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Backbone Dam Access
Kayak spot · United States
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
85Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Sat 7: Wind 8 kn gusting 17, Air 13 °C
Tue 3 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 20°C
- Rain
- 6.2 mm
Wed 4 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 11 kn
- Gusts
- 24kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0.8 mm
Thu 5 · 81 out of 100
- Wind
- 12 kn
- Gusts
- 23kn
- Air
- 12°C
- Rain
- 0.3 mm
Fri 6 · 86 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 13kn
- Air
- 11°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 89 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 13°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 82 out of 100
- Wind
- 4 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Mon 9 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 9 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 277, good
- Tue 386, good
- Wed 481, good
- Thu 581, good
- Fri 686, good
- Sat 789, good
- Sun 882, good
- Mon 983, good
- Tue 1082, good
- Wed 1185, good
The spot in one fact
- Flat waterthe water
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 77, good | 14 kn | 28kn | 16°C | 3.2 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 86, good | 12 kn | 23kn | 20°C | 6.2 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 81, good | 11 kn | 24kn | 11°C | 0.8 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 81, good | 12 kn | 23kn | 12°C | 0.3 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 86, good | 5 kn | 13kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 89, good | 8 kn | 17kn | 13°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 82, good | 4 kn | 12kn | 8°C | 0.6 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 83, good | 9 kn | 17kn | 9°C | 0.6 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 82, good | 6 kn | 15kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 85, good | 6 kn | 13kn | 11°C | 0 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar6of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr6of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct7of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov6of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec6of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Backbone Dam Access on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
1 place
- Dundee Access 2.5 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Backbone Dam Access
A launch on the Maquoketa River. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks. None within 10 km, the nearest 47 km away. The town to stay in is Strawberry Point. Within 5 km we also list 1 kayak spot.
- River Maquoketa River
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access OpenStreetMap marks the water open to canoes and kayaks.
- Schools, hire None within 10 km, the nearest 47 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$938–US$1,670 each
about US$938–US$1,670 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: fuel, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Fuel | about 795 km there and back, shared | about US$47–US$74 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$348–US$583 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$342–US$636 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or bring your own | about US$201–US$375 |
| Total | about US$938–US$1,670 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Strawberry Point
about 20 min by car · 3 places to stay
about US$134/nightcountry average
About Strawberry Point its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$134 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 4h 45m
About 4h 45m door to door from Chicago
Drive: Drive, about 4h 45m
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Strawberry Point · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Strawberry Point · GetYourGuide
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits