Des Moines River Water Trail--Polk County  Estherville to Fort Dodge ;    Fort Dodge to Saylorville ;   Saylorville to Red Rock ;   Red Rock to the Mississippi River //Estherville to Keokuk:   Ramps, Waypoints, GPS Coordinates //Float Trips:   Estherville to Dolliver SP      Dolliver SP to Red Rock     Red Rock to Keokuk // River Beautiful, 1835     // On the trail,  1998-2024 Home

Paddling in Iowa – A Chronology 12/27/2017  Page 1 of 11 Iowa-Paddling-Chronology-171227.pdf  The original “Chronology of Paddling in Iowa” document was developed by Rick Dietz and Robin Fortney, and shared with attendees during the 2008 CSO Iowa Paddlesport Expo.    1673   In June, Louis Joliet, Father Marquette, and their French crew arrive in the area of Pike’s Peak and McGregor on the Mississippi River, after paddling & portaging via Lake Michigan, Fox River and Wisconsin River on their journey from Canada. 1700   Approximate construction date (carbon dating) of a walnut dugout canoe, currently on display at the Montgomery County History Center in Red Oak. The canoe was discovered south of Red Oak, along the Nishnabotna River, in 1975.  1804   Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and their 29 man crew paddle, pole, and sail up the winding Missouri River from St. Louis. On Aug 20 they pause to bury Sergeant Floyd near present-day Sioux City. Floyd was the only crew member

                                                                                            Estherville to Fort Dodge ;    Fort Dodge to Saylorville ;  Saylorville to Red Rock ;    Red Rock to the Mississippi River //Estherville to Keokuk:   Ramps, Waypoints, GPS Coordinates //Float Trips:   Estherville to Dolliver SP      Dolliver SP to Red Rock     Red Rock to Keokuk // River Beautiful, 1835     // On the trail,  1998-2024 Dolliver to Ledges SP Des Moines River Float Trips The Des Moines River is Iowa's longest trail system Take a float trip from Dolliver State Park past Lehigh and Carlson Recreation Area, on to Fraser dam, to Boone Waterworks dam and Hwy. 30, and on to Ledges State Park updated 3/23/24: Estimated Distance:48 miles for stories and pix, see the DMRWT PBase gallery This is a 2 or 3 day trip, depending on how the river is running. I made 38 miles in a day ln June of 1998, and 32 miles in July of 1999. Take some time to walk through Dolliver, it is heavily wooded, wi