Island Kayak Camping on the Susquehanna River
Vložit
- čas přidán 11. 09. 2024
- For years, all my camping trips would start with hiking some distance. While hiking is very enjoyable, its beneficial to add some variety. In this video, I decided to give kayak camping a try and absolutely loved it. I kayaked a portion of the Susquehanna River Trail middle section. I paddled to island 97, 93, and 89(ish), then spent the night on an island in a hammock.
If you are interested in planning your own river trip, I would recommend using both of these resources to check current/predicted water levels.
waterdata.usgs...
water.weather....
If you would like to plan a trip on the Susquehanna River specifically, I would recommend using this resource:
www.susquehann...
------------------------------
Track: Welcome, Traveler - Artificial.Music [Audio Library Release]
Music provided by Audio Library Plus
Watch: • Welcome, Traveler - Ar...
Free Download / Stream: alplus.io/welc...
------------------------------
Hey Colby, I just did a 3-night solo trip from Shamokin Dam to City Island in Harrisburg. When I got to Island 89 it was taken so I ended up on the same island you did in this video. Perfect for my hammock and the little area surrounding the island was quite charming. I’m so thankful that you documented it so I knew what to do when 89 was no longer an option and the next islands were too far to travel before dark. It was my favorite camping spot on the whole trip.
Glad this was helpful for you! Hopefully I can find time to get out and do this again this summer. I’d like to do a multi-day trip, Shamokin Dam to City Island sounds awesome
@@colbyzimmerman1268
I didn’t get a chance to stop at every island, but below is my assessment for the ones I saw. Campsites 111 and 107a might be some of the nicest campsites I’ve been to in PA. The campsites below Clark’s Ferry are significantly less pristine and many do not have picnic tables, but the rapids through the Dauphin Narrows and the Rockville Bridge make that stretch more exciting. River Right/River Left refers to which side of the island you need to be on to access the campsite.
116 - River Left * (h)
112 - River Right (h) MUD CITY
111 - River Right * (t)
107a - River Left * (h)
107b - River Left * (h)
101a - River Right (t) Highway Noise
101b - River Left (h) Highway Noise
97 - River Right * (t)
93 - River Left * (h) not marked
89 - River Left * (h)
83a - River Right * (h) not marked well
83b - River Left (h) not marked
81a - River Right (h) not marked well
81b - Southern Tip (h)
* = recommended spot
(h) = good for hammocks and tents
(t) = better suited for tents
Pretty cool to watch as I Amtrak from Philly to Pitt. When I mapped it I was actually a mile from your take out.
Just finished a 3 day trip. Couldn't find the established site at 93. We used your video to get to the first site you found in your video at 91. Your video saved the day and prevented us from having a late day on the river (used your video to get to the correct side of the island). Thanks!
We just did our first trip of this year on the Susquehanna. 2 days on the north branch near Tunkhannock PA
Seriously Cool. Thanks for posting.
How did the grayl work in the susquehanna? I have done this stretch before. (Selingsgrove to Harrisburg) I was always a bit leery about drinking the susquehanna water thinking it would be really gross or full of things you wouldn't want to drink. I know the Grayl filters out all of the bad stuff. Just curious on your thoughts. I actually just bought one for a different trip I'm doing in Michigan with a little bit cleaner water. Carrying 2 or 3 gallons of water is always a pain in the ass haha
For me the Grayl has really been a game changer for any trips that have a consistent water source. I haven't had any concerns with its filtration ability for any flowing water source I've used it in. It can be used in some pretty questionable water sources too, but the more junk the filter needs to pull out, the shorter the lifespan of the filter.
Im going next weekend
You earned a subscriber! Great video! Are there any good places to leave your car overnight for a trip like this?
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the video. There are several good locations to leave a car overnight. In the section I traveled, there is a parking area that would be ideal to leave a car at the Clark's Ferry Bridge, where Rt 322 crosses the river. That was where I took the kayak out at the end of the trip. There is also access to the Appalachian Trail from this parking area. I believe there is a location in Halifax that would be ok to leave a car overnight, but I haven't personally used that location. There is also parking available at Riverfront Park in Millersburg. Check out the Susquehanna Greenway Organization for a full list of the 23 public islands with campsites if you are looking for information on other sections of the river. There is probably info on parking on their site as well.
What a thorough and thoughtful response! Thanks so much! This is super helpful! I look forward to crossing paths with you on the river!
Great vid…..thank you for sharing. This is something I would like to do. I do have to ask this though. What do you do if u would find your stomach start to disagree with you? Just subscribed
I do this by myself all summer. where was that? i usually go around Conklin NY to Owego NY area. I love it. I tow a kayak behind me with gear. Being a woman by myself I like islands because I feel safer.
This was on the Susquehanna River in PA. I'm planning to do another trip this summer (hopefully longer distance). Also planning to do a trip on Pine Creek if I can make the time.
@@colbyzimmerman1268 let me know. Ill go.
who makes the silicon bags you use for food?
The ones I used on this trip are Stasher brand. I’ve used reusable bags from 4-5 different companies, those are my favorite so far.
Put in? Take out? Miles?
Started out in Millersburg at the boat launch, got out at Clark’s Ferry Bridge. Ended up being around 13 miles.