Paddling in Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River

The Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River protects 73. 4 miles of free-flowing water along the New York–Pennsylvania border — the longest undammed river in the eastern United States.

Most of it reads as Class I: moving water with riffles, small waves, pools, and eddies. The current is deceptively capable, cold year-round, and far from cell service or a quick exit.

That combination makes trip planning here more deliberate than on shorter, more accessible runs. The boating season generally runs April through October.

Spring levels push the rapids harder and faster; summer drops the river into friendlier territory for less experienced paddlers; fall splits the difference and adds color to the canyon walls.

River height and speed are tracked at the USGS gauges at Barryville and Callicoon, and the park runs a daily river hotline — available around the clock from May 1 through October 31 — that gives current conditions before you launch.

Skinners Falls is the standout technical feature on the river and the one spot the park specifically flags for scouting from shore before you run it.

The rest of the corridor is pool-drop riffles and flatwater stretches that suit canoes, kayaks, rafts, and tubes alike.

With 16 public watercraft launches inside the park boundary, there's real flexibility in how you break up the miles — but the distances between towns and access points are long enough that you need to know your exit before you put in.

The park estimates an average paddling speed of 2 to 2. 5 miles per hour at normal levels, which makes the math on a full-day trip straightforward.

Camping along the river is not an option on most of the corridor — the land is privately owned, and the one designated riverside camping area requires a permit. Multi-day trips work best when you plan overnight stops in towns with lodging.

On the access side, Pennsylvania paddlers using their own boats need a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission launch permit to use PFBC ramps within the park; New York DEC ramps do not require a launch permit for non-motorized craft.

A New York or Pennsylvania fishing license is required on the water — New Jersey licenses are not valid here.

What the Wild and Scenic designation actually means on the water is a river that still behaves like a river: no dams regulating the flow, no developed shoreline crowding the bends.

The current is the current, the gauge is your friend, and the distance between you and help is real. Come with a plan, wear your PFD, and the Upper Delaware will give you as much river as you want.