Upper Iowa River

Kendallville to Bluffton

River Miles: 17.6
Counties: Winneshiek
Recommended Flow: 150 - 500 cfs

Review(s):

Submitted By: Nate Hoogeveen
AKA: Nate
Knowledge level of the area: Intermediate
Date of Paddle: 2002, 2003, 2004
CFS: 150 - 250
Recommended Craft: Recreational
Type of Water: Slack, fast riffles, a class I rapids at the beginning, and tricky turns. Lots of beginners paddle here, but that doesn't make it a perfect beginner's stretch!
Overview of this section: Iowa's most famously paddled stretch of river, for great reason. Towering bluffs and interesting rock outcroppings (like Plymouth Rock and Chimney Rock), lovely springs, and generally very clear water combine to make it a great draw for paddlers. The result? Summer weekends become quite crowded, so forget about solitude unless you come on a weekday or the off-season. In my book, I actually listed this as two trips, one from Kendallville to Chimney Rock Park and a second 5-mile trip to Bluffton.
Hazard and Rapids: Be on guard. There are places where more experienced paddlers like to sit and watch aluminum carnage at tricky turns. You can easily put in below the small rapids at Kendallville if water's too low or it looks too intimidating.
Camping?: Kendallville Park, primitive camping along the river at the Upper Iowa Access area, at Chimney Rock Park, Randy's Bluffton Store, and across the river from Bluffton is Hruska's campground. The Hutchinson Campground recently opened at the next stretch downstream.
Other Launches?: There's access of some type at or near each bridge (Coldwater Creek Road, Cattle Creek Road, Chimney Rock Road.
Places to rent or buy outdoor equipment: See the rentals and outfitters section of this site.
Other items of interest about this area: More detailed information and maps for this stretch of river are in the guidebook, Paddling Iowa, available in our Streamside Shop.
Overall opinion of this section: Spectacular paddling. It's often said you wouldn't believe you're in Iowa, but we all know better than that, don't we?
Pic: The Chimney Rock area is a favorite on the Upper Iowa.

Recent River Level Readings - taken from NOAA

Location: Decorah