Looking for canoe destination ideas

[BWCA66]

I'm being "retired" from my place of employment after 35 years in the middle of November. Thinking I will take some time to sort through my options for the next phase of my life by taking a road trip, probably head from Mn to San Francisco to see my son and his family. Any suggestions on where to canoe, either day trips or overnights in the SW US?

 

[Will Derness]

Well for overnighting I don't think you could do much better than the Green River in Utah. Ruby Ranch to the confluence with the Colorado is about 100 miles, all flat water with current. Spectacular scenery the entire way, takes you through Canyonlands National Park.

Permits are required and keeping supplied with freshwater will be something that has to be planned. However, I'm not sure what November would be like at that altitude.

 

[BWCA66]

Well for overnighting I don't think you could do much better than the Green River in Utah. Ruby Ranch to the confluence with the Colorado is about 100 miles, all flat water with current. Spectacular scenery the entire way, takes you through Canyonlands National Park.

Thanks Will, I will check into that. Probably will end up being a first part of December trip as deer hunting and Thanksgiving will keep me home til then.

 

[Alan Gage]

taking a road trip, probably head from Mn to San Francisco to see my son and his family. Any suggestions on where to canoe, either day trips or overnights in the SW US?

Was the SW a misprint or are you taking the scenic route?

Since you'll be in Northern California no matter which route you take I'd highly recommend continuing north to Washington and checking out the Olympic Peninsula. Crescent Lake makes a fantastic day paddle (not sure if it harbors overnight opportunities or not). Water clarity that must be seen to be believed. I was there last summer in mid-July and there were only a few motor boats on the whole lake (large). If the water levels are up the Quillayute River makes a nice, though short, paddle that will take you to the coast. There's a takeout a little upstream of the mouth and another, larger one used by fishing boats, at the mouth. I used my bicycle to shuttle back to the car.

Once you're up in that area there are so many fantastic places to see the mind just boggles. Some places are packed with people but if that's not your thing they're easy to avoid as well. We had most days to ourselves on the Olympic Peninsula just by going to less traveled/harder to reach places or by going at sunrise or late in the day after everyone else left. Heading inland gets you to the Cascade range with great hiking around Mt. Baker and Rainier plus tons of other off the beaten path trails and sites. I could spend the rest of my life in the PNW and desert SW and be quite happy.

Alan

 

[yellowcanoe]

SW paddling is snowpack dependent often. Green River would be low but possible if you favor winter camping High in Moab 44 and low 20 on the average in December. I've done the Green in Oct and it was blasted cold at the end of the trip which involves a boat shuttle. Coldest I have ever been. Contact Tex's Riverways in Moab UT for up to date conditions.

You will need 4 WD or chains or lots of luck(ie not snowing) to drive over the mountain passes. If there is a chain advisory and you have 2 wd you wont be able to get past the inspection stations. We have gotten snowed on going over Donner Pass in May and Eisenhower Pass in Sept.

Snow in the Sierras and Cascades if it happens normally starts very soon. So getting there needs some planning too.

Big Bend and Rio Grand offer nice Dec paddling. Florida does too but its in the wrong corner of the USA.

P net has lots of AZ destinations of which I know little. We are headed there in April..

This is a website I just ran across.. http://www.paddlingcalifornia.com/No..._Counties.html

If you are running I 80 to San Fran. the Green is not far south by Western standards ( 5 hours out of Salt Lake, where 80 passes, or you can switch ). And consider the winter to be great hiking in Canyonlands and Arches. Both in the same area. Arches is plagued by busloads of tourists in summer. I would love to see it in winter.

Like Alan I'd consider hiking first at that time of the year. Beware distances in the West. Olympics is a good 2 day drive from San Fran.
You're retired. Take in one area at a time.. You will be back.

 

[BWCA66]

You will need 4 WD or chains or lots of luck(ie not snowing) to drive over the mountain passes. If there is a chain advisory and you have 2 wd you wont be able to get past the inspection stations. We have gotten snowed on going over Donner Pass in May and Eisenhower Pass in Sept.

Yeah, since I am looking at a January trip I was thinking of heading south and taking I-40 so I may look at something in so. Missouri or New Mexico or Arizona since time isn't really an issue.

 

[yellowcanoe]

You will need 4 WD or chains or lots of luck(ie not snowing) to drive over the mountain passes. If there is a chain advisory and you have 2 wd you wont be able to get past the inspection stations. We have gotten snowed on going over Donner Pass in May and Eisenhower Pass in Sept.

Yeah, since I am looking at a January trip I was thinking of heading south and taking I-40 so I may look at something in so. Missouri or New Mexico or Arizona since time isn't really an issue.

Snow will still need to be planned around. Its not a big deal for driving but as I said requires advance prep. Flagstaff has snow.. I was there hiking in April and there was a foot coming down. Altitude is everything.
The Current in Missouri or Buffalo in Arkansas allows multi day or day paddling but beware water levels and snow on particularly the Buffalo.. It snows on the Current (SE Missouri) too but the river is spring fed and more reliable
Id like to paddle Lake Powell in AZ particularly as its running low on water unearthing natural formations buried when it filled in 1967.

This trip on the Rio Grande looks tempting http://www.nps.gov/bibe/planyourvisit/secyn.htm

 

[Guest]

You will need 4 WD or chains or lots of luck(ie not snowing) to drive over the mountain passes. If there is a chain advisory and you have 2 wd you wont be able to get past the inspection stations. We have gotten snowed on going over Donner Pass in May and Eisenhower Pass in Sept.

Winter travel out west is a different beast. The inter-States have may have gate-across-the-highway closures well before the passes, sometimes starting a hundred miles before the pass, so there are enough hotel rooms to accommodate all of the stranded motorists.

Big Bend and Rio Grand offer nice Dec paddling. Florida does too but its in the wrong corner of the USA.

I paddled the Rio Grande in Big Bend on a couple of occasions in ’88 and ’89. Early November in ’88 saw sleet and freezing rain and, as I (barely) made my escape, epic black ice on I-10 that essentially shut down the highway with thousands of cars slid off the highway.

Big Bend would be well worth a paddling stop, with Santa Elana, Mariscal and Boquillas Canyons. If there was enough water; when I went back in ’98 the Rio Grande was a series of puddles connected by long mudflats.

The Green River through Labyrinth and Stillwater should be a bucket list trip for the uninitiated. But not for winter.

One possibility, if you are comfortable on big open water, are the various reservoirs; Lake Powell, Lake Mead and etc. Those have been extremely low with the decades of drought (and burgeoning population water demands).

Alan’s suggestion of the Olympic Penninsula is well worth of consideration, although you might want to check when their rainy season occurs. It rained for 11 straight days there in November on one visit. That was not made better by all of the locals telling me “You should have been here two weeks ago, it was lovely”. None of my gear ever dried out and when I’d had enough I couldn’t flee east across the mountain ranges until I got as far south as I-50.

I understand that you are starting from Minnesota, and so not a stranger to inclement weather, but I wouldn’t start a western peregrination in November. I’d wait until late April or early May and chase spring north with weather reports in hand. Maybe a shake-down cruise in the south-east US, Suwannee, Everglades, Gulf Coast stuff, and then head west along a southerly route in early spring.

 

[Guest]

Any suggestions on where to canoe, either day trips or overnights in the SW US?

I kinda got thinking about longer trips and overlooked the “day trip or overnight” part.

That opens a lot of possibilities. No pun intended, but there are a boatload of small to medium size lakes out west, especially in the lesser known Nat’l Forests and Recreation areas, BLM, State Parks, etc. Methinks there probably thousands of little known small lakes at the end of dirt roads that only the locals know about.

Well, meknows that for fact. I’ve been “let in” on a few places. Sometimes chatting up the locals in a diner or a Ranger in a Forest Station pays dividends. I chatted up the Rangers at Crater Lake about paddling possibilities and they suggested Waldo Lake in the Willamette Nat’l Forest.

http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/willamette/recarea/?recid=4528

That place is awesome. Waldo is the second largest and second deepest lake in Oregon after Crater Lake. NF campground along a portion of the lakeside with a couple or three paddle out sites on islands. FreakySpooky clear water. When the bottom suddenly drops away to a clearly visible hundred foot depth it is like paddling on air, with a slight tinge of fear of falling.
(Caveat in praise: I was there in October)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waldo_Lake

I don’t know how well this will cut and paste, but I’ve been keeping a list of western paddling places for overnighting, day paddling or small lake canoe camping and spur of the moment no-shuttle stuff.

In semi-random order and wayyyyy long, with any formatting errors not my fault (BTW, nothing ever is), some notes and links on (some as yet unseen) possibilities out west:

Curecanti NRA (Colorado)
http://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisit/boating.htm

Morrow Point Reservior. The “easiest access is 232 steps down into the canyon”. And, of course, 232 steps up on the way back. Only if Willie carries my gear down and back.

Crystal Reservoir in Curecanti has what looks to be a 2 mile trail leading to the access. Oh, Willieeeee…carry my boat

http://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisit/upload/campingmap_morrow_crystal.pdf

Blue Mesa has established boat-in campsites as well. 9 sites, all of which seem motor boat-able, and with two marinas I expect it might be busy, but worth a shot off-season mid-week.

http://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisit/boatincamping.htm

Blue Mesa Campsite Map

http://www.nps.gov/cure/planyourvisit/upload/campingmap_bluemesa.pdf

Vallecito Reservoir outside Durango

Drive-to sites around a small lake.

https://wildlife.state.co.us/SiteCo...es/Summaries/Southwest/VallecitoReservoir.pdf


Jackson Lake in the Tetons.
Many trip reports available on line. Guidebooks too.

Ridgway State Park, Ridgeway CO

http://www.parks.state.co.us/parks/ridgway/Pages/RidgwayStateParkHome.aspx

“During the high season (mid-May to mid-September), 258 campsites for RVs, trailers, campers and motor homes are available, as well as 25 walk-in tent sites for a more remote experience. During the rest of the year, 20 RV sites and 15 tent sites are available.”

Park Map:
http://www.parks.state.co.us/SiteCollectionImages/parks/Parks/Ridgway/Maps/RidgwayParkMap.pdf

Sundry lakes on either side of Glacier NP

Big Arm State Park on the Flathead (east side)

http://stateparks.mt.gov/big-arm/

Whitefish Lake, West Shore or Wayfarers SP’s on the west side of Flathead.

http://stateparks.mt.gov/whitefish-lake/

http://stateparks.mt.gov/west-shore/

http://stateparks.mt.gov/wayfarers/

Green River Lakes on the north end of the Wind Rivers Wyoming
“Forest Service facilities include a developed campground with group, trailer and single sites, undeveloped boat launch area, vault toilets, drinking water, public horse corrals, and extra parking at the main trailhead. Green River Lakes is the starting point for many trails in the Wind River Range, and is the northern terminus for hiking the Highline Trail, which follows the spine of the Continental Divide south to Big Sandy Opening.
Ideal Fishing with Easy Access
Motorized boats are allowed on the lower lake, however the earthen boat ramp is suitable only for smaller vessels. Jet skis and other personal water craft (PWCs) are not allowed. The upper lake lies within the Wilderness area - no motorized boats of any kind are allowed there.
Camping Options
Green River Lakes Campground is tucked in the trees near the edge of the lower lake, and is one of the most scenic campgrounds in the area. It has handicapped-accessible restrooms and plenty of level ground for those who are not up to strenuous activity but may want to stroll. There are no showers or phones, and your cell phone reception may be spotty due to the surrounding mountains blocking a clear signal. This popular campground tends to fill up quickly, so reservations are recommended. For fee and reservation information, call the Pinedale Ranger District at 307-367-4326. A Campground Host is onsite during the summer season to answer questions from visitors.”

There are a lot of small lakes on the west side of the Wind Rivers; Freemont, Half Moon, Burnt, Boulder, Willow and New Forks as well as the Green River lakes.

Niobrara in Nebraska. Whoda thunk it. OK, that one would need a shuttle, but when will you ever paddle in Nebraska?

http://outdoornebraska.ne.gov/boating/guides/canoetrails/canoe-nio.asp

Abiquiu Reservoir in New Mexico.

http://corpslakes.usace.army.mil/visitors/projects.cfm?Id=L400070

Uh, maybe off-season; this sounds discouraging: “4,000-acre lake on the Chama River. The scenic high walled canyon of the Chama River above the main body of the lake is about 3 miles long and popular with wakeboarders and water skiers.”

There a bunch of other lakes near Sante Fe.

http://www.sdcmountainworks.com/water/flatwater.php

Cochiti is on the Reservation and might be a possibility.

Heron is a no-wake “quiet lake”, with a NM State Park and a primitive area.

http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/documents/HLPARKMAP.pdf

El Vado Lake isn’t a no-wake, and is noted as being popular with “waterskiers and Jet-skis”, but it likewise has a primitive area, and more shoreline convolutions and arms than Heron.

Park Map

http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/documents/EVPARKMAP.pdf

Just knowing the locations of a plethora of paddling places to stop, overnight and day paddle would make free-ranging the west more pleasurable.

Beyond the paddling possibilities there are some must-see places venues and vistas the (sometimes dirt) road while traveling out west.

Saving I think the best for last, provided you’ve managed to read this far. Start by driving through Monument Valley



Stop at Gooseneck SP for the view, or more.



And continue up the Moki Dugway

http://bluffutah.org/mokey-dugway-muley-point/

And end by free-camp atop the plateau on some dirt road edge of Muley Point



That drive and camp is not to be missed.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

 

[Guest]

Free and low cost campgrounds

I mentioned this a year ago on some thread, but it’s worth a repeat here.

The guidebook Free and Low-Cost Campgrounds will pay for itself the first time you stay at one of the 12,000 entries.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Free-Ca...sr=8-1&keywords=Free+and+Low-Cost+Campgrounds

 

[yellowcanoe]

Free and low cost campgrounds

I mentioned this a year ago on some thread, but it’s worth a repeat here.

The guidebook Free and Low-Cost Campgrounds will pay for itself the first time you stay at one of the 12,000 entries.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Free-Ca...sr=8-1&keywords=Free+and+Low-Cost+Campgrounds

Thank you for repeating. I now added it to my Amazon Wish List. I have a number of cheap items that are on that list. When hubby orders something I invariably come up ten dollars short for free shipping. So I just toss in a book from the Wish List.

 

[BWCA66]

Free and low cost campgrounds

I mentioned this a year ago on some thread, but it’s worth a repeat here.

The guidebook Free and Low-Cost Campgrounds will pay for itself the first time you stay at one of the 12,000 entries.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Free-Ca...sr=8-1&keywords=Free+and+Low-Cost+Campgrounds

Mike - thanks for all the ideas and the guidebook link. Will have to order that one. I would head south/southeast but the draw of 5 grandkids in the San Fran area has me heading west. Looks like the trip will take place end of December through the middle of January. Thinking of heading out down I-80 and coming back on I-40. I'll pack the truck with a canoe, bikes and hiking and camping equipment and see where it all takes me. My most common phrase (which I think all my kids came to dislike) is - I wonder what's down that road? Hopefully will find open water in some places and have a chance for some day or overnight trips.
I do have a trip to the Missouri river in Montana in the works for June too. This forced retirement could end up being a lot of fun if I can afford it.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Pair that Missouri River trip up with the Green. They are only a day and a half apart. The Green as you know from Mike can last 20 days. More typically for us in a rush.. ten or 8.

The Missouri 5-7 days. We did it in four but started at Coal Banks and went about 110 miles to Judith Landing..

 

[Guest]

Looks like the trip will take place end of December through the middle of January. Thinking of heading out down I-80 and coming back on I-40. I'll pack the truck with a canoe, bikes and hiking and camping equipment and see where it all takes me.

I-80 in winter could be interesting.

4WD, or at least a set of chains, and a 0 degree sleeping bag kind of interesting. I do love western Wyoming, but not in winter. We awoke one September morning in the Wyoming high country to find three feet of snow, piled up to the edge of the passenger windows. Just getting the car doors open was a chore.

Hopefully will find open water in some places and have a chance for some day or overnight trips.

The mega El Nino may keep the winter drier and warmer than usual in the northwest, which could be a boon for highway travel, but finding open day paddling water in December and January may not happen until you are well west of the Rockies. The further west towards the more clement coast the better.

This forced retirement could end up being a lot of fun if I can afford it.

Retirement truly a thing of beauty. Affording it is largely a matter of creating some self-sufficient mobile abode that is easy on the wallet. Having a well appointed sleep-inside-anywhere tripping vehicle makes a world of affordability difference.

http://www.canoetripping.net/forums...ns/diy/20175-​more-work-on-the-tripping-truck

 

[BWCA66]

Free and low cost campgrounds

I mentioned this a year ago on some thread, but it’s worth a repeat here.

The guidebook Free and Low-Cost Campgrounds will pay for itself the first time you stay at one of the 12,000 entries.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Free-Ca...sr=8-1&keywords=Free+and+Low-Cost+Campgrounds

Got the guide book today, time to start some serious dreaming and planning.

 

[Guest]

Got the guide book today, time to start some serious dreaming and planning.

Not intending to further drain your wallet with additional reference and resource material suggestions, but carrying the Delorme Atlas & Gazetteers for interesting States along the way is also a boon to freestyling cross country travels.

http://shop.delorme.com/OA_HTML/DELibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10096

A silly side note: A stack of those DeLorme Gazetteers fit very nicely in a Xerox paper box top.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Not intending to further drain your wallet with additional reference and resource material suggestions, but carrying the Delorme Atlas & Gazetteers for interesting States along the way is also a boon to freestyling cross country travels.

.

especially as they have campgrounds and campsites on the maps as well as hand carry and paved launches. Caveat. Don't wait till you are in your target state to buy one. They can be hard to find when you arrive. I wasted half a day in Florida