Louisville, KY

Discover natural features of Louisville's urban wilderness

Explore the Ohio River with Canoemobile! Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile is a fleet of vans each with six, handmade, 24-foot Voyageur canoes, safety and paddle equipment, and a crew of outdoor educators. The centerpiece of the Canoemobile is integrated classroom and outdoor education experiences utilizing under-appreciated urban resources, especially urban waterways. Canoemobile programming and educational activities operate in collaboration with local, state, and federal partners. Enjoy the company of others, work as a team, and learn about the watershed in your backyard!

Sample Itinerary

Students arrive at location
Wilderness Inquiry welcome activity
Program partners facilitate rotating activity stations like:
> watershed modeling
> water quality testing
> fish and wildlife
> team building
Wilderness Inquiry facilitates paddling experience:
> water safety
> paddle/equipment instruction
> a paddle lasting about 30 minutes
Reflection and closing activity

What To Expect

You will be paddling in 24-foot Voyageur canoes, following the river's shorelines. The Voyageur canoes hold 6-10 paddlers. They are stable boats, designed specifically for safe trips on big water. Paddling distance varies depending upon the route. It is active but not strenuous.

Wilderness Inquiry outdoor educators are experienced boat captains that provide paddle and safety instructions. One boat captain will be with each canoe to steer the boat, ensure safety, and facilitate a fun experience for everyone!

Program partners will lead land-based activities surrounding urban water topics. Youth will rotate among the activity stations and paddling in canoes.

For clothing and gear, it is important to consider the weather.
Here is a list of suggested items:
- Rain jacket/poncho (WI will have ponchos available)
- Jacket or sweater
- Shoes that you are willing to get a little dirty
- Water bottle (WI will have drinking water available)
- Hat to protect you from the sun and rain
Optional items:
- Sunscreen, lip balm, sunglasses
- Camera in a plastic bag to keep it dry
- Day pack

A note about the itinerary: Our trips are real adventures in the outdoors. While we'll make every effort to follow the itinerary listed here, elements may change due to weather or reasons beyond our control.

The Ohio River is the largest tributary of the Mississippi River, flowing west from Pittsburgh to Cairo, IL. At the confluence, the Ohio River actually has a larger volume of water than the Mississippi. The Ohio River is about 981 miles long with the Allegheny River flowing into it from upstream. The Falls of the Ohio River, actually a series of rapids, are the only major obstacle boats encounter from the upper Ohio River to the Gulf of Mexico. Because of the need to portage, a concentration of people and activity created the city of Louisville. Long before European settlement, the falls supported diverse wildlife and served as hunting grounds for Shawnee and Cherokee hunters. Today the Ohio provides drinking water for over 3 million people, and its waters and banks are a hub of outdoor activity in Louisville.