The Susquehanna Greenway Partnership (SGP) is excited to announce the release of a new paddling resource that features day and overnight paddling itineraries along the beautiful and wild Susquehanna River Water Trail – West Branch (West Branch) in Clearfield County.
The Susquehanna River Water Trail – West Branch is one of four state-designated sections of the Susquehanna River Water Trail system within Pennsylvania. The water trail encompasses launch sites for motorized and non-motorized on-water recreation on over 228 miles of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River.
The paddling booklet showcases four daytrips along the West Branch within Clearfield County, plus a bonus two-day trip that connects into Centre and Clinton counties.
Each itinerary features a unique route overview that includes the length (in miles), estimated time for paddling the section, a map of the route, put-in and take-out locations, a difficulty rating, photos, and trip highlights to look for along the way.
This paddling booklet and other resources will be available for free at all SGP events, as well as partner events and festivals that SGP attends, throughout 2023. SGP is also partnering with Visit Clearfield County to distribute copies of the booklet within its network of Clearfield County partners. You may reach out to Visit Clearfield County to request your free copy this spring. 
“This piece is the third in a series of free paddling itinerary booklets that SGP has produced for the entire 228-mile West Branch in partnership with area visitors bureaus,” explains SGP Executive Director, Corey Ellison. “Our other two booklets have done very well and are a popular resource for the public. We hope that this booklet experiences the same interest.”
Of the two booklets mentioned, the “West Branch Lumber Paddling Itineraries” booklet (2022) covers the section of the West Branch that crosses Clinton & Lycoming Counties; whereas the “Confluence Area Paddling Itineraries” booklet (2021) covers the remainder of the West Branch, plus routes from the confluence area including the Lower North Branch and Middle Susquehanna.
Like the other two booklets in the series, each itinerary of the new Upper West Branch booklet is accompanied by a QR code that will connect the user to an online profile with additional resources and a way to explore the route virtually before hitting the water.
Financial Support for this project was provided by BHE GT&S which is dedicated to economic, physical, and social health of the communities served by BHE GT&S companies. This grant program was administered by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in commitment to its core mission of conserving Pennsylvania’s diverse ecosystems through science-based strategy, leadership, and collaboration.
SGP would also like to recognize the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation, for their financial support of the project via the Community Conservation Partnerships Program Environmental Stewardship Fund.
The paddling booklet of the Upper West Branch is just the beginning of what SGP has to offer this year.
SGP plans to host a Susquehanna Greenway Cleanup Week, several Paddler’s Toolkit workshops, a Susquehanna Sojourn, Susquehanna Pop-Up Paddle, and the Susquehanna Greenway Outdoor Expo in 2023.
To stay up to date on SGP’s Events, sign up for email announcements, or follow Susquehanna Greenway on Facebook or Instagram.
The Susquehanna Greenway is a corridor of connected trails, parks, river access points, and communities, linking people to the natural and cultural treasures of the Susquehanna River. The mission of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership is to continue to grow the Greenway by building connections along the Susquehanna River, inspiring people to engage with the outdoors, and transforming communities into places where people want to live, work, and explore. Learn more at susquehannagreenway.org.