Western Pennsylvania Kayak Association

We will all meet at Green Garden Plaza, in Hopewell where we will condense kayaks and people onto less vehicles, leave some cars at the plaza, and shuttle up to the launch spot at Independence Park near Independence elementary school.

From there, we will paddle 8 miles back down to Green Garden Plaza.

Raccoon Creek is a scenic creek, with easy class I rapids. You do need to be comfortable with moving water and be able to avoid obstacles.

There will likely be some parts of the creek that are blocked by trees, and we will have to pull our kayaks up steep, muddy banks, and carry our kayaks through rough terrain, on land, to get around the obstacles.

PFD's are required to be worn at all times while kayaking with this group.

Bring snacks. We will take a rest stop along the way to eat them.

The water levels of Raccoon Creek are often not suitable suitable for paddling. We will monitor levels, and If that is the case on this date, we will move the event to the Mahoning/Beaver River, with the meetup point being in Wampum, PA.

Hello all. I am co-hosting an event with our friends at the Krazy Kayak Adventures MeetUp group.

They are a fun bunch from the Southwestern Ohio area.

To attend, you'll have to sign up on their event page at this link:

https://www.meetup.com/crazy-kayak-adventures/events/306074658/

We are camping at Paddler's Lane Campground in Confluence, PA, right next to the Youghiogheny River, near Ohiopyle.

It is primitive camping with no water or electricity hookups, but they do have shower and bathroom facilities. Bring your own camping gear.

On Wednesday, we will setup camp and explore the area.

On Thursday, we will visit waterfalls, the natural water slides, browse the shops of Ohiopyle, and explore the park area.

Friday we will raft the lower Youghiogheny with a local outfitter. This section includes class III-IV rapids.

On Saturday, we will kayak the middle Youghiogheny. This is a fun 10.7 mile section with class I and II rapids. It's not difficult, but you do want to have some moving water experience before paddling this.
The water will be cold. Wet or dry suits are highly recommended, and PFD's are required to be properly worn and secured.

Meals will be a combination of local eateries, and making our own food.

The cost for this event is $180 and includes the raft trip and camping. It's $80 if you prefer to skip the rafting.

For more details, and to signup, click this link to Krazy Kayak Adventures MeetUp page:

https://www.meetup.com/crazy-kayak-adventures/events/306074658/

The Shenango Paddle Fest is a popular event held on the beautiful, 2021 Pennsylvania River of the year, Shenango River, twice a year.

We will meet at the Pymatuning Dam, which is where the check in, and launch is.

We will check in, drop kayaks off, then drive our vehicles to the take-out at Riverside Park, Greenville. From there we will take the shuttle bus back to the put-in.

Bring kayaks appropriate for creeks, as this is not a very wide river. This is moving water, with a few easy class I rapids.

The paddle is approximately 9 miles.

Wearing a PFD while paddling is required at this and all WPKA events.

After the paddle, the Shenango River watchers will provide food, beverages, and live music, all included with the registration fee.
The fee is $25 day of event, $20 if you pre-register online at:

https://shenangoriverwatchers.charityproud.org/EventRegistration/Index/22899

This covers the shuttle, too.