Muskingum Water Trail

http://www.ohiodnr.com/news/jul06/0708muskingum.htm



Does anyone have any idea how long this would take to travel? What is a reasonable miles per day for intermediate paddlers in canoes or kayaks downstream?

Best thougth???
If you were on the Mohican river, how well do you do there?



I’ve never been on any of the Muskingom waterways, but I would ball park based on this.

My neighbor paddled the whole length

– Last Updated: Jul-13-06 8:23 PM EST –

last year in 4 days. He's about 70 years old, and did it in a plastic touring kayak. I've paddled various stretches of it as day paddles. It is a lot of fun to paddle through the historic locks--which might be the only hand-operated locks still operating. A lot would depend on water flow. The river is wide and deep, but if it hasn't rained in a long time, it can be essentially like a 112 mile long lake, meaning you won't get much help from the current. You can camp at any of the locks, and there's also at least one boaters-only campsite. Fall is a good time to paddle it.

It's quite different from the Mohican. Wider and deeper, not so shady, and flows through a number of towns and past some industrial sites. Long stretches of it are also lined with cabins.

We all admire the guy who paddled the whole length of it and keep suggesting he lead us in a group trip down it this year. He's not so enthusiastic about a repeat attempt. It's a very long haul.

a nice trip
I would plan a week to do the entire length. In 2001 on my first canoe trip for Multiple Sclerosis I paddled the entire Muskingum river in route to New Orleans. It was July 20th when I started on the river and there was almost no current. The fishing is great. Like the other poster stated you can camp out at all the locks which is nice, but I like to camp on beaches myself. The very first lock south of Coshocton will most likely be closed for the season again. The locks are only open four days Friday Saturday Sunday Monday there was rumor that was going to be changed to Thursday through Sunday, but not sure if that took effect. The locks close around 8:00 p.m if I remember correctly. The town of Malta has a public shower near shore and McConnelsville has a McDonalds that has its own special dock. All the locks with the exception of Philo can be portaged pretty easy if they happen to be closed. Philo is supposed to impossible to portage, but it has been done. Zanesville is a bit tricky to come through if you are not paying attention. On the left shore a narrow canal runs back to the only two chambered hand operated lock in the world. It is gratifying to see tax dollars at work.

The locks are not free the cost is $5.00 per lock or you can buy an annual pass for $15.00 which gives you unlimited locks for the year.

The Muskingum river is free from log jams and probably won’t have much current this time of year.

If you have any other questions feel free to e-mail me

John@fightingms.org

Or call me 330-347-6109.

It might take some time for me to respond via e-mail because I am doing a canoe trip now and just happened to be at a house with wireless internet.

John Latecki Jr

http://www.fightingms.org

Cool!
This trail is within two hours of me! Looks like a great way to get some water time with camping mixed in.



Jim

Thanks!
Yay! Information! I was afraid that this post was going to wither and die. I grew up near the Mohican but have since moved to Wisconsin. We were thinking me and my sister and an old aluminum Gruman that my dad bought when he was young. Does anyone know if vehicle support is feasable? We can haul all our gear, but it would be nicer if someone could set up camp for us…;^)



Four days seems ambitious, but I’ve never done more than day trips on water before.


Vehicle support would be pretty easy
Route 60 runs along much of the east side; an older, more scenic river road runs along much of the west side. Get a good road map. Marietta, where the Muskingum meets the Ohio, is a great city.