Fall Colors Canoe Trip
The Namekagon River is a peaceful river with beautiful scenery and is absolutely TEEMING with wildlife. Groups regularly see sturgeon, eagles, otters, and so many turtles. Each day you’ll paddle on calm, crystalline waters. Each evening you’ll set up camp, enjoy dinner cooked over a fire, and connect about life and God as the sun sets behind the trees. You’ll see just how rich life can be, how deep the bonds of friendship can go, and how awesome God’s grace is.
Ages: 11+
Trip Length: 4 days / 3 nights
Full Group Rate (6-10 people): $3100
Small Group Rate (3-5 people): $2100
About the location
The Namekagon Scenic Riverway is beautiful river in Western Wisconsin that feeds into the St Croix River. “Namekagon” means “place where the sturgeon are” in Ojibwe, and you are sure to see these impressive fish through the crystal clear waters as you paddle along. The river is also home to river mussels, otters, herons, and SO MANY TURTLES! Paddlers also frequently enjoy spotting bald eagles in the towering white pines and graceful aspen trees along the river banks.
Campsites are nestled every mile or so along the river, which gives the group a lot of flexibility in terms of how far they want to paddle each day, and often feature great swimming areas.
Trip overview
This trip is perfect for a long weekend adventure!
On the first day, you’ll come to Amnicon’s base camp to meet your guides and learn everything you need to know to be prepared for a safe and fun experience. We do a big campfire on our sandy beach of Lake Superior that night.
The next morning, we drive you out to the Namekagon and the adventure begins! Each day you’ll paddle down the river, setting up camp each afternoon. There is time to swim, explore, and play before cooking dinner over the fire. You’ll end each evening with a intentional and meaningful community conversation around the fire. After two nights camping along the river, we’ll pick you up and bring you back to Amnicon.
By the end of the weekend, you’ll have made lasting memories, laughed at inside jokes around the fire, dug deep into life, and formed meaningful friendships. It is SO much fun, and you don’t want to miss it!
frequently asked questions
What COVID precautions are you taking?
Amnicon Adventures are remarkably amenable to COVID precautions. You won’t interact with anyone outside your group, and all group activities will take place outdoors. We encourage all of our staff and campers to get fully vaccinated, and to follow CDC guidelines in case of known exposure.
Amnicon has successfully run wilderness trips throughout the pandemic with ZERO known instances of COVID transmission on our site.
Who can come on a this trip?
Trip participants must be:
- At least 11 years old on the first day of the trip,
- In reasonably good health,
- Able to lift and carry 30 pounds over a short distance,
- Able to swim 25 yards and tread water for 30 seconds while wearing a USCG certified Personal Floatation Device (life jacket)
- Able to walk half a mile over uneven terrain without assistance, AND
- Have a licensed medical practitioner sign a health form certifying that they are healthy enough to engage in the kinds of activities we’ll do on this trip.
Anyone with a chronic medical condition must:
- Be able to manage their own care without assistance,
- Bring all their own medications and supplies,
- Be willing and able to communicate with Amnicon staff if they’re not doing well,
- Have experience managing their condition during prolonged periods of increased stress & activity, AND
- Have not had any medical emergencies within the last year.
If you have questions about whether this trip will be a good fit for you, don’t hesitate to contact us! Call 715-364-2602, email info@amnicon.org, or click the button below.
What are the guides like?
Our wilderness guides are amazing, and you’ll love them. We send two highly trained individuals with each group. They will be at least 19 years old, and have been chosen because they have demonstrated an impressive level of maturity, care of creation, and a desire to connect with and serve our campers. They will be certified in Wilderness First Aid, Wilderness Water Safety, CPR, and have extensive training in wilderness skills, navigation, group management, and mental health first aid. We do our best to hire a diverse staff every year, and often hire staff from overseas! Amnicon does not discriminate in our hiring based on gender identity, sexual orientation, race, country of origin, or religious affiliation.
What are the bathroom facilities like?
Campsites have pit toilets that are often referred to as “Ranger Boxes”. They are down a path, out of view of the campsite. It’s like sitting on a toilet seat without any walls. It might be a little weird your first time, but once you get used to it, the view is quite nice! And no walls means they usually don’t smell bad. Every few miles along the river there are boat landings that have concrete outhouses.
Is there any portaging?
Nope! That’s one of the perks of paddling on a river.
When is this trip available?
ready for an adventure?
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