Class I Elkhart River, IN

The Elkhart River was named by the Indians for one of the river's islands which they thought resembled an elk's heart. The river rises from the lake country of northern Noble and southern Lagrange Counties. It begins as two branches which join and flow in a generally northwestern direction before entering the St. Joseph River at the City of Elkhart.

The river is fairly shallow and quite slow-moving as it flows through the scenic farm and woodland of northern Indiana. The upper reaches of the Elkhart River are bordered on either side by marshland which comprises the largest single unit of remaining wetland in the state.

There is little current so plan on continuous paddling for the entire float (Indiana DNR Canoeing Guide).