The Menominee River

LOCATED AT OUR SMALLER OUTPOST IN NIAGARA, WI. RESERVATIONS REQUIRED**

We offer Menominee River Whitewater Rafting from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend. We offer guided Menominee River trips for the hearty whitewater rafting enthusiast. These whitewater rafting trips are run in our 6 to 12 person rafts under the supervision of Kosir’s professional guides. We include helmets, life jackets and paddles as well as transportation from our Menominee River Outpost to river and back again. Bordered by the beautiful Upper Peninsula of Michigan, our trip starts out quietly in the scenic surroundings of Niagara, Wisconsin careening past 200-foot-high cliffs. Then increasing its intensity through Sand Portage Rapid, it culminates with a 10-foot waterfall in the legendary Piers Gorge. Menominee River Whitewater Rafting trips are run at 10 am and 3 pm on Saturdays, Sundays, and Holidays. We offer 3:00PM weekday trips with special time accommodations available for larger groups if needed!

Check-in time at our Menominee River Outpost is one full hour before scheduled whitewater rafting trip time. The Menominee River is a unique experience for the more adventurous whitewater rafters who want more! Kosir’s Whitewater Rafting only offers this whitewater rafting trip with the supervision of our guides. We offer all Menominee River Whitewater Rafting trips in our self-bailing rafts. 

Reservations are required, so please call ahead to make arrangements (even just a few days before is fine).

Children must be at least 12 years old and 85lbs to run the Menominee. If slightly younger, please call us before reserving. 

What to bring: You will need a pair of closed toe shoes for rafting (we suggest old tennis shoes or water shoes). NO bare feet or flip flops! We suggest bringing any type of clothes, or swim wear, you want to get wet in. In colder months, we recommend bringing neoprene or wool clothing. Don't forget sunscreen, a towel, and clothes to wear after your trip!

These trips begin in Niagara Wisconsin at our Menominee River outpost located on US HWY 8 about 1 1/2 miles East off of Hwy 141. Here you will check-in and receive your helmet and life jacket. Once everyone is geared up and ready there will be a brief orientation and then a short bus ride to the put in. Located just below the Little Quinnesec Dam, the put-in overlooks one of the largest flows in the Midwest which is shadowed under the massive 200-foot-high cliffs on the Michigan side of the river. This impressive view continues for the first 1 1/2 miles of the trip where the river runs wide and slow, giving everyone a chance to enjoy the scenery and get comfortable with the raft and equipment.

The next 1 mile of the trip starts off with Sand Portage Falls. A pleasant Class II-III rapid which was named by the early Indians that lived in the area many years ago. Here the river starts to narrow a bit and the flow rate increases. The river is still tame enough to take in the scenery but be prepared to start paddling.

At the end of this section is a small sand take out where everyone on the trip will get out and re-group. Once all the rafts are ashore everyone will be escorted up a trail alongside the river. This path will take everyone to a cliff overlooking the river with a spectacular view of Misicot Falls and most of Piers Gorge.  Everyone will get a chance to see the rapids before they raft through them. Once everyone has had a chance to take in the awesome view there is a final orientation. Everyone is then divided into groups and introduced to their guide who will give everyone their final instruction and personally escort them in their raft for this section of the river.

In this class IV section of the river, the rapids are so close together that it seems more like one long continuous rapid. The adventure starts with a 10-foot drop over Misicot Falls, you’ll then follow the wave train to Volkswagen rock and then through the Island rapids and straight into the Twin Sisters. Just downstream from the second sister the river widens up and slows down a bit.

The groups will then pull their rafts onto shore and catch their breath. Then everyone will follow their guide on a trail back upstream for a chance to see the next raft go through the rapids. From there your guide will again lead you back on a trail upstream where everyone will get to raft this section a second time!*

This feature to see the rapids before running them as well as running them twice make this the perfect trip for those who have little or no experience or are a little unsure about rafting big water. Seeing the rapids before running them puts many people at ease and running the same section twice means that one of Kosir’s staff is always on shore if anyone should choose not to raft this section or only wishes to do it once. We offer the second run on most of our trips to allow everyone the chance to raft with their eyes open!*

Once everyone has rafted through Piers George the entire group is escorted about 1/2 mile down the river to the take-out. Here the same bus that dropped everyone off will be waiting to take everyone back to the Outpost, which is only a couple of miles away. The length of the trips will vary with water and weather conditions but average about 2 - 2.5 hours.

* Very high-water levels may prohibit us from allowing rafters to view the rapids and re-run the gorge a second time.