Tales of ambition, terror, rivalry, adventure, endurance, friendship, and love on the waters of the Mississippi River and beyond.In this collection, award-winning writer Frank Bures tells true stories as varied as the waters, weather, and rhythms of a canoe trip. From the terror of two kayakers who barely escaped the 2011 Pagami Creek Fire in the Boundary Waters to two young campers who experienced a supernatural scare in Canada’s Quetico Provincial Park in the 1970s to the author's own miraculous rescue, Bures shares varied takes on what happens when you push the river. The heart of the book is a telling of the lost history of the Paul Bunyan Canoe Derby, an annual 450-mile race run on the Upper Mississippi in the 1940s and 1950s that gave canoe-racing legend Gene Jensen his start—and which changed the course of modern canoeing. The tale includes the dominance of racers from the Leech Lake Indian Reservation, including many members of the Tibbets family, and the unacknowledged contributions of Ojibwe canoe builders Jim and Bernie Smith, whose design features are now part of the modern canoe-racing landscape. Pushing the River is an essential read for anyone who loves what legendary canoeist Bob O’Hara called “the sense of perpetual adventure” that comes in the seat of a canoe, where you never quite know what you will encounter around the river’s next bend. Read more

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South-central Wisconsin provides an impressive array of opportunities for all types of paddling, including some of the very best day trips in the entire state and even Upper Midwest. Paddling South Central Wisconsin, by experienced paddler and author Timothy Bauer, guides all types of paddlers, whether veteran or novice, through whitewater adrenaline or flatwater calm routes near Madison, Rockford, Janesville, Waukesha, and Milwaukee.This paddling guide is the perfect companion for those seeking "the rowed less taken." It describes the best times to paddle 60 diverse routes, alerts readers to each paddle's difficulty level and estimated length, and suggests side trips, optional trip extensions, and alternate routes to paddle, depending on weather conditions. Easy-to-follow maps, complete with GPS coordinates and driving directions, add to this book's high value. In addition, the author provides contact information on local paddling clubs, outfitters, and Internet links. Read more

From powerful whitewater that surges and gushes through rocky rapids to leisurely stretches that flow gently past wildflowers, this book profiles trips for beginning, intermediate, and expert paddlers. Paddling Southern Wisconsin will guide you down some of the state’s most alluring rivers, immersing you in its shifting landscape and infinite beauty. You’ll find: • Precise maps showing roads, put-ins and take-outs, significant rapids, mileage, plus a detailed description for each trip, so you have a good idea of what you will see along the way. • General summaries covering camping opportunities, water levels, shuttle routes, access points, canoe rentals, and/or shuttle services (when available). • Numerous additional sources of information regarding fishing opportunities, river reading and maneuvers, and special safety factors. Read more

With more than 200,000 visitors annually, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is among the most alluring wilderness areas in the country, unique because it is most often explored by canoe. Comprised of more than one million acres, the BWCAW is an exceptional combination of expansive wilderness, abundant wildlife, and fascinating natural and human history. Exploring the Boundary Waters is the most comprehensive trip planner to the BWCAW, giving travelers an overview of each entry point into the wilderness area as well as detailed descriptions of more than one hundred specific routes - including a ranking of their difficulty level and maps that feature the major waterways, portages, and the designated campsites. The book is crafted so that readers can design their own route through the almost inexhaustible network of lakes and streams. Daniel Pauly, Boundary Waters expert, worked with the U.S. Forest Service, the Minnesota DNR, and local outfitters to gather information about how to obtain a permit, the rules and regulations of the park, safety tips, and how to help maintain the ecological integrity of the wilderness. As engaging as it is informative, Exploring the Boundary Waters not only contributes advice on the pros and cons of each route, but also brings the reader a natural and historical context for the journey by offering insight into the pictographs, mining sites, logging railroads, and ruins one may encounter throughout his or her expedition. With its accessible and personal style, Exploring the Boundary Waters is the perfect guide for anyone - novice or seasoned veteran - arranging a trip to the BWCAW. A companion Web site, http://www.boundarywatersguide.com, presents useful information that can be downloaded for planning a trip, including gear lists, overview maps, and route updates. Read more

The Allagash Guide is like having a legendary Maine guide in your canoe!Are you thinking about taking a canoe trip on the Allagash River? Then you will want this guide filled with information about what to take, how much time you will need, where to start, what to do about your vehicle, campsites, and much, much more!These 104 pages are so extensively detailed about canoeing the Allagash River in Maine that it's like having expert outdoorsman Gil Gilpatrick along for the trip! With this guide, you'll start your first trip with information that would take years to accumulate on your own.Inside, you'll find extensive equipment and food lists that evolved over many years and will help you be prepared for a variety of tripping situations. Explore all these subjects in detail:Pre-Planning Your TripWhen to GoThings to Do in AdvanceEmergenciesPacking Up and Getting UnderwayWhat to EatCookingEquipmentListsGetting ThereA Visit to Allagash LakeYour ItineraryHow Much TimeA Sample ItineraryWhere to StartOn the WaterwayThink SafetyDealing with the WindDealing with BugsAllagash WildlifeFishingCanoeing with ChildrenGet Going EarlyCampingCampsitesThe CampfireSafe Water for Drinking and CookingInside, you'll also find a brief history of the Allagash, informative appendices of sources and recipes, and a FAQ that addresses common concerns about parking, bears, pets, snakebites, watercraft, and more.Feel like an Allagash expert your first time out, with The Allagash Guide! Read more

A highly personal account of the travels of Max Finkelstein as he retraces, some two hundred years later, the route of Alexander Mackenzie, the first European to cross North America (1793). Mackenzie’s water trail is now commemorated as the Alexander Mackenzie Voyageur Route.More than just a travelogue of a canoe trip across Canada, this is an account that crosses more than two centuries. It is an exploration into the heart and mind of Alexander Mackenzie, the explorer, and Max Finkelstein, the "Voyageur-in-Training." Using Mackenzie’s journals and his own journal writings, the author creates a view of the land from two vantage points. The author retraced the route of Alexander Mackenzie across North America from Ottawa through to Cumberland House, Saskatchewan, and paddled the Blackwater, Fraser and Peace Rivers, completing the trip in 1999. This route is the most significant water trail in North America, and perhaps the world."A ’must-read’ for everyone who loves wild places and the magic of canoes."- Cliff Jacobson, Outdoor Writer & Consultant"Past and present collide in this journey of discovery across the map of Canada. Max craves the extremes. He relishes in coping with what nature throws at him, punishing himself to find his physical limits and experiencing firsthand the inherent dangers in such a voyage. With Alexander Mackenzie as his guide and inspiration, Max finds the strength to carry on against all odds to forge poignant historical and personal links in this incredible cross-Canada paddling odyssey."- Becky Mason, Artist and Paddler, Chelsea, Quebec Read more

The New River is one of the most changeable and fickle rivers on the East Coast and also one of the most beautiful and rewarding. It attracts anglers, canoeists, kayakers, rafters, bird watchers, rock climbers, and those who simply enjoy the great outdoors. The New River Guide provides an indispensable overview of this untamed and scenic waterway as it winds through three states, including the bucolic South Fork in North Carolina, the ridges of Virginia, and the gorges of West Virginia. Both casual and hardcore anglers will learn of the best places to fish for smallmouth bass. Canoeists will find the most enticing sections to paddle, whether they prefer placid stretches or white water. Rafters and kayakers headed for Class IV rapids in the New River Gorge will find The New River Guide a must-read. This new edition for 2015 includes updated and expanded information on favorite float trips, fishing spots, access points, bass lines and lures, and river guides and other resources. Read more

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Take the path less traveled along lesser-known waterways. Some of the routes featured in this book are little known; some haven't been documented for as long as 50 years. The 15 trips range from two to eight days, involve all types of water, and are suitable for canoeists of all skill levels. Trips include:Wabakimi Provincial ParkSteel River LoopChapleau and Nemegosenda RiversWakami Lake LoopRanger Lake LoopDunlop Lake LoopLac aux Sables/Bark Lake LoopNabakwasi River LoopFour M Circle LoopTatachikapika RiverChiniguchi RiverTemagami's Canton LakesMarten River Provincial ParkSouth RiverYork River Read more

A comprehensive guide to Virginia and West Virginia’s best paddling trips with routes for every type of paddler, including access points, difficulty ratings, special points of interest, history and more. Read more

A heart-warming, thoroughly modern, marvelously illustrated guide, BoundaryWaters Canoe Camping is aimed at paddlers in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota and covers places to go, planning a canoe trip, navigating, selecting a canoe and rigging it out, selecting equipment, camping and cookery, traveling with children, and dealing with hazards--all brought to you by one of America's most renowned canoeing experts, Cliff Jacobson. This completely updated and revised edition includes more than 100 stunning full color photos, new product ideas, and revised appendices. GPS navigation information has been added, and a new chapter on solo canoeing details how to paddle, portage and pack these personal-sized watercraft. Also new is a section with sage advice from some of the top Boundary Waters paddlers. Read more

With gushing springs, clear-water streams, lush hardwood forests, and limestone bluffs rising hundreds of feet, the Ozarks offer enough paddling to fill a lifetime, including seven streams in the National Wild & Scenic Rivers system and three rivers protected by national parks. Paddling the Ozarks details 40 of the region's best paddling trips—classic floats, hidden gems, scenic lakes, and challenging whitewater. Waterways ranging from southern Missouri to northern Arkansas to Oklahoma’s Cookson Hills with year-round classics like the Current River, Jacks Fork, NF White, and Eleven Point make this the essential guide to paddling the Ozarks. Paddling the Ozarks reveals that what some call flyover country is better described as paddle-through.Look inside to find:GPS coordinates for every put-in/takeout Detailed river descriptions Maps showing access points and river milesLevel of difficulty, optimal flows, rapids, and other hazards Read more

A comprehensive guide to Virginia and West Virginia’s best paddling trips with routes for every type of paddler, including access points, difficulty ratings, special points of interest, history and more. Read more

Canoeing the Boundary Waters Wilderness: A Sawbill Log continues the story of wilderness canoeing begun in A Boundary Waters History: Canoeing Across Time, this time offering historical information about black bear attacks on humans, loon calls and behaviors, lightning strikes on the waters, the experience of a woman going into labor while canoeing with her husband, the sighting of spectacular northern lights, and reflections on the wilderness experience. All the while Wilbers reflects on experiences canoeing with his family. As in the first book, quotes from some of Minnesota's well known wilderness authors appear throughout the manuscript. Read more

New in this edition: Ten new routes, 64 added pages, updated text -- an essential purchase of a revised classic. Review of previous edition: The book is much more than a trip guide. Callan weaves in anecdotes from his own trips, so there's all the nuts and bolts info but with some good stories thrown in. -- The Journal of Canadian Wilderness Canoeing Ontario's Algonquin Park is one of North America's foremost canoeing destinations. Only a day's journey from the Great Lakes and much of the Eastern Seaboard, and 200 miles from Toronto, it's a paddler's paradise of spectacular lakes, rivers and marshes surrounded by maple hills and rocky ridges. The only way to explore the interior of the park is by canoe or on foot, where you will be rewarded with a chorus of wolves howling and the echoing call of loons. You may also see more of the abundant wildlife that call it home: moose, white-tailed deer, beaver, black bears, and more than 300 bird and 30 reptile species. This revised and updated edition of A Paddler's Guide to Algonquin Park has 64 more pages, 10 new canoe routes for a total of 35, new photographs by Callan, and detailed redesigned maps showing portages and permitted campsites. Callan has chosen routes of varying difficulty and experience, from easy to deep backcountry. Along with updates of information according to changes in park conditions, regulations, closed routes and so on, the book includes this essential information: Route difficulty Portages Campsite locations Put-in and take-out recommendations Alternative access points Updated list of local outfitters and guides Updated web sites and more. Kevin Callan has paddled Algonquin Park for three decades. His practical advice and lively descriptions are like having him sitting in the lead canoe -- and that would be an adventure. Read more

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Colorado’s diverse terrain and outdoor culture makes it a paradise for paddlers of all kinds. High mountain lakes and reservoirs offer flatwater paddling in the shadow of snowcapped peaks. There are stretches of river perfect for everyone: beginner sections for learning or teaching, quality Class 3 runs sure to thrill intermediates, and some of the steepest, most technical whitewater on earth. Paddling Colorado describes 30-40 trips in a remarkable variety of settings—from downtown Denver to the remote canyons of the Dolores River. Offering useful guidance on river access, hazards, and regulations, this guide shows the way to the best paddling opportunities in the state.New in this edition:• Stand-up paddleboarding• Whitewater parks, steep creeks, races, and river festivals• Winter paddlingLook inside to find:• Detailed river descriptions• Maps showing access points and river miles• Level of difficulty, optimal flows, rapids, and other hazards Read more