Customer Reviews

Paddling Pennsylvania: Kayaking and Canoeing the Keystone State's Rivers and Lakes

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I like Jeff Mitchells' books very much and I think they are indispensable to the serious outdoors person in Pennsylvania. But I am very disappointed with this book. I used Edward Gertler's Keystone Canoeing book as a reference in the past and I was hoping this book would provide information missing from Gertler's book, but alas it does not. The most frustrating is the lack of information on amenities near the paddling spots, especially for rivers. For example, the section on the Octoraro Creek has a starting and end point on roads...ok, well, is there public parking nearby to leave the car? Is the access on public or private land? Also, the section I mentioned is 14.5 miles...but no mileage information in between, so if I want to cut the trip to say 7 miles, I don't know where on the map said 7 miles is. This renders the book all but useless for the river sections since I am not going to drive a couple of hours if I don't know if I can even park my car when I get there.

The sections on lakes are a little more useful, but could also use some work. For example, Bruce Lake and Egypt Meadow Lake are near one another. To get to Bruce Lake, you must hike 3 miles in to put in. However, the trail to get to Bruce Lake passes by Egypt Meadow Lake, which has a close by public access. So, if I put in at Egypt Meadow, can I access the trail to portage to Bruce Lake? If so, what is the new mileage of the portage. Again, not very much information is provided.

Here's hoping that the second edition will be a little more insightful.

I now understand why it has taken so long for a book on this subject to be published; it is simply a monumental undertaking, and Mr. Mitchell is to be congratulated for his effort. As he mentions in his introduction, PA has 'more waterway miles than any state except Alaska'. The real challenge in writing this book was deciding where to draw the line in the scope of what it would cover, and do it in such a way that the information would stay useful for a reasonable period of time.

"The Guide focuses primarily on sizeable flatwater rivers and streams...'this is not a guide to whitewater rivers and creeks'. Industrialized rivers, or those open to heavy commercial traffic are not included.

"There are 211 separate excursions described in the book, organized by watersheds. At the beginning of each section there is a watershed map showing all the trips described. Each individual trip includes a 'thumbnail' map showing access points. A data table for each trip shows pertinent USGS gages with suggested minimum levels, and a maximum recommended level where it applies; difficulty rating; hazards; scenery rating; notes on fishing and camping, with a narrative.

"Each description is designed to give the reader an overview, and a fair sense of what may be expected from the experience. It lacks exhaustive detail, but it is certainly more than adequate and will whet your appetite for exploring beyond your [geographical] comfort zone. This, coupled with a PA Gazetteer and maybe a AAA TourBook will put you well on your way to enjoying many new adventures on our state's waters."

Jeff Mitchell has done it again! He has written a concise, detailed and most importantly an ACCURATE guide to wilds of the Keystone State. Wonderful !

this is a great overview of the bodies of water for kayaking and canoeing. do not expect maps or anything of that nature but it does offer basic information. however, be warned that there is some misinformation. for instance, green lane reservoir is listed as a location for launch. while you can launch a boat it has to be quarantined for ten days before it can go on the water. my advise would be to contact the places you intend to go ahead of time to be sure there are no special permits or quarantines required.

i definitely recommend the book as a guide for the waterways of pennsylvania.

...there are a few obvious omissions. One in particular is the Little Toby Creek from Brockway to Portland Mills (Clarion River). Jeff, when you get a chance, you have to do this stretch of creek. It's very isolated, picturesque, and historic. I GUARANTEE you will add this to your next addition if you do this waterway. Memorial Day weekend and Fall Foliage are popular times. I've even done it when the snow was flying.

The book is excellent, though. It pointed out some other nearby waterways that I've never even considered canoeable.

I am new to the kayaking experience and ordered this book in addition to another similar one. I found it not as useful because it addressed the broad perspective of Pennsylvania versus my personal geographic interest in SE PA and southern NJ locations. A glossary of terms would have been helpful for the novice kayak reader. The locations were described in a manner that challenged me in looking at maps for specific access points. The other reference book provided GPS coordinates that were more useful because some water access points are really not obvious.

Books were in excellent condition, shipping was very fast. Very interesting and informative book for quiet water paddlers.