Hi all
I’m new here.
I have a week off end of August I want to spend canoe camping I’m in northern VA. Most rivers around me are too shallow for a loaded solo canoe.
Maybe Pa?
Looking for some remote canoeing and fishing pretty tame ill be solo.
Any suggestions for a 5 or so day float trip?
Thanks
In August, only the big rivers will have reliable water. Susquehanna. James. And for your area, the no-brainer is Potomac. Start in Cumberland. Get a listing of the hiker-biker sites along the C&O for camping. They are hard to spot from the river.
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Concur with the upper Potomac. Even in drought years you can float a loaded canoe with some river reading skills. Below Cumberland for a long ways only Class I ledges to encounter
There are also a lot of caves that are easily accessible on the C&O side of the river if you want to do some exploring. Local caving clubs should have GPS coordinates. Also be careful where you camp as a lot of landowners up there no longer allow you to camp on their land. Stick to designated areas.
Thanks for the thoughts.
I’ve biked the c&o don’t really wanna paddle the Potomac or Sus.
Any water run then in NY, south of the ADK’S?
I may head to the ADKs, but was hoping to avoid the 10 hour Drive.
There are multiple sections of the Susquehanna River that would be suitable for an extended canoe journey. I am mostly familiar with the 200 plus mile West Branch in north central PA, which runs through some lovely deep green canyons and has many camping spots. The river has been recommended for National Wild and Scenic River status and it well deserves it.
The Lumber Heritage foundation used to (and still may) sell the excellent Water Trail guides for all three branches of the Susquehanna, all of them very well designed and waterproof and chock full of every kind of information you could require to plan hundreds of miles of canoeing. With all the rain we have had so far this summer, the West Branch should be in good flow for a while.
Second the Susquehana. Yes there are rivers with reliable water south of the Daks, frankly a little too reliable w the recent rains. But many are also more populated on the edges, finding easy camping spots may be a challenge.
An option like the water trail that Willowleaf suggests would handle the camping part, and that water is a bit closer to you in driving time.
Just be aware of possible impacts from high water. NY and areas down into PA have been getting some heavy storms lately. Worth continuing to check on camping sites to make sure you won’t need water wings for the tent. Our local paddle group has had to move a paddle or two to calmer water lately, and it drains south.
I think the James River Water Trail might be a good option for you. It’s not Northern VA but sounds like what you are looking for.
I like your description.
Any pictures?
So I can’t borrow my friends solo boat, so I’m gonna have to use my 17.5’ aluminum canoe. A lake canoe
Flipped backwards to be strength center. Partially Loaded with a bit of gear.
Would this work on the section you speak of?
I’ve only seen the susquehanna near Harrisburg and Lancaster.
I’m hoping to find something smaller.
And thank you all for the beta
check out the upper james river water trail online, if memory serves me right twin river outfitters is in buchanon va. Buchanon is, a trail town just off the A.T and livery is in town right on the river. We used the public park access next to the livery for our aca class .I haven’t paddled there much, took some recert instructor training there a year or so ago in the fall so I know it holds water pretty well, but that’s about it. Thought it was pretty and was impressed with the access and signage on the water trail at the two locations we utilized. I just kind of thought it fit what you were looking for. It is a little bit more mellow than what I usually do. I know multiday is a possibility with some campsites around- some owned by the livery. I’d work with the livery folks to flesh out the details. During covid you had to call ahead for them to be open.
I don’t have any pictures but here is a link to the section I am most familar with, downstream from the Shawville dam around Clearfield, PA… If you intend to paddle this. please get yourself the Water Trail guide. It’s $20 well spent and will make the trip much simpler. Looks like the Lumber Heritage group no longer sells it on line but several organizationa around Clearfield sell it, per the second link.
https://susquehannagreenway.org/west-branch-water-trail-map-guide