This may be one of the most popular spots in the country for canoeing. Since 2003 the Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry has hosted the United States Canoe Association national races every other year and since 2000 Warren has been the home of the annual Pennsylvania State Championship canoe races.
Livery services here rent canoes and transport vacationers to and from points of embarkment and pick them up downstream. The calm and flat waters created by the Kinzua Dam have made canoeing a regional perennial favorite.
Have you searched bookstores for maps and other information on the Allegheny River and come up empty handed? You’re not alone. Until recently, no guidebook on the Allegheny existed. Now one does. It’s called the Allegheny River Paddling Guide. And it floats.
The Paddling Guide clocks the upper 45 miles of the Allegheny, from Kinzua Dam to Tionesta, noting major landmarks, historical sites and where paddlers can stop for food, supplies, camping, hiking and more. Each feature is marked on a detailed map of the river that’s laid out consecutively over several pages. GPS coordinates are included for tech-savvy adventurers. Many sights are also captured in photos to help readers further identify what they're seeing as they paddle down the Allegheny. The book is 34 pages, spiral bound, and the size of a reporter’s notebook for easy storage. Every page is enclosed in a 5-mil lamination to make the entire book water resistant and, yes, it even floats.
The folks at two canoe liveries, Allegheny Outfitters and Allegheny Indian Waters, tried to write the Paddling Guide in a way that makes readers feel like they are on the river with them, showing them all the cool stuff in our back yard. In the introduction they explain that no one paid them to be included in the guide. “Our general rule of thumb when compiling it was to include as much objective information as possible, so you could check things out for yourself,” the intro says. “Where we have made suggestions – about books, restaurants, festivals – we’ve tried to be transparent and honest in our recommendations.”
If you are in the local area you can get a copy of the Paddling Guide in Warren at the Allegheny Book Mart, in Starbrick at Dreamboat Marina, and in Tidioute it is available at the Wildwood Inn and at the Trading Post. The book is also available now for immediate shipping from an online store.
Want to see more now? Here's more info on canoeing and kayaking the Allegheny River at the magazine version of this news blog.
--news source: Allegheny Indian Waters canoe livery and rental service, Tidioute, PA
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Authors plan "Volume II: Allegheny River Paddling Guide
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Posted by: Chris Lareau | May 27, 2008 at 10:59 AM