Elkhorn Paddler Trip Reports
To view reports from previously held trips, scroll down.
To view reports from previously held trips, scroll down.
Switzer Paddle April 19, 2025
By Dave Stawicki
Despite some hiccups in the past, this year's trip on the North Elkhorn from Switzer Bridge to Forks of Elkhorns was ideal. The flooding rains of early April cleaned out the creek and provided enough initial water that when we finally got around to putting on, it was perfect. So 10 of us got out the boats and headed toward Frankfort for a leisurely--about 4 hours--float.
Temperatures were warm and the clouds kept the sun from baking us (though I did get a head start on my farmer's tan). There was plenty of time for socializing with the new Elkhorn Paddler members who joined us for this paddle (they were also first timers on N. Elkhorn) and, since it's spring, we had our share of wildlife sightings. Canada Geese, Blue Herons and turtles abounded, plus the resident eagle in her nest and possible sightings of otter and owl.
Shawnee National Forest/Lower Cache River April 28 – May 1
By Aurora Rubel
What a great trip! Six paddlers/hikers attended. Except for one day when the sun came out, weather was threatening most of the time. We dodged it by referring to our weather apps and hitting the water at the right time. We paddled Dutchman Lake (Monday), and Devil’s Kitchen Lake (Tuesday), and Lower Cache River Canoe Trail (Friday) for a total of 14 miles. Dutchman Lake is a 118-acre gem nestled in the hills of the Shawnee Forest. The small lake has two feeder creeks (Dutchman and Grasshopper) which were also paddled. This lake has an abundance of hawks, egrets, herons, waterfowl, eagles and a variety of smaller birds.
Following the paddle, a short hike to the Dutchman’s Creek waterfall was done. Devil’s Kitchen is an 800-acre lake which has a kayak/canoe landing on a feeder creek, which we used to paddle to a large finger of the lake. At one point on the creek, we thought we would have to portage around a major log jam, but Virginia found a kayak-wide hole and we all managed to squeak through pulling ourselves through with tree branches. Lots of hawks, herons, an eagle, and waterfowl were seen.
We then headed to Giant City Illinois State Park to eat at the lodge with the intention of hiking after, but while eating a major rain/thunderstorm cancelled our hiking plans. Wednesday the forecast was for rain showers most of the day, so hiking was on tap,rain gear in tow. We headed to Garden of the Gods State Park for a magnificent and breathtaking hike. Lunch was at Hole in the Rock State Park a few miles away on the Ohio River followed by a short hike to see the “hole,” a very interesting cave on the banks of the Ohio River and watched a few barges pass by.
The Lower Cache River Canoe trail was our paddle on the last day. Unfortunately, due to politics, the Wetland Visitor Center is closed for the foreseeable future, but the canoe access was still open. The Illinois Champion Bald Cypress tree is in this section of wetlands. The Prothonotary Warbler is very prominent here and many were seen. After a wonderful paddle, we went for a hike at nearby Heron Pond Nature Preserve along the Cache River. This Preserve has a mature cypress with hundreds of knees and Cherrybark oak trees. We were able to photograph a water moccasin resting on a branch near a boardwalk. Every evening, we did potluck meals at the campground and ended the day with chats around the firepit.
Participants: Dan, Nancy, Jack, Virginia, Mike, and me.
By Aurora Rubel
What a great trip! Six paddlers/hikers attended. Except for one day when the sun came out, weather was threatening most of the time. We dodged it by referring to our weather apps and hitting the water at the right time. We paddled Dutchman Lake (Monday), and Devil’s Kitchen Lake (Tuesday), and Lower Cache River Canoe Trail (Friday) for a total of 14 miles. Dutchman Lake is a 118-acre gem nestled in the hills of the Shawnee Forest. The small lake has two feeder creeks (Dutchman and Grasshopper) which were also paddled. This lake has an abundance of hawks, egrets, herons, waterfowl, eagles and a variety of smaller birds.
Following the paddle, a short hike to the Dutchman’s Creek waterfall was done. Devil’s Kitchen is an 800-acre lake which has a kayak/canoe landing on a feeder creek, which we used to paddle to a large finger of the lake. At one point on the creek, we thought we would have to portage around a major log jam, but Virginia found a kayak-wide hole and we all managed to squeak through pulling ourselves through with tree branches. Lots of hawks, herons, an eagle, and waterfowl were seen.
We then headed to Giant City Illinois State Park to eat at the lodge with the intention of hiking after, but while eating a major rain/thunderstorm cancelled our hiking plans. Wednesday the forecast was for rain showers most of the day, so hiking was on tap,rain gear in tow. We headed to Garden of the Gods State Park for a magnificent and breathtaking hike. Lunch was at Hole in the Rock State Park a few miles away on the Ohio River followed by a short hike to see the “hole,” a very interesting cave on the banks of the Ohio River and watched a few barges pass by.
The Lower Cache River Canoe trail was our paddle on the last day. Unfortunately, due to politics, the Wetland Visitor Center is closed for the foreseeable future, but the canoe access was still open. The Illinois Champion Bald Cypress tree is in this section of wetlands. The Prothonotary Warbler is very prominent here and many were seen. After a wonderful paddle, we went for a hike at nearby Heron Pond Nature Preserve along the Cache River. This Preserve has a mature cypress with hundreds of knees and Cherrybark oak trees. We were able to photograph a water moccasin resting on a branch near a boardwalk. Every evening, we did potluck meals at the campground and ended the day with chats around the firepit.
Participants: Dan, Nancy, Jack, Virginia, Mike, and me.
Middle Red River May 4, 2025
By Dave Stawicki
Sixth time is a charm!
My Red River trips have suffered pressure in coming about over the last several years:
• 2020 - COVID, trip cancelled
• 2021 - a road washout caused us to lose parking at put-in, trip cancelled
• 2022 - water level too high, trip cancelled
• 2023 - water level too low, trip relocated
• 2024 - water level too low, trip relocated
Despite this being my “Derby Day trip,” this year I scheduled for the day after Derby. This became a roller-coaster ride as river levels went up, then down, then last minute rains (you watched the Derby, right?) which caused indecision as to whether this would be the 6th consecutive cancellation. As the rains increased levels in rivers and creeks all around us, it somehow left the Red to its own devices.
Ultimately, 4 staunch paddlers agreed to a last-minute decision (read: 7 a.m. the morning of the paddle!) and were rewarded with near-excellent conditions for our paddle. Water level was great for a relaxing float, skies kept switching between clouds and sun, temps were lower than normal but still comfortable. Once on the water we were able to relax, float with little effort, socialize and watch the majesty of Red River Gorge fill our eyes. Trees were greening, there was an abundance of birds and even a few turtles made an appearance. Plus the immediately previous bad weather kept many casual visitors away, giving us the river all to ourselves (did not see another paddler on the river, or at put-in or take-out; possibly WE were the weird ones) both on & off the water.
Whereas I can't recommend challenging the weather forecasters at all times, the chance paid off for us in 2025. Now that the cancellation streak is over, I am hoping I can get back to an annual float on this river.
By Dave Stawicki
Sixth time is a charm!
My Red River trips have suffered pressure in coming about over the last several years:
• 2020 - COVID, trip cancelled
• 2021 - a road washout caused us to lose parking at put-in, trip cancelled
• 2022 - water level too high, trip cancelled
• 2023 - water level too low, trip relocated
• 2024 - water level too low, trip relocated
Despite this being my “Derby Day trip,” this year I scheduled for the day after Derby. This became a roller-coaster ride as river levels went up, then down, then last minute rains (you watched the Derby, right?) which caused indecision as to whether this would be the 6th consecutive cancellation. As the rains increased levels in rivers and creeks all around us, it somehow left the Red to its own devices.
Ultimately, 4 staunch paddlers agreed to a last-minute decision (read: 7 a.m. the morning of the paddle!) and were rewarded with near-excellent conditions for our paddle. Water level was great for a relaxing float, skies kept switching between clouds and sun, temps were lower than normal but still comfortable. Once on the water we were able to relax, float with little effort, socialize and watch the majesty of Red River Gorge fill our eyes. Trees were greening, there was an abundance of birds and even a few turtles made an appearance. Plus the immediately previous bad weather kept many casual visitors away, giving us the river all to ourselves (did not see another paddler on the river, or at put-in or take-out; possibly WE were the weird ones) both on & off the water.
Whereas I can't recommend challenging the weather forecasters at all times, the chance paid off for us in 2025. Now that the cancellation streak is over, I am hoping I can get back to an annual float on this river.
Mother’s Day Trip Sunday May 11, 2025
By Nancy Moore
For the second year in a row, we had perfect weather and perfect water levels for the Mother's Day trip on Elkhorn Creek. Twelve kayakers set off from the big parking area at Elkhorn Acres, but quite soon a big root ball rose up and dumped one of us. It was really a matter of two boats trying to occupy the same space. During our lunch stop we were entertained by an eagle that flew two big circles right above us and then was attacked by a hawk.
A tree snuck out and dumped another paddler in the second half of the trip. It was getting hot by then and we almost envied him the quick cooling off. The takeout at the small ramp at Still Waters Campground still had some mud from the big flood and was a bit tricky, but thankfully nobody got unintentionally cooled off there.
There were few other people on the creek, mostly fishermen, making this a great time to be out there. We still had 12 people at the end thanks to the great sweeping efforts of George and Monica, and no accidents on the muddy ramp due to Bob's great help at takeout. See you all next Mother's Day!
By Nancy Moore
For the second year in a row, we had perfect weather and perfect water levels for the Mother's Day trip on Elkhorn Creek. Twelve kayakers set off from the big parking area at Elkhorn Acres, but quite soon a big root ball rose up and dumped one of us. It was really a matter of two boats trying to occupy the same space. During our lunch stop we were entertained by an eagle that flew two big circles right above us and then was attacked by a hawk.
A tree snuck out and dumped another paddler in the second half of the trip. It was getting hot by then and we almost envied him the quick cooling off. The takeout at the small ramp at Still Waters Campground still had some mud from the big flood and was a bit tricky, but thankfully nobody got unintentionally cooled off there.
There were few other people on the creek, mostly fishermen, making this a great time to be out there. We still had 12 people at the end thanks to the great sweeping efforts of George and Monica, and no accidents on the muddy ramp due to Bob's great help at takeout. See you all next Mother's Day!
2024 Trip Reports
We are pleased to share that we had 17 cruises in 2024--at least one a month from April to October! Below are a few of the trip reports. Enjoy!
Switzer Paddle
April 13, 2024
By Dave Stawicki
April showers bring.... well, you know. The North Fork of Elkhorn Creek was flowing low & slow for early April before a series of storms came through to help fill the creek. Actually, it was too full. As the creek began to rise, it quickly reached a level uncomfortable for some of our participants who chose discretion over valor and politely chose to wait for a better weekend.
Ultimately seven undaunted paddlers arrived at the put-in to find the water rolling at close to 1000cfs (150-300 is normal for this time of year) and two more decided to forego the paddle. So, five paddlers determined to end the winter paddling hiatus got their gear and braved the put-in to test the creek. (A shout out to those who declined to join us -- they graciously helped run shuttle for our float. Muchos gracias, amigas!)
Those who chose to go were long-time paddlers with much experience so, once in the water, they found no issues with the flow. The first half of our paddle was pretty much just a float along the creek powered mainly by the flow. As we got to the second half, the water became more "choppy" causing us to be more aware of our path. Nevertheless, we still had time to point out sights like the eagle nest, some wildflowers and our usual landmarks as we passed them. In all, the 8-mile float was completed in under 2 hours. After an uneventful take-out, our trip concluded with no spills or other exciting events.
Reelfoot Lake
April 22-25, 2024
By Aurora Rubel
Four paddlers spent 4 days kayaking all the trails through the swamp at Reelfoot Lake Wildlife Management Area, in western Tennessee. On the Glory Hole trail, we saw lots of huge beaver lodges and a nesting eagle sitting on its nest amid a huge cypress. At Goose Pen, there were many muskrat lodges. It was windy on the day we did Goose Pen so the lake crossing from one leg of the trail to the other was a bit scary with a stiff cross wind, but paddling in the swamp was smooth with no white caps. West Boat House provided several sightings of eagles and another nest.
On the fourth day, we ventured to an unmarked trail which we saw from one of the access roads and found many Great White Egrets which lead the way down the channel as we followed. The canoe trails are well marked with arrows and diamonds and maps are available at the Visitors Center. As last year after the paddles, I lit up the fire pit to sit around while watching the sunset across the lake. Attendees: Aurora, Mike, Derrick and Becky.
Red River Paddle
May 5, 2024
By Dave Stawicki
Make it Year 5 - five years now since I've last been able to lead this trip. This year it was low water and bad forecast conditions. Despite some light rain early in the week and a call for rain on Friday and the Saturday of the trip, it was not enough to boost the flow to meet our needs. And the Saturday rain forecast did not help.
Because of this, I offered a change to float on the main stem of Elkhorn Creek, a short substitute from Knight's Bridge to Peaks Mill bridge. Two of my original sign-ups decided to brave the rain and joined me for what turned out to be a pleasant float down the creek. Needless to say, the rain never materialized; this portion of the creek had enough water flowing to keep us in the boats with minimal scraping and the cloudy skies kept the sun from beating down on us. So with little effort or discomfort we put our boats in the water and discussed a wide range of topics until we eventually reached our destination. Highlights of this trip were the turtles, geese & goslings and an owl that flew across the creek just in front of us.
It is still not the Red, but it was a morning on the water and allowed us to make our afternoon appearances at Derby parties. And they say Mystic Dan was the big winner that day.
We are pleased to share that we had 17 cruises in 2024--at least one a month from April to October! Below are a few of the trip reports. Enjoy!
Switzer Paddle
April 13, 2024
By Dave Stawicki
April showers bring.... well, you know. The North Fork of Elkhorn Creek was flowing low & slow for early April before a series of storms came through to help fill the creek. Actually, it was too full. As the creek began to rise, it quickly reached a level uncomfortable for some of our participants who chose discretion over valor and politely chose to wait for a better weekend.
Ultimately seven undaunted paddlers arrived at the put-in to find the water rolling at close to 1000cfs (150-300 is normal for this time of year) and two more decided to forego the paddle. So, five paddlers determined to end the winter paddling hiatus got their gear and braved the put-in to test the creek. (A shout out to those who declined to join us -- they graciously helped run shuttle for our float. Muchos gracias, amigas!)
Those who chose to go were long-time paddlers with much experience so, once in the water, they found no issues with the flow. The first half of our paddle was pretty much just a float along the creek powered mainly by the flow. As we got to the second half, the water became more "choppy" causing us to be more aware of our path. Nevertheless, we still had time to point out sights like the eagle nest, some wildflowers and our usual landmarks as we passed them. In all, the 8-mile float was completed in under 2 hours. After an uneventful take-out, our trip concluded with no spills or other exciting events.
Reelfoot Lake
April 22-25, 2024
By Aurora Rubel
Four paddlers spent 4 days kayaking all the trails through the swamp at Reelfoot Lake Wildlife Management Area, in western Tennessee. On the Glory Hole trail, we saw lots of huge beaver lodges and a nesting eagle sitting on its nest amid a huge cypress. At Goose Pen, there were many muskrat lodges. It was windy on the day we did Goose Pen so the lake crossing from one leg of the trail to the other was a bit scary with a stiff cross wind, but paddling in the swamp was smooth with no white caps. West Boat House provided several sightings of eagles and another nest.
On the fourth day, we ventured to an unmarked trail which we saw from one of the access roads and found many Great White Egrets which lead the way down the channel as we followed. The canoe trails are well marked with arrows and diamonds and maps are available at the Visitors Center. As last year after the paddles, I lit up the fire pit to sit around while watching the sunset across the lake. Attendees: Aurora, Mike, Derrick and Becky.
Red River Paddle
May 5, 2024
By Dave Stawicki
Make it Year 5 - five years now since I've last been able to lead this trip. This year it was low water and bad forecast conditions. Despite some light rain early in the week and a call for rain on Friday and the Saturday of the trip, it was not enough to boost the flow to meet our needs. And the Saturday rain forecast did not help.
Because of this, I offered a change to float on the main stem of Elkhorn Creek, a short substitute from Knight's Bridge to Peaks Mill bridge. Two of my original sign-ups decided to brave the rain and joined me for what turned out to be a pleasant float down the creek. Needless to say, the rain never materialized; this portion of the creek had enough water flowing to keep us in the boats with minimal scraping and the cloudy skies kept the sun from beating down on us. So with little effort or discomfort we put our boats in the water and discussed a wide range of topics until we eventually reached our destination. Highlights of this trip were the turtles, geese & goslings and an owl that flew across the creek just in front of us.
It is still not the Red, but it was a morning on the water and allowed us to make our afternoon appearances at Derby parties. And they say Mystic Dan was the big winner that day.
Mother’s Day Elkhorn Trip
May 12, 2024
By Nancy Moore
After having no water for this trip last year, this year we were blessed with perfect weather and perfect water for 8 paddlers on this 11.5 mile trip down Elkhorn, ending at Stil Waters Campground. The creek wasn't nearly as crowded as usual. Leader Nancy got 2 separate photos of turtles stacked up on another turtle's back.
Elkhorn Beginner Paddle
June 1, 2024
By Dave Stawicki
After a dry 2023, the annual Elkhorn Beginner Paddle returned with a vengeance. 18 paddlers signed up for this event plus we added 2 more at put-in. Additionally, we had 5 paddlers new to the club, and 1 boat for sale.
The day was excellent with a little cloud cover to keep the sun from baking us and an excellent water level to make paddling more relaxing and enjoyable. However we did have an inauspicious start to the day. Two of our paddlers rented boats from Canoe Kentucky, were dropped off while the shuttle was being run and were sent downstream before we could catch them in our flotilla. Not to worry though, we did find them about 2 miles downstream when we stopped for a snack. After introductions, they joined our group and continued downstream.
The creek was busy this day as many paddlers had come out to enjoy the day on the water. So we had interaction with other paddlers during our paddle. Of course this caused another moment of concern when we stopped for a break & swim only to find out one of our group was missing. Turns out she was paddling along, talking with someone from another group when our sweep (who shall remain nameless) passed her by and kept up with the main group. Luckily we stopped long enough for her to rejoin us for the break and the remainder of the trip.
After the stop, the leader traded out his 'boat for sale' to another paddler getting a longer lake kayak in return. (Got to say I probably will not be buying a lake kayak in the future.) For the record, there was some interest in the sale boat and it has found a new and loving home. As usual, turtles were common along the creek banks as were blue herons and other small birds. An osprey was spotted near the fish hatchery, looking for an easy meal no doubt.
For those familiar with the main stem of the Elkhorn there is a "choke point" at about the 3/4 mark that catches many paddlers, especially those in larger groups, by surprise. In trying to get through there were 2 or 3 groundings and 1 flip (the leader in the lake kayak if you haven't guessed). However, all made it through and finished at Still Waters Campground for the end of a relaxing paddle day.
300 Springs
July 20, 2024
By Pat Brennan
Mike and Cathy Moser led us down the Green River to 300 Springs for a great day on the water. We met at the Burger King in Elizabethtown to start our journey. There were 12 paddlers in all, including a few new faces.
A young lady named Jamie did the whole 11 miles on a standup paddle board. It was fun to watch her skillfully navigate the river. Mike demonstrated standup canoeing. The 300 Springs were flowing beautifully, so we stopped there for a while. We saw a huge eagle's nest and made it safely past a downed tree at the island where we stopped for lunch and a swim.
The put-in at Lynn Camp Launch is now findable on the GPS, which is nice. There is a gentleman there who provides shuttle service and maintains the put-in. We paid 5$ each for the put-in and chipped in a shuttle for the two drivers who brought the rest of us back from Rio take-out. That allows us to leave all our cars at the end of our trip.
Weather was good, the water level was high enough to keep the current moving along. Much better than last year's July trip!
July 20, 2024
By Pat Brennan
Mike and Cathy Moser led us down the Green River to 300 Springs for a great day on the water. We met at the Burger King in Elizabethtown to start our journey. There were 12 paddlers in all, including a few new faces.
A young lady named Jamie did the whole 11 miles on a standup paddle board. It was fun to watch her skillfully navigate the river. Mike demonstrated standup canoeing. The 300 Springs were flowing beautifully, so we stopped there for a while. We saw a huge eagle's nest and made it safely past a downed tree at the island where we stopped for lunch and a swim.
The put-in at Lynn Camp Launch is now findable on the GPS, which is nice. There is a gentleman there who provides shuttle service and maintains the put-in. We paid 5$ each for the put-in and chipped in a shuttle for the two drivers who brought the rest of us back from Rio take-out. That allows us to leave all our cars at the end of our trip.
Weather was good, the water level was high enough to keep the current moving along. Much better than last year's July trip!
Clifton Ramp to Lock 5 on Ky River
August 22, 2024
By Nancy Moore
Seven paddlers set off from the newly refurbished Fish & Wildlife ramp at Clifton, which is on the Kentucky River between Frankfort and Versailles, on a sunny Thursday during that cool week we had in August. We got out at the bottom of the old Lock 5 that's no longer in use and had lunch on the giant sandy gravel bar. The dam there makes such a pretty background. Most of the group waded in the shallow water there with only trip leader Nancy taking a swim. The only boat we saw the whole trip was one jet ski.
Harvest Moon Float
September 17, 2024
By Monica Stoch
Our evening paddle to watch the Harvest Moon rise was beautiful! A few of us launched our kayaks onto Mill Creek Lake, near Natural Bridge State Park, to watch the (almost full) moon rise. We enjoyed paddling on the glassy-smooth lake, listening to the whippoorwill, and seeing the bats darting and swooping overhead. The highlight was watching the moonglow slowly expand and brighten as the moon emerged from behind the trees.
Ft. Boonesborough to Proud Mary
September 21, 2024
By Kevin Bartell
We had around 12 paddlers and enjoyed the day on the Kentucky River from Fort Boonesboro to Proud Mary. We came off the water and enjoyed live music, food and fellowship at Proud Mary. Good times!