San Francisco Bay Area Canoeing
Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Contents

• Resources for trip planning: Books and Web sites on where to go and sources of flow information
• Places to paddle: lakes, bay and estuaries, and rivers (nearby and further afield)
• Local canoeing organizations
• Places to buy canoes and equipment
• Places to get instruction
• Places to rent canoes

Resources for trip planning

Books and web sites

• California Creekin' inventory is a listing of 136 runs in California.  Organized by Bill Tuthill, a longtime California paddler.  This covers everything from easy class I floats to difficult class V runs.  This is an amazing internet resource.  This is an alternative link to the same site.
• Recreational Lakes in California(latest edition). Includes summaries of access and boating permitted on many lakes.
• California Whitewater(Cassidy and Calhoun) Includes some useful information on class II rivers. Much more on class III - V.
• A Guide to the Best Whitewater in California (Holbek and Stanley) Covers few runs that are less than class III.
• California River Touring (Schwinn). An exhaustive guide, the best I have seen for class I-III rivers. Unfortunately it is out of print by 20 years. There is a copy in the Bancroft Library at UC Berkeley.
• California Coastal Access may be useful for paddling on coastal estuaries.

Flow information

• By phone:
• California Dept. of Water Resources used to operate the Flow Phone. Now you can try K-flow (916)368-8682 or 366-6584. http://www.coloma.com/kflow/. To receive updates by email a few times/week, send a message to kflow@ns.net and ask to be added to the mailing list.
• Waterline (800)945-3376 for customer service, then (900)726-4243.
• On the Web:
• California Dept. of Water Resources (DWR, Recreational River Information
• Current Streamflow Conditions in California (USGS)
• Kiwi Kayaks (near Headsburg, in Windsor), maintains information on North Coast rivers, accessible from their home page.
• I am working on a static flow page which pulls data from the USGS and DWR sites.
• Jef Poskanzer's nice interface for CDEC flow data
• Information on California Rivers (links to many california sites, and guage to cfs charts for use with USGS data, via UC Davis' Outdoor Adventures This link no longer works.

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Places to Paddle

Lakes

Lake Merrit, Downtown Oakland. Boat rentals, views of the city. Salt water. Park at the sailboat house. Beware of rowers and small sailboats. $2 parking fee on weekends, $2 fee to launch boats. Free on Mondays during the Winter when the boathouse is closed. PFDs required.
• Berkeley Aquatic Park. 2nd and Addison, Berkeley. Not all that pleasant, esp. near the freeway. Beware of rowers in the am, motor boats in the pm, though the motor boats stay at the south end. Salt water. Watch for a boat demo day sponsored by REI in the spring -- Paddle many boats for free!
• Lake Chabot, Oakland. Oak covered hillsides surround this large reservoir. Park atmosphere. Boat rentals. Check with Oakland Parks to verify access for private boats. Long carry from parking to water.
• Lafayette Reservoir, Lafayette (off highway 24). It is is run by EBMUD; hours 6am - 8pm in the summer. Canoes/kayaks are allowed on the water, for a daily charge of $5, PFDs required. No motors allowed, except for 1.5hp electrics for fishermen. The lake is about 1/2 mile in length, a number of docks available for landing. Water is quiet, except for late afternoon winds in the summer and early morning fog/winds. Generally pleasant environment. It's worth a paddle now and then. Fishing is good, especially after stocking.
• Shadow Cliffs, Pleasanton. Converted quarry. Warm water -- good place to practice self rescue, but warn the lifeguards before you try! Water slide.
• Del Valle Reservoir, Livermore. Long reservoir with a low speed limit for power boats. Boat in group campground. Oak covered hillsides. Also swimming beaches, and lots of sailboards, though concentrated in an easy to avoid area. Warm water.
• Lake Merced, San Francisco.
• Foster City Lagoon, Foster City / San Mateo. Accessible from Parkside Aquatic Park. You can carry a canoe past the entry gates and there is no charge. The lake does have water skiers, so winter and weekdays are quieter. Entire circuit of lake about 5 miles. Water quality is low.
• Lake Borundi Foothills Park, Palo Alto. Must be with a Palo Alto resident for entry to park. Small lake, good for a family outting, with frogs, redwing blackbirds, and a small island. Very few people.
• Stevens Creek Reservoir, Cupertino. Small, but no motor boats, Popular for fishing too. Can be crowded summer weekends.
• Lexington Reservoir, Los Gatos. Very Accessible, No power boats. Isolated canyons where very few boats venture, and, when the lake is very full, a bayou-like area near the south end. Better conditions when the lake is holding more than 8000 acre feet. A full circuit is about 4.5 miles. (Thanks to Jerry Hawkins for this description).
• Loch Lomond, Santa Cruz Mtns, near Boulder Creek. A lovely place to canoe, good for quiet paddling since gasoline motors are not allowed. There is a paddle-in picnic site.

Lakes Farther Afield

• Cherry Lake is a popular canoe camping destination for the Outdoors Unlimited folks. It is located near Hetch Hetchy, in the Sierra. It is a beautiful lake with very clear water and limited (though increasing) power boat noise. Fishing and swimming (in the summer months) are excellent.

A few cautions: The drive to the lake from hwy 120 on Cherry Oil road is rigorous. Allow an hour for the ~23 miles and make sure that your vehicle is not prone to overheating on very steep hills. The lake can be quite windy, setting up some pretty choppy water, especially near the damn.

• Lake Elinore is nearby: Thanks to Bill Cutts for these directions: "If you go across the dam at Cherry Lake and take the first right turn, and go about 1 mile you can park and walk through the forest service gate down to Lake Elinore. It's about a 1/4 mile walk. You could carry your canoe or push it on a carrier. Then you can paddle to the NE corner of the lake to camp and fish, or to the NW corner to the campground to do the same. Camping is limited to these two places on the lake."

Bay and Estuaries

• San Francisco Bay access is possible at the Palo Alto sail boat launch (end of Embarcadero, of course,) and then either paddle into the bay, or up into the estuary.
• San Francisco Bay Natl. Wildlife Refuge has a boat launch into Newark Slough near the east end of the Dunbarton bridge. You can drive right to the water, but expect some mud.
• Another access in the South Bay is at Alviso. From there you can paddle the sloughs nearby, including the ghost town of Railroad Bridge, some distance North. Described in Paddler, Feb. 1996.
• Drakes Estero, Point Reyes. Access at the oyster plant. Sea Lions (well, I saw one when I was there.)
• Smith Ranch, Marin. Canoe launch access to a small estuary in the park at the end of Smith Ranch Road.
• Petaluma River Estuary, Petaluma
• Elkhorn Slough, near Moss Landing. Plan trips to put in at Moss landing, just North of highway 1 bridge. Catch the tide to take you up into Elkhorn Slough.
• (Any favorite trips in the Delta?)

Nearby Rivers (less than 2 hours of driving from SF.)

• Russian River. Class I. Asti to Alexander Valley Road, and A.V. Road to Healdsburg main St. Bridge are about 7 miles each. Access at Alexander Valley Road is off a side road -- just west of the bridge, look for a road going South, and go down it about 300 yards. Downstream, below Healdsburg, there are several access points as well, though the river widens and there is less current. Rentals available for the section around Healdsburg from Bob Trowbridge.
• American River, in Sacramento. 25 miles of class I, with a few riffles, and one class II drop. Lots of slow tubes and beer in the summer, but relatively deserted and charming in the winter. I've seen salmon swimming upstream in November. Cold water. Many access points, though some require day use fees. You can put in, or get a map at Sunrise Access, off Sunrise Blvd, just North of highway 50, 15 (?) mi. east of downtown. My favorite run is from here to just below San Juan rapid. Bicycle shuttles are possible on the adjacent bike path.
• Stanislaus River, Knights Ferry to Orange Blossom bridge above Oakdale. A 6 mile Class 1 with one short class 2 rapid near the put-in. There is an easy trail on river left around this rapid if you don't feel up to it. A local company, River Journey, (800-292-2938 or 209-847-4671) rents canoes and rafts for day trips on this run, and they will shuttle you from the take out back to your car in Knights Ferry. An alternative take out at Horseshoe Road Recreation Area on Orange Blossom Rd. shortens the trip to 3 miles, but requires a long carry.
• Lower sections of the Consumes and Mokolumne. For information about canoeing from the Cosumnes River Preserve, contact their Outreach Manager, Sarah Blanchette. Her address is sblanchette@tnc.org
• On the Mokolumne, A nice easy 2 day is to put in just below Camanche Dam and take out at one of several bridges in Lodi (or higher up). Farm country, rope swings, potential log jams(usually cut thru already), maybe a fish or 2 up close to the dam. (posted to rec.boats.paddle by Dave Douglass, banjo@best.com)
• Navarro River, put in at Hendy Woods State Park (usually done as an overnight trip on the river). This is just below Rancheria Creek run in Cal. W.W. Rainy season run.

Rivers Farther Afield

• Trinity, from Lewiston to Pigeon Point, and below Burnt Ranch Gorge.
• Yuba, through the gravel fields (hot hot hot).
• Many sections of the Klamath, from Tree of Heaven campground downstream.
• Sacramento, from Redding to Red Bluff to ???.
• Eel River

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Canoeing Organizations

• A source for information about canoe clubs is the American Canoe Association and its club listing page on the WWW. Many clubs choose ACA affiliation for insurance reasons, and the ACA home page lists all member clubs by state.
• POST (Popular Outdoor Sports Trips) is a canoe club based in Oakland. It is all volunteer, and has it's own boats, equipment, a van and a trailer. Most of their trips are oriented toward class I-II rivers and lakes, and are either car camping or canoe camping. There are one or two weeklong trips in the summer. Trips are usually on the 2nd weekend of each month. Volunteers organize the commisary, but tasks are shared during the trip. Contact: ?? (Try me: neff@hpl.hp.com for now).
• Outdoors Unlimited (OU) defines itself as "a cooperative center for outdoor adventure and recreation, providing the tools for people to create their own adventures: skills training, equipment rental, and trip planning information," based at UCSF. This includes a strong canoe program, with classes from flatwater through whitewater, formally and informally organized trips, and rental equipment. Volunteers organize and teach all OU classes and outings, and activities are run cooperatively. This is part of UC's "outreach" into the community. A large percentage of the involvement in the canoe program is from non-UCSF people, many from beyond San Francisco city limits. Bobbie Foster organizes the canoe network, at (415) 476-0417. There is also a rafting and whitewater network organized by David Delfiner at the same number. OU trips run the gamut from flatwater to class III and higher whitewater.
• Marin Canoe Club -- Organized in 1965.  Floating fun for families -- Day and overnight trips, fun days, and instruction, in canoes and Kiwi kayaks.  Email:  marincanoe@aol.com.  Snail mail:  MCC membership, 810 Idylberry Road, San Rafael, CA 94903.  Affiliated with the ACA
• BASK (Bay Area Sea Kayakers) is an outshoot of OU, but is more or less independent now. They organize trips and clinics for members, and hold monthly meetings. One of their goals is to establish a feeling of community among Bay Area sea kayakers. Visit their WWW site for more information: www.bask.org
• CFS (California Floaters Society) is a paddling group made up of rafters, kayakers, and canoists interested in networking for private trips. There is a monthly newsletter. You can also reach them by phone at (415) 435-7936.
• Western Waters Canoe Club (San Jose area) Western Waters Canoe Club is a group of active open boat paddlers with a wide variety of paddling interests. The purpose of the club is to promote the sport of canoeing, share knowledge of places to paddle, support each other, and go on trips! The club meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at Western Mountaineering, Town & Country Shopping Center, Winchester Blvd., San Jose. For more information, call 408-447-1908 or send e-mail to carolh@cup.hp.com
• Gold Country Paddlers, based in Sacramento, but with many members in the S.F. area, lots of class 2-3 trips, they list over 100 members on their roster. To request an application, call (916) 967-7906. (This may be more kayaking than canoeing).
• UC Davis Outdoor Adventures organizes paddling adventures of all sorts, and their web site is one of the more useful in the state, with descriptions of their programs, and also brief summaries of many rivers and information about stream guage data for those rivers. They also have a directory and an email list to make it easier to network with other interested paddlers.
• Cal Adventures, at UC Berkeley, is oriented more toward kayaking and rafting. They offer classes, trips, and rentals for for sea kayaking, river kayaking, and rafting. (510) 642-4000. Here is a summary of their current paddling programs (thanks to Rob Anderson for providing this):
• Whitewater kayaking classes and trips
• Rafting trips on the South Fork of the American River
• Guide trainings
• Sea kayaking classes and trips on the Bay
• Sea kayaking trips to Tomales Bay, Monterey Bay/Elkhorn Slough, Mono Lake and other local destinations.
• Boat rentals
• Spring and summer youth sea-kayaking classes
• Sierra Club Groups (From the Sierra Club RTS newsletter):
• River Touring Section (RTS), Sierra Club, San Francisco Bay Chapter. Chairman Vince Giese (510) 581-1221
• Sierra Club Redwood Empire Chapter, Sequoia Paddling Club, Tom Meldau (707) 887-7416
• The Loma Prieta Paddlers in the South Bay have a weekly roll session on Tuesday nights at Covington Pool in Los Altos, and Class II-III trips every weekend. Monthly meetings are held at Western Mountaineering (on Winchester, in San Jose), on the 2nd Wednesday of each month, starting at 7:30 p.m. For information on the Loma Prieta Paddlers, contact Shelby Thorner (Chair) at (415) 390-0848. Their trip line is (408) 257-9390. For information on pool sessions, contact pool organizer Gerald Gibson at (408) 261-9336.

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Places to Buy Canoes and Equipment

• California Canoe and Kayak (CCK): Stores in Oakland, at Jack London Square, on Sunrise Blvd in Sacramento, & Half Moon Bay. Both flatwater and whitewater gear. All stores have water access for checking out boats. An excellent source of advice and gear, good selection. They also run all kinds of clinics.
• Wilderness Sports: Berkeley, and Rancho Cordova. Stocks canoes and river and sea kayaks. On Gilman between San Pablo and I-80 in Berkeley.
• Western Mountaineering in San Jose (Winchester Blvd), stocks canoes, kayaks, and sea kayaks. Not as broad a selection as CCK. Their store manager Mark Rauscher is an avid paddler and they can connect you with local groups. Local clubs (Loma Prieta Paddlers and Western Waters Canoe Club) use their store as a meeting place as well.
• Black Magic Boatworks in Mountain View, (415) 988-9089. Jim Westcott is the store owner and also an avid class IV canoeist. The store specializes in Jim's designs of high performance kevlar composite canoes; flatwater, whitewater and tripping models.
• Black Magic Boatworks has spun off a retail store called Riptides and Rapids, (415) 961-1240. Also in Mountain View, it is a full service canoe and kayak shop. They specialize in British sea kayaks and high performance canoes for flatwater, whitewater and tripping.  They also rent Mohawk and Black Magic Canoes.
• REI (Recreational Equipment Inc.), in San Jose, San Carlos, and Berkeley, REI sales people generally don't have much canoeing experience, but they do have a decent selection of Mad River, Old Town, and Navarro boats, mostly for general recreation and tripping. Sometimes they have boats which you won't find at the other stores, and/or better prices.
• All-Craft, in the East Bay, run by Joe Brigandi. He sells Great Canadian canoes, among others. He also sells sea and river kayaks. (510) 444-7115.
• For used canoes: Used Canoe Depot, 141 E. Chapman St., Ely MN 55731. 1-800-280-1078, if you want to go that far.
• South Fork Outfitters, 8565 Gold Pan Ct. #A, Rancho Cardova, CA 95670, 916-853-8565. South Fork sells boats and WW accessories, including a movable saddle system and an airbag tie down system they have developed. If you want to use the same boat for both tandem and solo, these are good people to talk to.

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Places to Get Instruction

• Outdoors Unlimited, CCK, and Wilderness Sports teach classes.
• Occasionally flatwater and safety classes are organized/sponsored through local Red Cross affiliates, or your local canoe club. In the past the Red Cross certified local instructors, but they have been exiting the scene,
• For instructor training the American Canoe Association is the only game in town at this point.
• For Sea Kayaking instruction:
• Sea Trek (Sausalito): (415) 488-1000 or (415) 332-4465
• CCK (Oakland, Sacramento, Half Moon Bay): (800) 366-9804
• Outdoors Unlimited (UCSF) : (415) 476-2078
• Wilderness Sports : Berkeley and Corte Madera

Places to Rent Canoes

• Outdoors Unlimited and CCK will rent canoes or demo boats.
• Canoes can be rented at Lake Merrit and Lake Chabot in Oakland.
• Trowbridge Canoe Trips, rents canoes for trips on the Russian River around Healdsburg.
• From a posting to rec.boats.paddle, for sea kayaks:

My husband and I have rented from a number of places near SF, we make our decisions based on where we want to paddle. California Canoe and Kayak for the Oakland Estuary (510) 893-2617; Sea Trek in Sausalito for Richardson's Bay (415) 488-1000; and Cal Adventures (510) 642-4000. Of course all require experience and potentially a description of how to do a rescue. You have more choice of boats at the first two, but Cal Adventures can be the least expensive if you buy a 3 month pass (unlimited use for $80). Wilderness Sports on Gilman in Berkeley also rent but they are not on the water.

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