Favorite Phantom Canoe Trip - Mukwonago River

Floating down the Mukwonago River from the Beulah Road (aka Marsh Road) bridge back to camp was my favorite Phantom canoe trip. I must have paddled this stream over fifty times. The river's waters are crystal clear and support trout. By the bridge along the river's edge patches of watercress grow and water trickles to the river from bubbling natural springs. Here the river is surrounded by woods and it meanders back and forth in tight turns. Beaver signs started to appear in the mid-1980s. In this section of the river you learned quickly the difference between paddling on a lake and on a river. If you start to turn (use your J-- or C--stroke) too late, you will be "pushed" by the river's current into the bank or overhanging brush. To tip your canoe's side ever so slightly here, towards upstream, you will find your canoe filled with water in seconds! Did this happen to me? No, but I've seen it happen a couple of times and enjoyed the comic consequences! This section of the river goes on for about 30 - 40 minutes before you enter the cattail marsh section. Here the trees give way to marsh grasses, wild rice and cattails. The river widens, deepens and its curves become longer and easier to navigate. Other streams join the river and wooded hills to the south and north can be seen. There are no buildings along its banks. The river remains "wild." Here I'd look for a sandy section where I liked to let anyone who wanted to get out of their canoe and float with their PFD on in the cool, clear waters feeling the current flow gently by. This was an opportunity to "feel" nature. A remarkable transformation occurs in this section from June to August. The cattails reach their full height and the wild rice dominates, squeezes and pinches the sides of the river at times obscuring the river itself. It's amazing. This section ends at the Hwy I bridge. This is where the river reaches the backwaters of Lower Phantom Lake. The river deepens more and it's current slows. The dominate vegetation changes again. Water lilies both white and yellow were common. From here the paddle is slow. Current meanders towards the houses you can see to the east. There is a channel that hugs the shoreline and it provides a short-cut to the side of the lake that meets Upper Phantom Lake. On the lake you take a right and head to the channel where lower and upper Phantom Lakes meet. From the channel you can see the camp flag flying above the treetops and the dining hall looking majestic on the hillside grabs your eye. If conditions are right you can hear the camp bell ring. Along here the wind can be a bit of a challenge. When that was the case, after passing through the channel we'd hugged the east side of the lake and bolt across to the boating area where it seemed it was the closest point to cross. At boating usually there was a grinning Phantom staff member or two there to meet our party and help us with putting the canoes and gear way making for a wonderful trip.