up camp. We had the whole island to ourselves!

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Billy started a fire, and we got dinner started.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

We had Broccoli Noodle Slaw and pie iron grilled cheese sandwiches for dinner.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

After dinner we relaxed on a blanket by the fire. The sunset was gorgeous, and once it got dark, you wouldn’t believe how many stars were in the sky. I used the Sky Guide App on my iPhone to locate stars and constellations.

When we woke up the next morning, it was raining. We made some tea and coffee and hung out in the tent waiting for it to stop.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Around ten o’clock it cleared up, and we made a breakfast of freeze-dried eggs, hash browns & cheddar. It was cloudy with a chill in the air. It felt like fall day. We packed up and headed out to complete our last nine miles.

We paddled along the shoreline, checking out the wildlife on the shore. We stopped off at a few sandbars along the way.

Kayaking & Camping on the Lower Wisconsin Riverway

Shortly after lunch, we saw Peck’s Landing and our journey was complete. I’ll definitely be back someday, and maybe I’ll even paddle all 92.3 miles of the free-flowing Lower Wisconsin Riverway.

Some tips if you’re headed out to the Lower Wisconsin Riverway:

  • You can’t bring any glass – no glass containers, beer bottles, jars, etc.
  • Bring 1 gallon of water per person, per day. You may want to bring more if it’s really hot.
  • If you can fit a bundle of firewood in your kayak or canoe, bring it. By the end of the summer there isn’t much wood to collect for campfires.
  • You can camp on islands and sandbars in the Wisconsin River for free, but you can’t camp on the shore.
  • Select a sandbar that is 18″ above the river. A rainstorm upriver can quickly flood low lying areas.
  • Mark the shoreline of your sandbar with a stick. That way, you’ll know if the water is rising.
  • I don’t want to sound like your mom or anything, but wear your life jacket. Especially if you’re drinking.
  • Check out our packing list from this trip.

10 Dehydrated Recipes for Camping

Billy and I are planning a camping trip to Yatesville Lake in Kentucky. Our site is a boat-in site, so we’re bringing our kayaks. We’ll need to pack light so we can fit everything into our kayaks’ hatches. There is an access trail to our site, but we think it would be more fun to boat-in with all our gear. Our campsite is primitive, but within the state park there are also sites with RV hookups, hot showers and even a golf course. I keep joking that I am going to sneak off and take hot shower while Billy is roughing it.

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

If you’re headed out to the backcountry or you just want to pack light, dehydrated meals are the way to go. I am planning on bringing an assortment of dehydrated meals for our trip. I don’t want to weigh our kayaks down with heavy cans and jars of food. I’m dehydrating a jar of our favorite spaghetti sauce right now. It’s really easy, and when it’s done dehydrating, it will be small enough to fit in my pocket.

You don’t even need a dehydrator to make dehydrated foods. You can just use your oven on its lowest setting, with the door cracked slightly. If you don’t mind spending a little more, REI has some freeze-dried meals that are pretty good, though I tend to prefer my own cooking. I think the Mountain House meals are the best of the bunch. I really enjoyed their dehydrated eggs when I went backpacking in Sequoia and King’s Canyon National Parks. I just topped the eggs with some Taco Bell taco sauce and they were awesome. The Mountain House Pasta Primavera was decent as well. Another option is to find dried foods at the supermarket or bulk food store.

Readily Available Supermarket Dried Foods

  • dried tortellini
  • soup packets
  • dehydrated chili mix
  • ramen noodles
  • sun-dried tomatoes
  • wasabi peas
  • dehydrated onions (spice aisle)
  • dried fruit
  • oatmeal
  • cous cous
  • minute rice

If you decide to dehydrate foods at home, there are three rules you should follow.

3 Rules of Dehydrating

  1. Prevent Spoilage: Keep all dehydrated foods in the freezer until you are ready to head out. Oil causes dehydrated foods to quickly become rancid. Try to cook with a minimal amount of oil. Rinse greasy foods like ground beef with water before you dehydrate them.
  2. Don’t Mix Flavors: For example, don’t dehydrate bananas at the same time as onions – you’ll end up with banana-y onions and onion-y bananas. Nasty!
  3. Use the Right Temperature: Foods like meats have to be dehydrated at a higher temperature to make them safe to eat. Other foods like fruits and vegetables can be dehydrated at a lower temperature. Refer to the manual that came with your dehydrator for the exact settings.

Hungry yet? Here are some recipes that look especially tasty.

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

Dirty Gourmet has a lot of really good recipes for dehydrated meals and snacks including this Coconut Curry Soup.

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

Ramen noodles aren’t just for broke college students. Check out Dirty Gourmet’s Not Your Average Ramen.

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

These Maple Olive Oil Apple Chips look delicious as well.

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

Dehydrated Bushwalking Food has some great dinner ideas, including this Tikka Masala.

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

Check out this savory Roasted Red Pepper, Garlic, and Goat Cheese Rotini from Happy Tramper.

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

Or try this healthy Lentil Soup from Powered by Plantz.

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating  10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

Laurie Ann March authored two backpacking cookbooks. Take a look at her recipe for Sunny Garlic Hummus.

Backpacker’s Packable Dehydrated Salads look great if you can’t live without salad when you’re on the trail .

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

Their Spicy Curry Noodles look great as well!

10 Dehydrated Food Recipes for Camping & Backpacking, Plus 3 Rules of Dehydrating

This One Pot Vegetarian Chili mixes wet and dried ingredients and looks incredibly healthy.

Check out YouTube for tons of step-by-step videos on food dehydration.

Do you have any go-to recipes for packing light? I’d love to try them out on our trip!

Caprese Skewers

I think you’re going to love these caprese skewers. I make them ahead of time for camping and days when we’re out on my parents’ boat. They’re so easy to make, and healthy too.

Caprese Skewers - Perfect for a picnic, boating or camping!

All you need are cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil and toothpicks. If you’ve ever had a caprese salad, you know how well these flavors work together, especially when tomatoes are in season. I just can’t wait for the tomatoes in our garden to ripen so I can make these.

Caprese Skewers - Perfect for a picnic, boating or camping!

Caprese Skewers

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 8 oz container fresh mozzarella
  • small bunch basil
  • flat toothpicks

Directions:

  1. Slice fresh mozzarella balls in half. Rip the larger basil leaves into 1/2″ pieces. 
  2. Push a tomato onto the narrow point of a toothpick, then a basil leaf, then mozzarella, cut side first. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
  3. Keep cool until ready to serve.

Caprese Skewers - Perfect for a picnic, boating or camping!

Get creative and make these skewers with berries, mellon, pineapple, kiwi, peaches, mint, cilantro or whatever is in season.  You can’t go wrong with fresh ingredients.

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