Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River at its northern boundary near the Martins Creek Boat Ramp

RIVER TRIP OVERVIEW

Martins Creek Boat Ramp to the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp
Length: 5.2 miles
Water Level at Time of Trip:  6.3 feet
Average moving speed:  5.2 MPH with two paddlers
Top Speed:  7.2 MPH
Time: 1 hour

This river trip starts at the Martins Creek Boat Ramp .4 mile north of the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River’s northern boundary. The reason for this is because the first boat ramp within the park, the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp, is 4.8 miles south of the boundary. In order to paddle the entire river within the park, you must start outside the park, and the Martins Creek Boat Ramp is the closest public ramp to the northern boundary.

Except for this first .4 mile, the entire paddling trip is on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River. I mention this because not all sections of the river from the northern boundary to the southern boundary at Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, are part of the park. River sections can be excluded due to excessive shoreline development, poor water quality, or because a municipality along the river does not want to be part of the park. In order to be included, municipalities on both sides of the river must agree. Decisions not to be included are often based on the fact that the municipality would have to impose stricter regulations on the businesses along the river.

Delaware River near the Martins Creek Boat Ramp in Bangor, Pennsylvania

THE FINE PRINT

Before starting a trip down the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River, it is a good idea to check the water levels so that you have an idea of the river conditions. At the northern end of the park, the most relevant United States Geological Survey (USGS) water level gauge is at Belvidere, New Jersey. I did the trip when the reported water level was 6.3 feet, and the observations in my report are based on this water level. If you do the trip when the levels are significantly lower, you may be dragging your boat to deeper water in some places and probably won’t experience the same degree of rapids as I report. If the water levels are significantly higher, you may experience more intense rapids, and more of them. Also be aware that regardless of water levels, extreme winds can cause turbulent conditions that require advanced skills on water otherwise suited for all paddlers.

Keep in mind that water level gauges only measure water depth at one location. The actual depth of the river varies from place to place. However, a gauge reading gives a good indication of what the water levels will be like between it and the next downriver gauge. For example, it may be recommended that for an enjoyable paddling trip that Gauge X reads at least four feet, even though you can have a good time in your kayak in as little as a foot of water, perhaps even less. However, a four-foot reading at Gauge X may mean that some areas of the river only have six inches of water. Likewise, the gauge at Washington Crossing read .15 foot at the start of the day when I did the trip on the southern end of the river and -.15 by the evening. Minus? How is that possible? Do I have to dig a well to get to the water? All I know is that there was plenty of water, and I’m not talking about just enough to get by. I’m talking about not being able to see the bottom. So .15 feet of water at Washington Crossing means there is plenty of water in that area, while .15 feet at Gauge X probably means the river is dry in that area.

So you now know the water levels are all relative to the area, and you really need to be a frequent paddler, or know someone who is, to judge when it’s going to be a good day on the river. I’m from Georgia. I went down the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River once, so I do not know what water levels may require advanced paddling skills or may even be dangerous, or at what levels you may be scraping the bottom of the riverbed. All I can say is that with 6.3 feet of water at the Belvidere gauge, the conditions are excellent for a paddling trip between Martins Creek and Sandt’s Eddy. There was plenty of water in the river and the current was moving fast. I hit a top speed of 7.2 MPH and rarely fell below 5 MPH. Despite a swift current, at the reported water levels there is nothing on this section of river that even novice paddlers cannot handle.

RIVER TRIP DETAILS

While the current was swift from the moment I departed from Martins Creek, it really got moving about two miles farther downriver where the Delaware splits to go around Keifer Island—stick to the left side. Current typically picks up when a larger river channel splits into two smaller channels due to a large amount of water suddenly being squeezed into a smaller space. This is where I hit my 7.2 MPH. Despite this speed, there were no rapids, just some choppy water that might provide a few splashes.

Choppy water on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River when going around Keifer Island

Beyond Keifer Island, things slowed down a good bit and the river now looked like a lake. However, I was still moving at 4 MPH while barely paddling, which is a great current, it’s just that I was a little spoiled after going around the island. The water remained calm until coming to a railroad bridge a mile later. From the bridge it is another mile and a half to Sandt’s Eddy.

Calm water on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River at the railroad bridge upriver from the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp

The current picks up again beyond the bridge, and I was still moving at 5 MPH when I came to the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp. If I had passed it, it would have taken some effort to paddle back upriver. So that you don’t have to do this, once beyond the bridge, start working your way over to the Pennsylvania (right) side of the river. When you hear the noise of a factory and see the buildings on the right, you know you are about at the ramp. The factory is the Ardent Mills Flour Plant.

Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp on the Lower Delaware National Wild and Scenic River

Ardent Flour Mill next to the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp near Easton, Pennsylvania

The Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp is maintained by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) and requires a permit to use, even for canoes, kayaks, and other hand-paddled watercraft. See the Sandt’s Eddy Boat Ramp web page here on National Park Planner for more information.

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