The following stretches of the canal are your best bets for canoeing/kayaking, provided that water flow is sufficient (check in advance). Recommended paddles:

1. Easton Lock 24 to Theodore Roosevelt Recreation Area Lock 23
2. Washington Crossing Park at the Thompson-Neely House (Bowman’s Hill) to Lock 7 (Borden’s Lock) at the Delaware Canal Park Maintenance Area
3. Mary Yardley footbridge at Fuld Ave (PECO substation) to Lock 5 (Yardley Lock)
4. Lock 5 to Black Rock Road and then to Ferry Road — also to Trenton Road in Morrisville, or even to Bridge Street, Morrisville. (Be prepared to portage around road culverts at Black Rock and at Ferry.)

Combine options 3 and 4 and plan to “lunch” at Lock 5 for the long-haul portage to below the RR bridge overhead, and then go all the way to Bridge Street — or return upstream on the canal.

See our Boating Access Chart for a list of boating access points up and down the Canal.

For a complete map of the Canal, see: The Towpath Trail.

Paddling Guide

Ready to canoe or kayak on the canal? Here’s what you need to know:

Alcoholic beverages: No alcoholic beverages are permitted in the Canal park, nor is it safe to consume them while on a paddling trip. Canal banks: Banks are steep with no docks or footholds to aid in getting into or out of your boat, and the water is immediately deep.

• It is also wise to have “painters” (lines) attached to both the bow (front) and stern (back) of your boat to aid in lowering it down an extremely steep bank.
• To climb up or down a particularly steep bank to the water level, use your body and paddle for balance. Stay low to the ground.

Carry in/carry out: There are few or no trash facilities along the canal. Please plan to take with you any trash you generate. As a good citizen, please take any litter you find as well.

Cell phone: Bring your cell phone programmed with an emergency call number in a secure “dry bag.” Be alert as to where you are on the canal in case you need emergency assistance. Bring your cell phone programmed with an emergency call number in a secure “dry bag.” Be alert as to where you are on the canal in case you need emergency assistance.

End of trip: No one should leave at the end of the trip without helping each other take out boats and load them on vehicles, and/or provide transportation as needed.

Lead/sweep: The leader will designate a lead boat to go first, and a sweep boat that will remain in the last position. No one should go in front of the lead boat, nor lag behind the sweep boat. No one leaves the trip without consulting the leader.

Leader Responsibilities: Each boating trip should have a leader who “scouts” the planned route from the towpath by bike or foot in advance. The leader should obtain the map, A Pennsylvania Recreational Guide for the Delaware Canal, from the Delaware Canal State Park at 11 Lodi Hill Road Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972-9540. The leader should plan and observe the following:

• Ensure there is sufficient water in the part of the canal where you intend to paddle. This is critical while repairs are still being finalized along several stretches of the canal.
• Note any obstructions such as fallen trees, beaver dams, or islands of debris. A tree saw and branch clippers may needed.

Plan trip logistics ahead of time, including a “safety talk” to participants before the trip:

• Where will you put in and where will you take out?
• Is there sufficient safe parking?
• How will you shuttle vehicle(s) to the take-out point?
• What portages will be necessary en route?
• Where will you take rest/lunch stops?
• Which will be the lead and sweep boats?

Organizations: Join a canoe/kayak paddling organization, such as Piney Paddlers, to meet and paddle with other enthusiasts. Leona Fluck is the outdoor events chairperson for the Sierra Club of New Jersey. Personal flotation device (PFD): Your “life vest” is so named for a reason — it saves lives! Wear your (PFD) at all times. Keep it tightly “zipped up and clipped up” so that it can function most effectively. It is also recommended that protective footwear (e.g., sneakers or closed-toed water sandals) be worn rather than slip-on flip-flops or clogs.

Portaging: It is necessary to portage around frequent obstructions in the canal such as locks, stop gates, bridges, and low road culverts that do not provide enough head room to float through. Wheels made to ease the hauling of boats on longer portages are useful.

Private property: The park land is often very narrow, including the Canal and towpath, running through many areas of private land. Please do not take rest stops or picnic on private property. Instead, use the county, township or DCNR park facilities along the way. Plan your access and stops accordingly.

Registration: Register your canoe/kayak with:

PA DCNR – Delaware Canal State Park, 11 Lodi Hill Road, Upper Black Eddy, PA 18972-9540 or register at any PA State Park.

Bucks County Department of Parks and Recreation – Core Creek Park, 901 Bridgetown Pike, Langhorne, PA 19047.

Safe water fun: Never use a paddle to splash other paddlers in a water fight (too many teeth have been lost that way!). Use bailers, water pumps, water guns, or just your hands. Also, do not intentionally overturn another paddler’s boat.

Safety in numbers: For any canoe/kayak trip there should be a minimum of three people in at least two boats. Two people can hold a boat, either from the bank or from a boat, while the third paddler enters theirs. For canal paddling, it is recommended that one boat be a canoe with an experienced paddler trained in American Canoe Association (ACA) safety-and-rescue techniques.

Signals

Standard whistle signals:

• 1 whistle = stop and pay attention
• 2 whistles = gather together
• 3 whistles = someone needs assistance

Standard paddle signals:

• Paddle held perpendicular to water surface = straight ahead
• Paddle angled to desired direction = go right/left
• Arms raised holding paddle parallel to the water surface = stop paddling

Training classes: Attend training classes to learn proper paddling strokes and boating safety.

• Summer lessons are offered by the Delaware Canal State Park at Giving Pond. Consult the park website for a current calendar.
• Find an American Canoe Association certified class or instructor.

Transportation: Plan for at least one vehicle to be left at the take-out point to transport other drivers back to their cars. This is another reason to have a minimum of three people; one to stay with the boats and gear while the others shuttle the cars. Or, have someone who is not paddling pick up the drivers at the end of the trip.

Because the canal has “quiet water,” you could plan one of several round-trip options that would not require a car shuttle:

• Paddle two ways along your planned route.
• Paddle upstream on the canal, and then, where there is appropriate access, portage over to the Delaware River and paddle downstream back to your start point.
• Plan a bike and canoe/kayak circuit.

Boating Access Chart