Friends of the Baraboo River
It’s Happening!
The Friends of the Baraboo River will soon be applying to the National Park Service to have the Baraboo River designated as a National Water Trail. This distinction is granted to rivers of special significance. The unique landscape and history of settlement by Indigenous Peoples and early Euro-American settlers provides a rich background for our application.
Critical to the success of this application are letters of support or resolutions by municipalities that grew along the river. To that end, the Friends has distributed template resolutions to county, city, town, and village governments. Please encourage your representatives to support the Baraboo River designation as a National Water Trail. We hope to have the application ready to go by mid July. Stay tuned
Early Spring Paddle
by Jeff Seering
Birds were the stars of the trip. I saw dozens and dozens of wood ducks, including several brightly colored drakes. Wood ducks like the Baraboo River but I’ve never seen so many on a trip before. They are skittish and usually fly ahead before you get real close to them. Noisy Canada geese also were part of the trip, noisily honking as I approached them. Their honks often set off nearby out of sight sandhill cranes to join the cacophony of sounds. While I heard a lot of cranes I only saw a few flying and a few along the river banks.
READ the rest of Jeff’s story by CLICKING HERE.
Paddling on the Baraboo River. It’s never the same twice and always a scenic treasure.
photos by Jeff Seering
photo by Demi Laskaris, 7th grade, St. Joseph’s School, Baraboo
“Kayaking down the Baraboo River can be one of the most peaceful experiences one can have. The sound of the water gently moved by the paddle, the gentle breeze on your face, and the sights and sounds of nature surrounding you can transport you to an entirely different world. As you navigate through the twists and turns of the Baraboo River, your senses come alive with the sense of adventure and exploration. The peace and solitude that come with kayaking down the river can be a welcome break from the daily hustle and bustle of life. There truly is nothing quite like the joy of kayaking down the Baraboo River.”
~Jeff Seering
“Paddling down the ‘Boo’ with friends is a grand experience!”
Photos: copyright Seth Taft, used with permission
The Friends of the Baraboo River Board has endorsed an effort to apply to the National Park Service to designate the Baraboo River as part of the National Water Trails System. This is essential to the Friend’s Vision Statement and something that will greatly benefit the region in many ways. This will be a year long effort. You can help by either donating to the Friends of the Baraboo River or by becoming a member. We will update you on the progress over the next year as this application process moves ahead.
“National Water Trails have been established to protect and restore America’s rivers, shorelines, and waterways; conserve natural areas along waterways; and increase access to outdoor recreation on shorelines and waterways. The Trails are a distinctive national network of exemplary water trails that are cooperatively supported and sustained.”