Little Wolf, WI

River Description

The reach as shown is the "traditional" Little Wolf run. While this is certainly pretty, it does include a fair amount of flat/moving water paddling.

The reach begins with two miles of moving water interspersed with occasional class I-II drops. This is followed by nearly a mile and a half of continuous class II whitewater, which makes the scenic access paddle a fair price to pay for the fun.

Those interested primarily in whitewater may wish to abbreviate the run (to just 3.45 miles) by taking out at Cty J.

Below Cty J, the remaining four miles of this reach contains one drop, the Little Wolf Dells (class II). Rather impressive (relative to the scenery of the rest of the run), the Dells may seem a bit intimidating, with the expectation of challenging rapids. In reality, it is really not very challenging. It has a split channel entrance (either side works but left seems to carry more water) of perhaps 50-60 yards followed by a constriction between rock walls that can form some sizable waves, relative to flow. This is located just above the back waters of the impoundment of Big Falls dam. Take-out is by paddling across the impoundment (about a half mile) to the public boat ramp just above the dam.

The class IV (in the rating for this reach) refers to a "bonus" rapid, Big Falls, which is located just downstream of the dam. Most boaters will fantasize lines, but be content to secure their boats for another run elsewhere, as this river is often combined with other area runs.

For additional description, see Upper Midwest PaddleGuide