Our original plan was to canoe in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. We would camp by the Little Missouri River and paddle in the park for a different perspective of the landscape and wildlife than those in cars or on hiking trails. Rainfall during the summer of 2022 has been hard to come by. We kept a close eye on the water levels in the weeks leading up to our trip. It wasn’t looking promising. The National Park Service suggests river…
About 23 miles Northwest of Bismarck is Harmon Lake, a 145-acre reservoir set on Otter Creek in North Dakota’s Great Plains. Since a lack of precipitation made the Little Missouri River too low to paddle, this artificial lake set among rolling grassy knolls and cycling paths was a good alternative excursion. It’s 1800 miles from Hartford to Bismarck across the US heartland. Hundreds of miles of corn and soy cash crops, peppered with industrial cattle farms line the highway as…
After our adventures in the alpine lakes of Wyoming and Colorado, we headed back East. Stops along the way home included Denver and Topeka for some sightseeing, no paddling. We added Kentucky as a canoe stop before the final stretch of driving home. We also wanted to add a river to our summer trip. This would be the Kentucky River. The Kentucky River Palisades consist of about 100-miles of blueway. The limestone cliffs are a part of a 450-million year…
After paddling Monarch Lake and before leaving the Grand Lake area, we had to spend some time in Rocky Mountain National Park. During our visit in the summer of 2021, timed entry is a requirement due to overcrowding in the park. We stopped in at 6pm, the cut off time for timed entry so we were able to roll right in. Below is a gallery of our Rocky Mountain National Park experience. This is another national park that does not…
On our way back East from Grand Teton and Yellowstone, we stopped in Colorado to continue enjoying the Rocky Mountains. In order to grab a shower after a week of camping we settled in Grand Lake, Colorado. This small tourist town is located near the Western entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park. Similar to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, Rocky Mountain National Park limits activities you can do with pets. By staying outside of the park, we were able…
After our paddling trip to Grand Teton National Park, we made our way North to Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is not a paddling story for us, but we wanted to share a photo gallery from our exploration of the park. Visiting with a dog limits what you are able to do. Dogs are not allowed in the backcountry or on hiking trails. Our visit within the park was limited to the major tourist attractions. Yellowstone Photo Gallery Our Park Highlights:…
After a year and a half of staying home, we knew our 2021 Canoe52 trip needed to be epic. We love Connecticut, but we wanted to venture far away into an environment that was much different than what we were experiencing day in and day out. With two weeks blocked off on the calendar, we determined we could squeeze in three states: Wyoming, Colorado and Kentucky. Our adventures in Wyoming began with a 3 day roadtrip to reach Grand Teton…
Knowing exactly where to paddle in Cleveland was a gamble. After several days of pristine paddling in the Boundary Waters and Turtle-Flambeau Flowage, we were not exactly sure where to check out. After researching area outfitters and message boards, we decided to explore the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio. This was certainly different from our two previous experiences. This was very industrial. A city set upon a river. A great city with a deep relationship with the Cuyahoga River. Cuyahoga…
If there is one thing you can say about Wisconsin, it is remote. The Turtle-Flambeau Flowage in upstate Wisconsin blissfully meets this description. After loading the car and disembarking, the number of people fishing on our paddle to the campsite was a testament to the waterway’s beauty. We were, however, fortunate to have most of our stay free from clamor of campers and the buzz of motorboats. The focus of our stakeout on the flowage was silence and scenery. The…
We did it, we canoed in the Boundary Waters!! Minnesota will forever be a magical place for me. I only spent 6 days there but I’m already scheming to get back. About 2 years ago we got the idea to visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Thousands of lakes only navigable by canoe in the remote wilderness of Superior National Forest in Northeastern Minnesota. We secured our permit on opening day of permit season in February and ventured into…
