Wisconsin whitewater - Little Platte River, Grant County

Grant county, Old Lancaster Road to Stumptown Road section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS II(III)     5.4 miles
 
We were two stupid college kids using makeshift paddles and $10 rubber rafts trying to go from Old Lancaster road to County D. I have been canoeing lots on lakes and I would say it would be very difficult to make much progress on this stream. There are a lot of small rapids with low rocks. There were parts that were only a few inches deep. We were lucky a lot because our rubber rafts only sit a few inches into the water, but I would think a canoe or kayak might cause problems. Also watch out for a barb wire stretching across about .5 above county D. If
    you don't mind carrying your canoe a lot, this stream is fairly gentle. There are some pretty rock walls too. I would not recommend this stream in the dry season though. Says Scott

Took my wife and two kids to the Little Platte yesterday (8/12/06). We are beginners when
it comes to canoeists. It's a small stream with fun rapids. We only had one place where we could have filled our canoe with water, but overall felt it was a very safe stretch of water with depths of 3 to 4 feet. Most rapids were shallow and required us to read them correctly or become stuck on them. No problems though, because if you get stuck on a rock, you get out and drag your watercraft through the rapids. We had heavy aluminum canoes which was good because we met up with plenty of rocks and bad because we sat pretty low in the water. Spring  
time might be more fun when there is more water in the stream. The put in at Old Lancaster road was a steep one, but we couldn't find a better place to put in locally. Says Brad

If you've been whitewater rafting and kayaking outside this state you might find the rivers here a bit more forgiving, so if you're visiting here do keep in mind that many runs in this state are very easy. This stretch of Little Platte River in Wisconsin is 5.4 miles long and is rated by American Whitewater as a class II(III) section. If you're coming from Platteville it's not a long drive at all to the starting location, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. If you're a camper you can camp at one of the great campgrounds nearby. There are no other stretches to paddle along Little Platte River than the Old Lancaster Road to Stumptown Road stretch. The wonderful Wisconsin scenery and the playfulness of the water will make you feel great. This is a pretty decent length section, it's good length for a morning trip. A good workout and spending some quality time in nature are great attractions for lots of people. There are plenty of hotels here if you want to spend a night, and if you make reservations in advance you're all set.

Briefly about the general area:
Little Platte River gets a common amount of precipitation; the month with most of the rain is August while January is the month with the least amount of precipitation. High temperatures at Little Platte River all through the long summer days are in the 80's. Through the moonlight hours it's typically in the 60's. The cold days of the wintertime come with highs in the 20's, and night lows at Little Platte River throughout the wintertime usually sink into the 0's.

Little Platte River, Old Lancaster Road to Stumptown Road road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: II(III)
Length: 5.4 miles
Average Gradient: 14 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 42.7523
Longitude: -90.5059

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 42.7229
Longitude: -90.52791

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Current weather conditions at Little Platte River, Wisconsin
WXPort

Local climate location: LANCASTER 12 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Super 8 Motel - Platteville, Platteville
2 miles away
The Super 8 Motel Platteville, Wisconsin is conveniently located at the intersection of Hwys 80/81 & Business 151. The motel is located near Madison, Wisconsin, Galena, Illinois and Dubuque, Iowa. T...

Country Inn By Carlson Platteville, Platteville
3 miles away
The Country Inns & Suites By Carlson Platteville is conveniently located at the Intersection of Highways 80/81 and 151. Platteville Municipal/Grant County Airport is 4 miles N from the hotel. Dubuque ...

Governor Dodge Hotel, Platteville
3 miles away
Beautiful picturesque hotel located in the rolling hills of southwest Wisconsin. Plattevilles only full service hotel, 71 guest rooms, each with radio alarm clocks, irons and ironing boards, hairdryer...



OTHER_INFO
  All Wisconsin Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in Wisconsin.
Books about whitewater paddling on Little Platte River, Wisconsin
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Little Platte River, Wisconsin.
Find a whitewater outfitter in Wisconsin

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Platteville, Wisconsin
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Platteville, Wisconsin, the metro area neareast to Little Platte River. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Little Platte River.
 Ski Areas Near Little Platte River:
Chestnut Mountain, Illinois , 23 miles away, 475 vertical feet
Sundown Mountain, Michigan , 24 miles away, 475 vertical feet
Tyrol Basin, Wisconsin , 53 miles away, 300 vertical feet
Christmas Mountain, Wisconsin , 63 miles away, 250 vertical feet
Ski Snowstar, Illinois , 68 miles away, 262 vertical feet
Mount La Crosse, Wisconsin , 69 miles away, 516 vertical feet
Devils Head, Wisconsin , 71 miles away, 500 vertical feet
Cascade Mountain, Wisconsin , 79 miles away, 460 vertical feet
Nordic Mountain, Wisconsin , 116 miles away, 265 vertical feet
Granite Peak, Wisconsin , 125 miles away, 700 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Little Platte River:
Super 8 Motel - Platteville, Platteville , 2 miles away
Country Inn By Carlson Platteville, Platteville , 3 miles away
Governor Dodge Hotel, Platteville , 3 miles away
Baymont Inn and Suites Belmont WI, Belmont , 12 miles away
Best Western Welcome Inn-Lancaster, Lancaster , 15 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Little Platte River:
Rustic Barn Campground, Kieler, 10 miles away
Dubuque Yacht Basin and RV Park, Dubuque, 15 miles away
Lake Joy Camp Ground, Belmont, 16 miles away
 National Parks Near Little Platte River:
Effigy Mounds National Monument, Harpers Ferry - IA , 50 miles away
 Golf Courses Near Little Platte River:
Platteville Golf & Country Club Country Club, Platteville , 4 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater