I’ve had some vague ideas about a multi-day paddle across the delta to Crockett (a bit upstream from San Francisco Bay), and I’ve plotted a bunch of potential campsites on a Google map at:
http://www.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=206185975860789038035.0004bc9a57ebd2e9051c6
What I’d like to know is how far from the eastbay can I get and still be able to make it home? I guess it’s possible to get from Redding, fer instance–if the water in the Sacramento River is high enough–but can I get there from Modesto (and from farther south), or from east of Sacto?
I’m sure this has all been done before, but I can’t seem to google up any real information.
(I have a short write-up of this project at my blog at href="http://tedhamiter.blogspot.com/2012/04/kayak-camping-on-delta-and-boat-in.html.)
rivers
Sacramento, San Joachim, Tuolumne, American, Napa, and Petaluma are the major rivers I can think of.
Sacramento you should be able to do from Redding, if you can handle some minor rapids.
Tuolumne is done annually by the Tulumne River Trust as part of their paddle to the sea program. You can check with them on where it gets flat enough for non whitewater craft (and maybe join their program). http://www.tuolumne.org/content/index.php?topic=programs
Not sure about how far up the San Joachim. Seems it should work from at least Fresno.
American would be from basically just east of Sacramento (unless you were willing to portage over the dams)
Napa is paddleable from just above the town of Napa.
Petaluma from Petaluma.
You could always start in the South Bay and paddle across the Bay itself.
One more…
There is also the Consumnes River which crosses I-5 north of Stockton. It’s the last uncontrolled river in the state. Depending on how much WW you want to deal with paddling a good chunk of that then into the delta and eventually the bay would be a nice trip.
FWIW, the Sac runs high enough for human powered craft year round.
Redding for sure.
Several paddle in campsites along the river. The only stretch of class II is China Rapids north of Red Bluff. The rest is an easy float.
Thanks all (NM)