Paddle a barge to our 210 acre island, where students can crawl through sandstone caves, visit historic sites on the Wisconsin River, witness forest succession and much more. Naturalists will lead students on an interpretive journey discovering the important natural and cultural history of Blackhawk Island. Groups may request hikes with a special focus or specific destinations prior to arrival at camp. All participants MUST wear closed-toed shoes (no sandals). This class is subject to cancellation due to weather events. 

Available April – October.

Length: 3 hours; 2 hours suggested MINIMUM

Suggested Maximum Participants: 30 per facilitator.  Barge capacity = 42

Accessibility notes: On this barge, only 12 individuals can paddle at a time, so individuals who are unable to paddle are still able to ride. If individuals are concerned about sitting on the barge, we can provide seats with backrests or individuals can be held in place by other participants. Trail descriptions can be found on our accessibility page so that individuals can determine their ability to hike on the island. At this time the island is not wheelchair accessible.

Multiple sizes of type II and type III PFD’s are available to accommodate a variety of body types. Our smallest life jacket is for children for 30-50 lbs, so if participants are smaller than this, they will need to provide their own PFD.

Blackhawk Island Hike Lesson Plan Current