See all 6 routes on Pine River
Wisconsin | Southwest Wisconsin
Pine RiverCanoe Port 1 / Bowen's Mill to Canoe Port 4 / Seminary Street
Richland Center's official Pine River canoe-port corridor from Bowen's Mill at County AA through town to Seminary Street, with city/county access maps and a WRT route report tied to the Kickapoo River at La Farge proxy 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
Follow Richland Center's official Pine River canoe-port corridor from Port 1 / Bowen's Mill through town to Port 4 / Seminary Street. The river is approachable at normal levels, but the Kickapoo gauge is only a proxy and high water changes the character quickly.
Access map
Put-in
Canoe Port 1 / Bowen's Mill / County AAThe La Farge Kickapoo gauge is not on the Pine River. Check water visually at Port 1 and treat recent local rain or flood debris as controlling information.
Take-out
Canoe Port 4 / Seminary StreetStay with the city/county canoe-port chain for launches and exits; intervening banks may be private, muddy, unstable, or unsuitable for routine stops.
Road shuttle
Use Richland Center's short in-town shuttle between Canoe Port 1 near Bowen's Mill at County AA and Canoe Port 4 at Seminary Street. The official canoe-port map also supports shorter Port 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 segments.
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Access planner
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This changes launch and take-out logistics, not today's river score.
Canoe Port 1 / Bowen's Mill / County AA to Canoe Port 4 / Seminary Street is about 5.5 mi. Use the planner to compare shorter access pairs.
Additional access notes
- Seminary Street is the planned take-out for this card. Continuing downstream changes the route into a longer rural Pine River outing with fewer immediate exits.
More route and safety guidance
- Avoid fast-rising or recent-flood conditions. The Port 2-to-Port 3 reach has swift current and submerged-log/strainer exposure even though local groups maintain the corridor.
- The main Port 4 landing at Seminary Street is below the former-dam rapids. Scout this approach from land; the paddling guide describes a separate upstream floating pier and trail portage for bypassing the chute. Confirm that bypass is usable before launching.
- Stay with the official canoe-port chain and avoid private or unstable banks between ports.
Plan this paddle
Choose your trip times
No account needed. Check the selected access points above, then choose both dates and times. For an overnight paddle, set take-out to the following date.
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Conditions
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Gauge source
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Weather
Hourly forecast
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Short-route forecast
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Plan ahead
Tomorrow and the weekend
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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 La Farge, WI. This view may be outside your paddling reach. Images are periodic and do not establish safe conditions.
Photos and recent reports
Look for recent access, obstruction and hazard observations. Context photos may show a different part of the river.
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.
NotesPublished evidence and verification notes
These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.
- Official canoe-port chainPort 1 Bowen's Mill to Port 4 Seminary Street
Richland Center and Richland County publish the Pine River canoe-ports map, including the Port 1-to-Port 4 sequence and segment distances through town.
- Exact route reportCanoe Port 1 / Hwy AA to Canoe Port 4 / Hwy Q, 5.5 miles
Wisconsin River Trips documents the Richland Center route, route distance, gradient, put-in/take-out options, and Kickapoo-at-La-Farge proxy level.
- Proxy threshold140 cfs / 2.95 ft run; lower than 180 cfs preferred; 350 cfs high caution
WRT ties the route to the La Farge Kickapoo proxy, reports a 140 cfs run, notes the Pine is usually not too low, and user reports describe 350 cfs as high and wet.
- Gauge check during route review · 2026-07-16208 cfs and 3.28 ft at 2026-07-16 19:00 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.
- Local access supportCity-maintained Pine River corridor
Richland Center describes Pine River canoeing/kayaking, local maintenance, and several canoe ports for paddling access through the city.
- Segment hazards and Port 4 boundarySwift current and submerged logs between Ports 2-3; rapids chute below Port 4
The route report identifies swift current and submerged logs between Ports 2 and 3, and places the Port 4 floating pier and trail portage above the former-dam rapids chute.
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 Pine River
All 6Nearby routes within 75 miles
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