St. Joseph River in Indiana


A self-supported trip created by coffeecamel

Trip Overview

South Bend Dam to Niles Dam
We put in at the steps across from the Century Center in downtown South Bend. We stopped at Darden Rd. bridge for a photo op - the river is really scenic in this section. We saw 6 deer in the water, numerous Herons, an Osprey with a fish in it's talons and a bald eagle.

Stopped at St. Patricks County Park for a bathroom break and quick snack. Got out right before the Niles Dam, a nice little park with parking.

Took us 3 hours and 10 minutes even with the stops. The current is pretty swift especially since we've had a lot of rain, so we just floated the majority of the time.
Nice trip with little other boat traffic.

Accommodations:

Numerous hotels in the South Bend area

Fees:

none

Directions:

Downtown South Bend across the river from Century center. There is a parking lot just haul your boats down the side walk to the steps along the river below the dam.Take out along Bond Street in Niles.

Resources:

"A Paddling Guide for the St. Joe River" by J.L. Souers

Trip Details

  • Skill Level: Beginner
  • Water Type: River/Creek (Up to Class II)

Trip Location