While forests make for great getaways to camp, hike, hunt, and fish, they also provide the setting for some very pretty and pristine excursions to paddle. Here in Wisconsin, we have over 6800 square miles of public forests - bigger than all of Hawaii (though with fewer hulas or Alohas). While most of these federal, state, and county lands are located in the northern half of the state, some are only 1-2 hours away from Canoecopia itself! Our forests offer wild and scenic rivers as well as bittersweet lakes, but also (and maybe most important) a welcome break from the mundane: paddlers seeking solace and solitude will find therapy away from houses and farms, cattle and crops, lawnmowers and motor boats, barrage and garbage. Sitting, kneeling, or standing up, you'll see the forest AND the trees - plus a whole lot of natural beauty. So, let yourself be a tourist in the forests and join Timothy Bauer, local author and member of MilesPaddled.com, as he travels around the room from the northwoods to the northwest and Eau Claire County to Kettle Moraine country.

Only two hours from Madison, Jackson County is arguably the most rugged and beautiful part of southern Wisconsin. Forged by ancient volcanoes and later bathed in the nippy waters of Glacial Lake Wisconsin, the Black River crosses the divide and provides a through-line between the glaciated and unglaciated parts of the state. Providing critical habitat to rare species like elk and wolves, it is also the ancestral home of the Ho-Chunk and where their tribal government is seated today. The Black River Falls area, at the center of it all, is considered by some to be "the Moab of the Midwest" because it fosters a smorgasbord of silent sport opportunities from paddling, hiking, mountain-biking, downhill and cross-country skiing - even scuba diving! For paddlers in particular, it's Mecca. Whether it's a flat flowage left by a glacier, the state's deepest lake made by an iron mine, or a lazy float down a slow river to canoe-camp on a sandbar, quietwater enthusiasts have a lot to choose from. But for those who like their water white, the options range from a taste-test of Class II rapids to a raging cauldron of Class IV whitewater. Timothy Bauer, self-described Jackson County zealot (who has yet to receive a single cent from the chamber of commerce), will happily share his wisdom and crack wise about campsites, best hikes, ticks, trips, hidden canyons, and water levels. Want to know about the East ForK? Or the triple crown "creekness" of Halls, Morrison, and Robinson? Come find out.