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10 Montello River: COUNTY ROAD J TO MONTELLO LAKE BOAT LANDING

• THE • FACTS •

Put-in/take-out County Road J/Lake Street public boat landing. See “The Flavor” for two intermediate access points.

Distance/time 11.7 mi/Allow for 5 hrs

Gradient/water level 2 fpm/There is no official gage, but levels are usually reliable. Call Rendezvous Paddle & Sports (608-297-2444) for current conditions.

Water type Quietwater and flatwater

Canoe or kayak Kayak only until 11th Road landing, then either to the take-out

Skill level Experienced

Time of year to paddle Anytime

Landscape Hardwood forest with tall sandy banks, lake paddling at the end

OVERVIEW This trip for the rugged adventurer offers a truly wild look and feel—the water is beautiful, clear, and surrounded by tall sandbanks, in a lush forest full of spectacular wildlife—and offers alternatives for access. Expect to see fish, deer, turtles, turkeys, turkey vultures, wood ducks, mergansers, ruffed grouses, woodpeckers, great blue herons, sandhill cranes, minks, and barred owls.

PADDLING ADVISORY The river has innumerable obstacles to paddle under, over, and around, plus a handful of inevitable portages, which is why this trip is appropriate only for experienced paddlers seeking a fun, out-of-the-way challenge on an intimate stream. If bending, ducking, twisting, contorting, plowing over, and occasionally portaging over downed trees in a meandering river are not your cup of tea, this trip isn’t for you.

SHUTTLE 7.6 miles. From the take-out, head west on Lake Street, then turn right onto CR B. Follow B all the way north to the intersection of CR J, and turn right onto CR J. Turn right again to stay on CR J. The put-in bridge is just after Water Street. Note: Because Lake Montello is large and the boat landing fairly inconspicuous, make a mental note or leave an impermanent marker before you head to the put-in so you don’t paddle past the take-out.

TAKE-OUT N43° 48.165' W89° 20.689'

PUT-IN N43° 52.555' W89° 24.304'

• THE • FLAVOR •

THE MONTELLO RIVER TRIP CAN BE BROKEN DOWN INTO FOUR SEGMENTS: (1) from the put-in to Ember Lane, where there are some houses early on, many tall sandbanks, and obstacles that don’t require portage; (2) from Ember Lane to 11th Road, where the river is at its most isolated, but obstacles are at their worst and you’ll have to portage; (3) from 11th Road to Lake Montello, where houses are sporadic and you’ll pass a large and loud family campground, but the banks continue to rise again in gorgeous sweeps and the obstacles are the easiest to negotiate; and (4) from the lake inlet to the take-out, where the water becomes shallow and mucky (but it’s only about half a mile). You can paddle all four segments or shorten the trip by using the take-out access points at the end of the second or third segments.

Put in at CR J on the downstream side of the bridge on river left. Note: This is a rugged access point with a steep slope leading down to the river. On the upstream side of the river is a spooky three-story building with just the right combination of grimy facade, broken windows, and detached wiring to make for a perfect horror-movie set. Also on the upstream side of the bridge is a raucous Class II+ rapid that can be run by climbing up the right bank.

Downstream from the put-in, the current from the rapid remains strong for 100 yards. If the water is low, you will likely need to portage around a partially submerged log; in average levels, you can ride over it easily enough. The river does reward the efforts it demands with clear water over a soft sand bottom, good current, lush forest surroundings, super-saturated green ferns, tall sand-and-clay banks, coniferous trees, outstanding wildlife opportunities, and almost certain solitude until the last few miles. The landscape could be easily mistaken for a national forest up north.

The only straightaways on the river are in the beginning, just after the put-in. At one, you’ll pass under an iron-truss footbridge that looks absurdly disproportionate since it connects the backyard of a residential house to the left bank. (Farther downstream, you’ll come upon another random truss bridge, this one partially submerged and slowly being swallowed by the river itself.)

The woods enclose you soon after that, and you won’t see signs of human life again for a few miles—and then only briefly. A forest envelops the river and banks, lending to a welcome simplicity and isolation. If you’re quiet and vigilant, the odds are pretty good you’ll spot a barred owl or two. In spring, expect to see merganser mothers huddling their ducklings. And you’ll lose count of how many deer you notice, whether leaping or lying on the grass in the shade. The banks will rise and fall, at times as high as 20 feet. Or sloughs going rogue will trickle off into the woods, never to be heard from again.

After Klawitter Creek enters from the right, the Montello River will begin meandering like it’s the last thing it has left to do in this world. Obstructions typically follow, most if not all of which can be successfully resolved without portaging but with some creativity and curiosity. It behooves the paddler to be flexible in every sense of the word. Preceded by a tire swing and small cabin lined by attractive riprap, you’ll pass a tall, sandy bank on the right just upstream from the Ember Lane bridge. There’s rugged but adequate access on the upstream side, river left (N43° 50.119' W89° 23.466').

One of the coolest visual effects on this trip is the number of submerged logs. Since the water is clear, they’re all visible—like seeing an X-ray of an otherwise muddy river. And since the bottom is all sand, the river’s depth varies, lending this trip additional exoticism. While you’ll see a few more houses in this stretch (though not until you’re close to the second bridge), the sand and clay banks are at their tallest and most beautiful here, many lined with pine trees. On the downstream side of the 11th Road bridge, there is an easy access on the right, made by much foot trampling from the nearby campground (N43° 49.269' W89° 21.918'). You’ll hear before you see the queues of RVs. (The owners of Crooked River Campground do help maintain this segment of the Montello and deserve thanks for their efforts.) But only after half a mile from the bridge, the river feels wild and isolated again. Briefly.