See all 5 routes on Baraboo River
Wisconsin | South-Central Wisconsin
Baraboo RiverGiese Park to Haskins Park
Short connector from Giese Park into West Baraboo and the Haskins Park ADA kayak launch, useful as a calmer lead-in to the existing Baraboo Rapids route but still shaped by the direct Baraboo gauge and downstream riffle caveats.
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Route location
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Route overview
Trip details
Access rules, camping and seasonal notes.
Permits, camping and season
Access and shuttle
Launch from Giese Park and paddle into West Baraboo to the Haskins Park ADA kayak launch. The leg is short and mostly straightforward, but it sits immediately above the Baraboo Rapids corridor, so take out at Haskins unless you intentionally planned the separate downstream route.
Access map
Put-in
Giese Park canoe launchGiese Park has river access and seasonal portable restrooms but no overnight camping.
Take-out
Haskins Park ADA kayak launchHaskins Park is the cleaner public take-out and start for the downstream Baraboo Rapids card.
Road shuttle
Stage the take-out at Haskins Park in West Baraboo, then launch at Giese Park on Hatchery Road. This short leg is often combined with downstream Baraboo paddling, but Haskins is the planned finish for this route card.
Additional access notes
- The Baraboo map treats Giese-to-Glenville as a larger corridor with exposed-rock difficulty below 250 cfs; this card uses that as the conservative low-water floor.
More route and safety guidance
- The Sauk County / Baraboo map says the larger Giese-to-Glenville section drops 50 feet in five miles, creating riffles and some small Class II rapids in high water; stay conservative if levels are rising.
- Town of Baraboo prohibits overnight camping at Giese Park, and the banks between Giese and Haskins are not assumed public for stops.
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Conditions
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Station details and river cameras
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Measurement notes and coverage
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View at the gauge
Baraboo River Near Baraboo, WI. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
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Paddler reports
Recent notes from paddlers
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Sources and methodology
Review source dates and published guidance below. We have not inspected this trip in person.
Why this scoreData reliability: checking
This rating reflects whether the gauge measures this part of the river, whether published water-level guidance is available, and how recently the data was updated.
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Data behind the scoreWater levels, published guidance and update times
These readings and published water-level limits help explain today’s score.
| Gauge site | Baraboo River Near Baraboo, WI |
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| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 250 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Official data source |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Baraboo River paddling map Giese-to-Glenville low-flow guidance |
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NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Put-in accessGiese Park on Hatchery Road
Town of Baraboo says Giese Park sits at Hatchery Road and Rock Hill Road, offers Baraboo River access and summer portable restrooms, is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and has no overnight camping.
- Route continuationGiese to Gander, with Haskins as the better downstream landing
Wisconsin River Trips documents the Giese Park-to-Gander World route and says Haskins Park is 3.5 miles downstream from Giese, with a few rock outcrops and a few rapids before Baraboo proper.
- Official corridor warningBelow 250 cfs can expose rocks
The Baraboo River paddling map says the larger Giese-to-Glenville reach drops 50 feet in five miles, has riffles and some small Class II rapids in high water, and that flows below 250 cfs can make passage difficult due to exposed rocks.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-23274 cfs / 7.30 ft at 2026-07-23 05:00 CDT
This reading was saved when we checked the guide. It is not today’s water level. Check the current gauge and local conditions before paddling.
Verify it yourselfCheck the source links
Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.
Other routes nearby
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All 5Nearby routes within 75 miles
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