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.

Kayak Kewaunee Harbor and Shore

Calm to light wind from SW
4 hours, 15 miles

Rocky Launch on the Kewaunee River

I launched at 9 AM just to the west of the Hy-way 42 bridge, in Kewaunee at a small park with a boardwalk. After some searching, I spied a small, grassy area amidst the rocky shore to launch.

I had looked at Father Marquette Park, a one time beautiful, sandy beach, but now full of rotting Cladophora (Mermaids’ Hair)…as was the North side of the swimming beach south of the river entrance.

I found out later, the extreme southern end of the beach was clear of Mermaid’s Hair and would have been a great launch point. The public boat ramp on the west side of the Hy-way, North side of the river, across from where I did launch, was good too…no fee for kayakers at this time.

Kewaunee Harbor Entrance

I headed out to Sea to the sounding Fog horn and light a mile or so Off-shore. It was glassy calm, water in the 50’s, air 60’s. A ten minute paddle brought us out to the horn. Dozens of fishing boats were scattered about trolling for?? fish. I sat there in the calm water enjoying the waooooh of the horn and looking at the coast line a mile or more away. Just glassy calm. So calm that when waves rolled in from passing boats a quarter mile away, they just merged into the smooth water…it was dizzying.

 Off Kewaunee-Fog Signal/Light

Ok, I’ve done some contemplation, now what? I headed to 50’ clay banks 2 miles south of Kewaunee. I was leery of the boat traffic, but as I was broadside to them and the water glassy smooth I should be an obvious TARGET…to avoid. I was. The 6 or 8 boats that passed, all cleared by a ¼ mile. Surprisingly the beach was not covered with Mermaid’s Hair, so exiting for a leg stretch and camera reposition was not a wade through a stinky mess.

Erosion along the Banks S of Kewaunee

Paddling along the Clay Banks of Kewanee County was a nice change of scenery from Door County’s Dolomite Limestone. As I neared town, there was a couple launching kayaks…I wasn’t going to stop, but then saw the beach was clear and it would be a good place to get out and move the GO-Pro Camera. They had just launched when I arrived and What the Hey? It was Robin and Chuck! Two friends I had been e-mailing, but hadn’t seen for several years. They were going for a paddle up the North shore and invited me along and so we went, out around the Pier head Light and North along the shore about an hour to “Round-About-Rock”.

“Round-About-Rock”  3 miles N of Kewaunee

Paddling back we were surprised to see another yakker, well a yakker wanna be, as she did not have lifejacket, spray skirt or clothes suitable to being a mile offshore in 49 degree water. The Lake Michigan Mid lake buoy is recording 61 degree water, but water temperature on the Great Lakes is like the wind…use the forecast as general information and it is what it is where you are when you are there…got that? In other words, local conditions may or may not be aligned with the predicted forecast.

North side of the Kewaunee Harbor

At the inner Harbor, Robin and Chuck went back to their launch on a nice sandy beach and I went back to my rocky nook.

Once a Coast Guard Boathouse, now someone's Home

East side of Hy-way 42 Bridge

I bought a large bottle of water and scarfed down the Strawberry fritter and raspberry cheesecake stuffed something I had bought in Algoma on the drive down that morning. Exercise has it rewards…yumm.

Milwaukee Urban Water Trail

"Land was created to provide a place for boats to visit." Brooks Atkinson

Urban Trails

Milwaukee is a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from Sturgeon Bay. I have been curious about paddling the Big city for years. I was taking someone to the Milwaukee airport on Sunday, so as long as I was going, why not bring the boat and do an Urban kayak tour?

After dropping my passenger off, a nearby Duncan Donuts was calling my name, so I stopped for a muffin and donut. There is an observation parking area on the North side of the airfield and I went over there to eat watch aircraft and look at the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail Map, trying to decide where to launch. A white pickup with kayak racks was sitting a few cars away. After finishing my snacks I wandered over, introduced myself and asked if he knew where a good launch was. He paddled the area quite a bit and knew the area well. Skipper Buds on the Kinnickinnic (KK) River was good and had free parking/launching. He also liked the Bruce Street Ramp, there was a fee, but it was in the center of the paddling areas. I had been looking at Bruce Street anyway and he confirmed that would be a good place to start. On the way to Bruce Street, I drove past South Shore Park on Lake Michigan and stopped for a look. Lots of free parking and a nice beach to launch from….about a 200 foot carry from the street to the launch. The beach I would launch from was covered with Zebra Mussels, but no beachers to bother. I’m not picky about launches, basically if I can walk to the water, it will work for me. I will keep the South Shore Beach in mind for another time.

The Bruce Street Boat Ramp in Milwaukee, WI

When I arrived at Bruce Street…it is a small two lane concrete ramp with limited parking. There is a cost…$6.75. You can wade into the water to enter the boat if you don’t want to launch off the ROUGH concrete, which is what I did. I am paddling a fiberglass Sirius, which has its share or scratches and try to not abuse it if I can avoid doing so.

Resting on a log at Bruce Street



I did not have a particular destination in mind, I just wanted to see the area. I paddled South toward the KK River…Industrial is the word to describe the scenery. Steel walled docks, many different ships, tugs and barges.

Toward the Kinnickinnic River

After a mile or so I turned into the KK River…the scenery was more desolate, old dock materials and commercial buildings…graffiti…I continued up river, under the Lincoln Ave bridge and into Baran Park. The river now had green space with a natural shoreline, comforting to see. I made a short landing to adjust the GoPro mounted on the foredeck. I changed it from video to still shots and moved it aft of the cockpit, taking a photo once per minute. I swear there was a beaver house on the bank where I landed…a several foot high mount of sticks and mud about 10+ feet in diameter…beavers in the middle of a city? The next bridge at Chase Ave was inhabited, a squatter had a well hidden tent behind a piling and camouflaged with brush.   Shortly after the I-94 overpass the river is concrete lined and shallow…time to turn around…. Back tracking downriver, past partiers at Pier Milwaukee and Skipper Buds.

Southwest Marine Restoration



A security Guard at Southwest Marine motioned me over as I was photographing an old CG buoy tender sitting at their dock. The guard told about an old wooden boat that was going to be refloated on Monday…they had been restoring it in a floating dock. During WW2 it was used as a mine layer/spy boat disguised as a yacht and used behind enemy lines. After doing some research I didn’t find the name of this boat, but several boats of that type were built in Milwaukee during the 20’s at a Shipyard called Fabricated Shipbuilders for AMPS, the Army Mine Planter Service . At the next bend I was back in the industrial turning basin. Several tugs from the Great Lakes Towing Line were rafted up together.

Some tugs from Great Lakes Towing in Milwaukee, WI

Great Lakes Towing names their tugs after the US States and they are scattered over the ports of every Great Lake. Often a visitor to Sturgeon Bay was the Barge Integrity, blowing water out her forward ballast tanks and her tug, G. L. Ostrander, sitting in the notch.

Boat Recovery...powerboat style

After pumpout, use a forklift

Just South of the launch at Bruce Street the Coast Guard and a local Salvage Company were pulling a sunken powerboat from the water…maybe they had hit one of the many logs and pieces of debris I’d seen all day…only one side of the launch was usable because of several large tree limbs sitting in the eddy at the bottom of the ramp.

On toward the Milwaukee River…most of the old warehouses in the Third Ward have been converted into riverside condos with dock space. Milwaukee has done a cool job revitalizing the waterfront…it is clean, with a public walkway most of the way I paddled.

Canoe/Kayak launches have been incorporated into many of the docks near the restaurants and have steps down from the street, making it easy to stop for a meal. I don’t know what they have for sreet parking,  but support for all types of watercraft access and use on the Milwaukee River was exciting to see.

It was comforting to see a 5mph or no wake zone in the entire river and basin…most of the tour and personal boats I encountered were not moving any faster than I was.

Blurry photo of Tug Barry...sorry I was caught in a gust of wind

Last fall when paddling in Sturgeon Bay the Tug Barry motored in from Green Bay and headed through town…now it is docked in the Milwaukee River. I enjoy paddling in the swells and waves of Door County, but over the year I have paddled its 250 miles of shoreline several times over…this is just an interesting change of scenery and it is good to know that downtown paddlers have good support from the City of Milwaukee. I continued through the tall reflective building and past many waterfront restaurants, trying to not fixate on the wonderful tempting aromas…the donut and muffin I had before paddling was wearing off….I wish I had brought some cash!

Laacke and Joys on the Milwaukee River

Laacke and Joys was having a watercraft demo day, with kayaks, canoes, music and food at their waterfront store…It was nice to see many other yakkers on the river. A first time paddling couple in a canoe kept trying to ram me….3 close calls…not on purpose, but from lack of control. It was kind of funny and plastic boats don’t do much damage, we all had a laugh. At the next bridge I turned back downstream arriving at the Bruce Street about 3pm. A 3 hours sightseeing tour of about 10 miles. When given a chance away from structures the southerly wind was blowing over 25, so I’m glad there was shelter today.

Maybe Urban Tours are on the calendar this Summer

Lilly Bay Boat Launch to Whitefish Dunes to Cave Point

Kayak Feb 4, 2012

Whitefish Dunes State Park
Back on Feb 4 It was supposed to be up to around 40 degrees and it was.

I had wanted to finish hanging the 4th pair of planks on the Trap Skiff before I thought of paddling. A friend stopped by to look at the skiff on Saturday, so he was a welcome helping hand as I finished off the rabbit on the bow, then glued up the surfaces, hung the plank and fixed the 50 or so clamps along the 20 foot plank.

After finishing the plank, it was lunchtime and then I checked the weather forecast. Wind about mid teens from the west and temperature in the low 40’s….If I went to the Dunes or Cave point, then I would be on the eastern lee shore of Door County…perfect, little wind and few waves…I didn’t really want to be in any waves when the water is what 33 degrees?

After rounding up the gear and getting dressed for the cold I made it into the water about 3:30. Launching at the Lilly Bay Boat Ramp a few miles S of Whitefish Dunes State Park on Lilly Bay Road.

It is about a 2.5 mile paddle along the pure sand beach, then the shore becomes rocky until Cave Point where there are a few caves to paddle in if the water is calm, otherwise you might get a headache if you enter as there is maybe 2 feet of clearance above your head.

West winds about 15. I was on the East side of the Door Peninsula and so was in the lee of the land. As long as I stayed within a quarter mile of shore, it was pretty calm.

Air, mid forties when I left at 3:30 and near freezing at 5:30 when I took out.

The Lilly Bay Boat Ramp

The boat ramp at Lilly Bay is sanded in so only hand launched boats can use it. Since the water levels of Lake Michigan fell ten years ago the ramp has been unusable for trailered boats.

Waves were less than 2 feet, some breaking waves near shore and the shallow areas.

Pretty nice for February! No shore ice at all.

So I poked along shore, did some surfing on the breaking waves occasionally as I paddled along the 2 mile sand beach toward the Dunes. I tried to go up Whitefish Dunes creek which flows from Clark’s Lake, but it just wasn’t deep enough and I grounded into the sand. The water is so much clearer in the winter…most of the summer the cladofera are pooled near the northern portion of the dunes beach and as summer progresses that part of the beach is unusable and avoided because of the smell of decaying vegetation…rip currents often form toward the northern end of the beach and swimming is prohibited in that area as several people have drowned.

Beginning of the rocky shoreline

Continuing North, the shore is increasingly rocky with the land gaining in height. The limestone Cliffs of 20 or 30 feet are rare on the east side of Door County. Lake Michigan has eroded and beaten caves into the limestone, several of which are large enough to paddle into on a Calm day…I never enter a sea cave if there is wave action…helmet or not...I love my life.

Along the cliffs of Cave Point County Park ice was dripping down the rock face,… which I had hoped to see. I don’t care for cold water, so seeing the lake in winter as a different environment from summer motivates me to paddle in the cold. Most years the weather is not conducive for winter paddles…too much shore ice and temperatures way below freezing so ice is forming on your boat and gear…that is not for me.

 I posted this 6 weeks after I paddled…I’m bad…I just want to paddle and play