Wildcat Creek, North Fork: Burlington to Adams Mill

elapsed
time
1Put in at the State Route 29 bridge. (GPS: 40.2921, -86.2368)
0:00
2The CR 500 E bridge before the Admiral's Islands. (GPS: 40.2940, -86.2582)
1:15
3The CR 350 E bridge, a little more than halfway. (GPS: 40.2912, -86.2753)
3:00
4The takeout is on the left before the dam at Adams Mill. (GPS: 40.2881, -86.3048)
4:30

Trip Report

Water level at 1.75 feet and 50 cubic feet per second at the Kokomo USGS gage and 3.4 feet and 350 CFS at the Lafayette USGS gage.

This 9-mile trip takes about 4-5 hours to paddle. The put-in at Burlington off State Route 29 is very easy to find. The water level is lower the further upstream you go due to the large dam in Kokomo and lesser accumulated runoff than downstream. The first two miles of this trip are pretty shallow, but comfortable. We didn't scrape much at this level, but I wouldn't go much lower.

The water pools up and moves slowly upstream of the Adams Mill dam. There is very little development along this segment. There is quite a bit of agriculture, but there are also long stretches where the creek is in a natural, undisturbed state. We had the best weather you could ask for in November - sunny and low 40s - but we still took some basic precautions, namely dressing warmly and packing a change of clothes in a sealed bag. That paid off, big-time... after crossing the CR 500 E bridge, we reached the Admiral's Islands. The direction of the creek shifted to the left away from two large logjams across the islands. This channel narrowed very quickly, and before I knew it, I was on top of the lead canoe. There was only room for one canoe to pass around a downed tree, so I angled for the edge of the tree and the steep bank opposite the passage. The swift current carried my boat into the tree, flipped it upside-down, and pinned it underwater. Brrrrrrr! Within ten minutes of trying to dislodge the boat and rescue items from it, I couldn't feel below my thighs & it was time to get out and get warm. The story ended happily with a change into dry clothes, a tandem to the takeout, and a successful boat-rescue later in the day.

This was the only portage of the trip; the rest of the way was smooth paddling. We snuck up on a few deer and herons. You will begin to notice the creek becoming wide and calm as you approach the dam at Adams Mill. The takeout is on the left immediately before the dam. At the present time, there is only room to take one or two canoes out at a time, so you might want to space your boats as you approach the dam if you have a large group.

Trip reported by Michael Witt and Lou Wilkinson on 11/9/03.

Photo Gallery

The creek between Burlington and Adams Mill.
A deer tries to blend in with the foliage.
A pair of resident cows.
There's nothing like a brisk swim in November!
The takeout immediately before the dam at Adams Mill.

Access Sites

Burlington: The creek can be accessed on the southeast corner of the intersection of State Route 29 and East Mill Road just north of Burlington. There is room to park about four cars along the short drive that goes down to the creek.
Adams Mill State Fishing Area: From Burlington, turn right onto East Mill Road; turn left (south) on State Route 29; turn right on 8th Street which turns into County Road 500 S; left onto Eisenhower Road; turn left at the stop sign and turn right immediately after crossing the bridge; the entrance will be on your right. Peter's Mill is operated by The Wildcat Creek Foundation.

Copyright 2003, 2004 Michael Witt