Kayak Two Rivers, WI

Calm to light wind, water 50's?

3 hour paddle...Up the beach to Point Beach State Park and return.

Twilight arrives as the the sun departs

The next town below Kewaunee on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan is Two Rivers. There is a group of kayakers, the NE Wisconsin Paddlers that have been together since the late 90’s or early 2000’s.



They paddle off Neshotah Beach in Two Rivers. Neshotah, in Chippewa, is Nijode, meaning twins; or two families. The area was likely named because of the Two rivers that come together just south of the park. The paddle group has few choices of where to go off the beach…North, South on Lake Michigan or up one of the three rivers, The East Twin, West Twin or the Manitowoc River, the mouth of which is 5 or 6 miles away. I have been down there a half dozen times over the past ten years. The beach is great to surf. It doesn’t have a large drop off, so the waves just gradually build and are consistent for miles.

Here we are in TR

As with all groups it is in flux, for awhile they had over 30 people ONTHEWATER, now it is down to 8 or so. Like every group of SEA KAYAKERS, safety is a concern. When the group had their peak in numbers, new paddlers were coming without a clue to the hidden dangers that sea kayakers should know. Many didn’t wear life jackets, spray skirts or the correct clothing…like the saying goes; ignorance is bliss. Some of the experienced kayakers became concerned about the newcomers lack of preparedness and started paddling elsewhere. Yakkers, who don’t dress for immersion, place everyone they paddle with at risk. WHEN they get in trouble, the experienced people will be the ones saving them, possibly endangering their own safety in the process. There are several classes and training sessions during the year in the local area.

Heading North

Lucky for me the group in Two Rivers were late getting on the water, otherwise they would have been long gone before I launched. They meet at 5:30 and launch 5:45 …the earliest I could arrive would be 5:45 and on the water by 6, but it worked out for me, as one of the group was running late and had called to see if the rest would wait…good for me! We all left slightly after 6.

Coming back along the beach

Curtis, Beverly, Pattie, Lee, Steve, Jerry, Horst and me this week….I’m bad with names, but I think I have them all.

They paddle off an awesome sand beach. It runs from the mouth of the Twin Rivers in Two rivers for several miles north, then another 6 miles along Point Beach State Park. Last night there were several groups playing volleyball in Neshotah Beach Park, where we launched, otherwise few people and no boats near us, any fishermen in powerboats were several miles off shore.

Signaling our aerial scouts

We did get buzzed by two powered parachutes; they are regular visitors when the wind is light. I could imagine what a beautiful sight they had of the setting sun and our colorful boats below as they cruised the lakeshore.  They came down for a closer look when several yakkers were rolling.

Two Rivers Pierhead light
We went North about an hour, then headed back. I wanted to go to the mouth of the Two Rivers and see the pier head light, so when they landed I said my goodbyes and headed to the pier.

Maybe we’ll meet on the beach again this summer.