Returning home and kayaking the Yahara River
- Michael Thornton
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read

In mid-July, I made the move from Southwestern Oklahoma to eastern Missouri. This move opened me to new territory, such as Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois, Nebraska, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, to name a few. With this in mind, I chose to travel to my hometown of Stoughton, Wisconsin, where I'd then kayak the infamous Yahara River into downtown Stoughton.

I left Eastern Missouri on Friday Morning on October 3rd, and over the next two days spent much-needed time with my family. On the morning of October 5th, I set out to once again conquer the Yahara with my bright yellow kayak, dubbed "The Banana." Around 8:40 AM, I made it to "Viking Park Landing," which is just north of Stoughton near the intersection of HWY B/N.

This section of the Yahara River is great for launching off, for the sole fact that taking the southern option allows you to kayak into the middle of a bustling downtown, and if that's not your thing, the northern option gives you miles of wilderness that then feeds into Lake Kegonsa.

Other than the wildlife, which we will get to soon, my favorite part of this river isn't just the memories I hold here, but also the beautiful, thick bulrush and cattails that loop along the entirety of the southern and northern portions of the Yahara River. It provides a unique view that I often do not see while kayaking. Oftentimes, these unique features also hide diverse wildlife, such as a Sandhill Crane that I never saw, however could hear calling out to the masses for well over ten minutes.

As I made my way into Luke Stoughton Bay, I came across gulls, literally hundreds of small birds frolicking along the water, and my favorite, mallards, floating with the river current. In addition, I heard those Sandhill Cranes off in the distance. It was relaxing to say the least.

About a mile and a half into the session, I made it into Stoughton. The first thing you see coming into Stoughton is both a walking trail and a unique bridge that also serves as a train track. Now, what makes it unique is that it's actually a one-way bridge, meaning only one car can fit inside it. Vehicles have to utilize a reflective material and/or honk to see if a car is on the other side before proceeding.
Once you kayak under the bridge, you'll likely be greeted by a couple of mallards that like to sit along the banks of the Yahara River. It's another favorite part of my journey down this stretch of river. This time, the mallards were quite vocal, as seen in the video. One thing I haven't mentioned is how this stretch of river is also used for an infamous canoe race that happens every year in late May, during Stoughton's Syttende Mai Festival. This canoe race is approximately 3.5 miles long and requires you to portage once. I watched it growing up for many years and always wanted to participate. Now that I have moved closer to home, I might participate next year in the 50th annual race. You never know!
Continuing against the weak river currents, I finally found myself in beautiful downtown Stoughton, Wisconsin. However, instead of seeing the City from Highway 51, I was soaking in the views from below on the Yahara. A cool feeling nonetheless. One of my favorite parts about being in downtown Stoughton is seeing the beautiful mural that was painted long before my time, showcasing Luke Stoughton and the impacts the development of the railroad system had on the long-term success of the City of Stoughton. It's just one of those random things you come to appreciate when you grow up somewhere and know the history behind it. In the video, you will notice that there are multiple kayaks along the riverbank. These are owned by the Stoughton Senior Center, and I believe they can be rented.

As a side note, this section of the river could be impacted in the future as the City of Stoughton plans to build a whitewater park that will utilize the Yahara. While I may not live in Stoughton anymore, I am highly against such an idea, as it will have a negative effect on wildlife, and we should leave nature alone and uninterrupted as intended.

As I continued against the current, the view quickly went from urbanization back to wilderness. That said, even though I was back in the "wilderness," I was still in downtown Stoughton. One would not be able to fully realize that if they were just passing through, due to how forested the area is, and I love that feeling.

Not far from the Highway 51 Bridge, the Yahara River feeds briefly into Stoughton Millpond 429, which then feeds into a dam, and that is where our journey ends for today. My trip back to Viking Park Landing was pretty uneventful. In fact, I ended up texting my mother and seeing if she, my grandma, and step-dad wanted to go to lunch before I left for Missouri. We probably ate waaaaay too much at Olive Garden, but I'm just grateful that life has allowed me to have these moments again with my family.
Watch the video version here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Okm80tE3vXs

About the writer: Michael Thornton graduated from Rose State College, majoring in Emergency Management. Currently, he is the Director of Warren County Emergency Management and an Oklahoma Certified Emergency Manager. In 2024, he was awarded the OEMA Innovator Award for his severe weather operations in Tillman County.