Skunk Creek, May 2009

The South Dakota Canoe Association sponsored a trip along Skunk Creek in Sioux Falls this morning under the leadership of Jerry Foy. The group assembled at Jerry’s home in the northwestern part of Sioux Falls at 5:30 a.m. and set out on the cruise at 6:00 a.m. It was still dark as we began our trip downstream. Full daylight occurred within about half-an-hour; we did not see a sunrise, however, because the sky was too overcast.


An early departure offered the hope of seeing wildlife along the route, and we did see a number of geese and ducks along the waterway; a herd of six deer flashed past us about half way through the trip. Generally, though, it is only the lead kayak that has much chance of seeing interesting “critters.” The noise of a fleet of kayaks with paddlers chatting back and forth does not offer much encouragement for wildlife to stick around in easy sight.


Skunk Creek runs through the northwestern part of Sioux Falls and joins the Big Sioux River around 26th Street and Louise Avenue. The creek passes along the edge of Dunham and Legacy Parks and flows under at least three bike trail bridges before crossing under the I29 overpass. . There is a great deal of vegetation along the waterway with big trees overhanging and some high banks. The creek is about 50 feet wide during most of the flow. For a good part of the course, there is a feeling of being off in a remote area rather than in the midst of the largest city in South Dakota. For long segments, there are no buildings visible. Occasionally, it seems that one is cruising along the back yard of homes built along the creek. This waterway is a secret treasure for people living on the northwest side of Sioux Falls, especially those with a home on the banks of the creek.

From Jerry’s home, we just carried the seven kayaks and one canoe from his driveway down to the water’s edge. Our cruise extended 5.36 miles, and we took out at behind Granite City along Louise Avenue, across from Home Depot. We paddled 2 hours and 15 minutes on this cloudy and intermittently rainy morning. Actually, the rain added an interesting element to the cruise; the temperature was in the 50s, and we all had rain jackets and hats.


There are several sets of riffles along the course of Skunk Creek. We all made it through all of them without difficulty; I was the only one among the group who had to get out of a kayak during the trip. For me, it was because of being centered on a big rock and unable to wiggle myself off. The water was generally around 4 feet deep or so, and it was fairly easy to follow the deep channel. Jerry Foy told me that the critical water depth gauge for Skunk Creek is 4.5 feet. I checked today; the reading was 4.47, and that worked fine for us.

This was a new waterway for me. It seems odd that I have lived in Sioux Falls for nearly 30 years and never focused on Skunk Creek. Somehow, the west side of town, beyond Interstate 29, seems like another place to me. I feel a little guilty at not learning more about this paddling possibility until now. For an interesting cruise within the city of Sioux Falls, I recommend Skunk Creek. It is a really fine option for a two-hour cruise, and I am glad that I joined the group for this Saturday morning start to the weekend.