See all 5 routes on Kickapoo River
Wisconsin | Driftless Wisconsin
Kickapoo RiverHighway 131 south of Michigan Road to Ontario Landing 1
Upper Kickapoo headwaters day from the Highway 131 bridge south of Michigan Road into Ontario, with sandstone outcrops, shallow riffles, Class I current, and a direct Ontario gauge.
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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 at the Highway 131 bridge south of Michigan Road and take out at Ontario Landing 1 for a shallow, upper Kickapoo day above the classic Ontario-to-Rockton card. Use the direct Ontario gauge and do not launch below the published low-water floor unless you are prepared for dragging.
Access map
Put-in
Highway 131 bridge south of Michigan RoadThe put-in is a bridge access, not a developed livery landing; confirm shoulder parking and footing before unloading.
Take-out
Landing 1 / Highway 33 and County Road PLanding 1 is the start of the numbered upper Kickapoo access system and can be busy during peak season.
Road shuttle
Use a two-car shuttle from Landing 1 in Ontario back north to the Highway 131 bridge south of Michigan Road. The source describes a roughly 6-mile road shuttle, mostly along Highway 131/133.
Additional access notes
- KVR notes 2026 Highway 131 construction in the area with local access allowed but possible intermittent bridge closures; check current route access before committing to the shuttle.
More route and safety guidance
- Storms can raise the Kickapoo quickly. Treat the direct Ontario gauge trend, local rain, and KVR high-water warnings as go/no-go inputs.
- Expect shallow Class I riffles, snags, weedy bridge accesses, cold spring-fed water, and limited road access between Highway 131 bends and Ontario.
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Weather
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Station details and river cameras
Station observations
USGS measurements
Measurement notes and coverage
These are observations at the station. Water depth and current can differ along your trip.
River camera · USGS
View at the gauge
Kickapoo River at Ontario, 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
A few quick notes from people who were on this route recently.
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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 | Kickapoo River at Ontario, WI |
| Discharge | Checking |
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| 24h trend | Checking |
| 24h change | Checking |
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| Rain last 24h | Checking |
| Rain last 72h | Checking |
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| Preferred range | Needs paddler reports |
| Known low-water floor | 93 cfs |
| High threshold | Water-level guidance unavailable |
| Evidence strength behind the range | Local route guidance |
| Gauge observed | Checking |
| Paddle Today updated | Checking |
| Main source behind this score | Miles Paddled Kickapoo River III Ontario-gauge minimum |
| Gauge source | Checking |
| Weather source | Checking |
| Rainfall source | Checking |
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Route-specific reportHighway 131 to Landing 1, 8.5 miles
Miles Paddled documents the exact route, GPS endpoints, shuttle, Class I difficulty, and Ontario gauge reading.
- Published low-water floor93 cfs at Ontario
Miles Paddled says its 93 cfs / 8.9 ft trip reading was the minimum recommended level and that around 9 ft is preferred to avoid shallows while keeping clarity.
- Direct gaugeUSGS 05407468
USGS operates the Kickapoo River at State Highway 131 at Ontario gauge, and the route source links this exact gauge.
- Upper-route family contextWilton to Ontario seldom-paddled upper Kickapoo
Wisconsin River Trips describes Wilton to Ontario as a cleaner, faster, underrated upper reach with weedy bridge accesses, occasional snags, outcrops, shallow riffles, and a Class II set in the Oil City subreach.
- Official safety contextKVR / DNR gauge and hazard guidance
Wisconsin DNR says USGS operates an Ontario gauge for Kickapoo planning and warns about log jams, downed trees, and the Gays Mills low-head dam farther downstream; KVR warns the river is flash-flood prone and uses numbered upper-river landings.
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
More on Kickapoo River
All 5Nearby routes within 75 miles
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