This canoeing destination piece originally appeared in the ACA section of Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.

The Bartram Canoe Trail resides on Durbin Creek in Jacksonville, FL. Created over 25 years ago, it is now maintained by Eric Bersinger and Josh Woods—two dedicated paddlers, members of the St. Johns Riverkeeper organization and founders of the Durbin Creek Wilderness Society. Bersinger and Woods have committed themselves to preserving the ecological and historical integrity of this scenic waterway so that it may be enjoyed by all. The Bartram Canoe Trail is on the westernmost part of the Julington-Durbin Creek Preserve, accessible from Race Track Road. This nine-mile trail is rich with biodiversity including rare Centennial Cypresses lining the shores and bald eagle, osprey, wading birds and songbirds frequenting the area. Bersinger says, “I defy anyone to show me a more beautiful area to kayak in Northeast Florida.”

The Bartram Trail Canoe Park continues to improve the trail with floating campsites, hiking trails, trash receptacles, information kiosks, and more. For more information about the Bartram Canoe Trail and restoration efforts, visit http://bartramcanoetrail.blogspot.com. 

This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Early Summer 2012.

This canoeing destination piece originally appeared in the ACA section of Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.

The Deschutes Paddle Trail is an ACA Recommended Water Trail that includes the navigable sections of the Deschutes River and Little Deschutes River in Deschutes County, along with nine of the largest Cascades lakes in the county.

The river portion of the Deschutes Paddle Trail includes: 

• 26 miles of the Little Deschutes River, from LaPine to the river’s junction with the Deschutes River near Sunriver.

• 95 miles of the Deschutes River, from Wickiup Reservoir in the south to Lower Bridge in the north, which is the last take-out before leaving Deschutes County.

Although the Deschutes Paddle Trail has sections that everyone can safely enjoy, the levels of difficulty include everything from placid easy sections (class I) to very difficult (and dangerous) sections (class V) that are for experts only. Be sure to consult ACA Safety information to ensure that you are adequately prepared for the section of the Deschutes that you are planning on paddling.

Because the Deschutes River is the source of water for agricultural irrigation in Central Oregon, its flow levels are seasonal. Consult the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance for maps or to check seasonal flows before planning your trip.

See www.deschutespaddletrail.info/index.html or www.bendpaddletrailalliance.org for more information. 

This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Early Summer 2012.

This canoeing destination piece originally appeared in the ACA section of Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.

In July 2011, citizens of Prattville, Alabama, began a community effort to clean up and improve the aesthetics and navigability of the Autauga Creek Canoe Trail.

Fallen trees were blocking the creek, which were cut and repositioned to provide safe passage for canoes and unsightly debris including trash, old tires and other items were removed. Hundreds of hours of labor have been contributed by the Autauga Creek Improvement Committee over the past 16 months.

The headwaters of Autauga Creek begin more than 13 miles above the historical Daniel Pratt Mill Dam located in  downtown Prattville. The clean-up efforts were initially concentrated on the four miles of creek between the dam and the take-out point at the canoe trail park. Although this part of the creek flows primarily through the city, its high, vegetated banks and dense tree cover give it the appearance of a wilderness experience. Now, the canoe trail is clear from the dam to the Alabama River. Paddling activities on the creek have dramatically increased as a result of adding four new informational kiosks. Artwork and interpretive information was printed and mounted. The signs immediately attracted the attention of nearby pedestrians who began reading the material and examining the canoe trail map.

The Autauga Creek Improvement Committee received ACA’s L.L. Bean Club Fostered Club Grant in 2012 and just recently finished these improvements. 

This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Spring 2013.