Pass the Snacks Adventures

1. Overview
2. Gear & Getting Set Up
   1. What to Bring
   2. What to Wear
   3. Ready, Set, Go!
3. Out on the Water
4. Packing Up

Starkweather Creek (Washington Manor Park to Olbrich Beach) is one of our favorite paddles to do in Madison! It’s relatively short but secluded and scenic, and ending up at Olbrich Beer Garden doesn’t hurt either. 😉

Read on for all the details you need to make this fun trip! A special shout-out to Wisconsin River Trips, a fantastic resource on water paths throughout the state and our inspiration for this trip, and MilesPaddled.com, another wonderful go-to site for paddle reports.

Overview

A map of our route!

Gear & Getting Set Up

What to Bring

• We have an Awesafe inflatable Stand-Up Paddleboard (SUP) and an inflatable whitewater kayak. Both have worked to navigate Starkweather Creek, although a hard kayak or canoe would be ideal.
• Our lifejackets are a must-have, and since we sometimes bring our dog with us, we make sure he has his canine life jacket on, too!
• We also have two dry bags for storing cell phones, IDs, and other valuables while out on the water.
• We carried water bottles and some snacks with us, and we packed extra sunscreen.
• Bring a bike if you plan to bike shuttle (or get from the endpoint to where you parked before the paddle) or a second car if you’ll car shuttle.

What to Wear

Let’s go from head to toes. Be sure to bring a hat and sunglasses, plus a lightweight shirt for sun protection. Athletic shorts work well for us during summer paddles.

Ideally, we’d recommend wearing sandals with closed toes in case you need to hop into the creek or onto the shore in shallow spots or in the event of a snag. Did we do this during our last couple of Starkweather paddles? Nope. We wore Tevas and Chacos. Have they gotten sucked into the mud at the bottom of the water from time to time? Yep….

Ready, Set, Go!

Typically one of us inflates the watercraft while the other drives to the take out spot (in this case, Olbrich Beach parking lot.)

Then, that person heads back to the put-in spot, usually on foot. By that time, the inflation is generally complete and we’re ready to roll! In this case, the walk was about 30 minutes, or just over a mile on the scenic Capital City Trail and Starkweather Creek Trail. (Enjoy a fun loop-de-loop bridge as the Starkweather Creek Trail crosses over East Washington Avenue!)

When we reconvene at the put-in spot (Washington Manor Park), we get lifejacketed up and scout the best place to begin the paddle. The last time we did this paddle, there was a log jam just below the best put-in spot so we set up just a bit downstream. We walked through a bit of tall grass to get to the creek but it wasn’t too bad and it looked like others had worn a bit of a path to the water.

Time to get started!

Out on the Water

While the creek can be shallow at the beginning, it becomes deeper as the paddle continues. Recently, we saw severals ducks and even a couple of herons along the way. The tunnel that passes under East Washington Avenue is always fun to pass because we drive East Washington frequently and experiencing it from below is totally different. The last portion of Starkweather Creek before it dumps into Lake Monona is a highlight.

Toward the end of the paddle, get ready to pass through the Olbrich Botanic Gardens and under the bridge to the beautiful Royal Thai Pavilion. After emerging on Lake Monona, the water gets choppier and there’s much more traffic of both fellow paddlers and motorized boats. In Lake Monona, turn left and hug the shore. Admire the beer garden and prepare to toast your successful paddle and continue to the Olbrich Park Beach.

Packing Up

We take out at the beach, where it’s relatively easy to pull boats up the shore and make it to the nearby parking lot to stash them.

After packing up we recommend stopping by Olbrich Beer Garden (which is conveniently dog and kid-friendly) for a drink and a giant pretzel. Cheers!