You're invited to Heritage Valley for a fall paddle on the Upper Iowa River!
Brian Fankhauser, INHF blufflands director, and Vern Fish, INHF board member and former Black Hawk County Conservation board director, will lead a go-with-the-flow paddle down the Upper Iowa River through majestic Heritage Valley. Learn about INHF's history with the land, ongoing stewardship strategies and the natural and anthropologic significance of this place.
We will host two paddles:
Morning Paddle – 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Afternoon Paddle – 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Kayaks are available for $25, payable the day of the trip by cash or check. If you have your own boat and will shuttle yourself, there is no cost. Kayak rentals and a shuttle will be arranged by INHF through OFF the Driftless.
An RSVP is required for this event
Spots are first come, first serve. Space is limited to 20 people per paddle.
Questions? Contact Abby Hade Terpstra at aterpstra@inhf.org or 515-288-1846 x 15.
Please bring:
- Water bottles
- Lunch or snacks
- Sunscreen and hat
- Bug repellent, if desired
- Appropriate clothing and footwear
Details
- Life jackets are required and provided by OFF the Driftless for those renting kayaks.
- Participants will be asked to sign a liability waiver and provide emergency contact information at the start of the trip.
- Be forewarned that cell phone coverage can be spotty – it may be best to bring along a printed map for road navigation.
Directions & Parking
We will meet at the old barn foundation at 303 Ellingson Bridge Drive, Decorah. This is where we usually meet for volunteer events at Heritage Valley. There is plenty of parking off the road. The shuttle will pick us up there and take us to the put-in spot near the confluence of Canoe Creek. Take out will be just downstream from the Ellingson Bridge Drive bridge. A short walk up the hill will take you back to the barn foundation and your car. It’s a bit of a bushwhack to get from the water to the road – that’s why we are using lightweight kayaks instead of canoes.