Walden to route 213 at Sturgeon Pool

Lat/longitude coords and mileage are approximate, from TopoZone. The Wallkill is a long, and mostly calm river flowing through suburban and farm areas. As a result of flowing through farms in northern New Jersey and Orange County New York the river will be less than pristine by the time it reaches Walden. It would be possible to put in considerably further upstream if one wanted. This river is much more suited to canoes or other boats that will reduce the paddler's intimacy with the water. Put in is located at the bottom of a long, sloping grass yard at the shopping plaza in Walden with Hannaford and Orange County Bagel just below a significant dam. The river here is mostly calm with a few, very minor rapids. Paddle to Wallkill and look for a river access via a boat launch on the east side of the river at Popp Memorial Park. This is the takeout for the mandatory portage around a low head dam. From Popp Memorial Park, head North on Route 208 and continue to Wallkill Ave. You'll make a left onto Bruyn Turnpike (Route 18) and cross a bridge from which you can see the dam. Continue North until you reach Lippincort Rd. On the right you'll find river access in the form of a DEC Fishing Access site. The river from here is mostly calm with the occassional short stretch of rapids (using the term loosely). The most challenging feature on this route is a rapid section about 3.5 miles below the route 44/55 bridge in Gardiner. There are large boulders in this area and runnable lines are very limited when water levels are low. This section probably determines the lower range at which this whole section could be paddled, though it would likely be possible to portage along the road or line your boat. It may be worth scouting this section via an easy bushwack off of Libertyville Road. The river from the rapids off Libertyvill road to New Paltz is calm. For those wishing to shorten the trip, there is river access via the Sojourner Truth Park on Plains Road. Shortly after passing under the NY Thruway bridge and about 8 miles downstream of New Paltz, the river reaches another significant dam at Dashville. There is a small park on route 213, at the covered bridge immediately after the thruway bridge, and this is probably the best place to end a trip on the Wallkill, particularly at anything beyond relatively modest levels. If one wishes to make the long portage past the Dashville dam (or put in below it) the river continues another 2 miles before reaching the Sturgeon Pool, which is created by the river's last hydroelectric dam. Continuing beyond the Sturgeon Pool will require a long portage around the 120' high dam to reach the final 1/4 mile of the Wallkill River. It is reportedly possible to park on Coutant Road, on the left (west) side of the river below the dam and walk through the woods to reach the river. It would also be possible to paddle about 3 miles down Rondout Creek (really a small, calm river at this point) to a NY state public access on Creek Locks Road. Catskills Area Reaches Basic Creek Batavia Kill Bear Kill Beaver Kill (Delaware Trib) Beaver Kill (Hudson Trib) Beer Kill Beer Kill, W. Branch Bowery Creek Bush Kill Callicoon Creek, E. Branch Callicoon Creek, N. Branch Catskill Creek (1.) Catskill Creek (2.) Catskill Creek (4.) Claverack Creek Coxing Kill Delaware Delaware, E. Branch Delaware, W. Branch Little Delaware Dry Brook East Kill Esopus Creek (1) Esopus Creek (2) Esopus Creek (3) Esopus Creek (4) Esopus Creek (5) Hannacrois Creek Kaaterskill Creek (1.) Kaaterskill Creek (2.) Kinderhook Creek  (3.) Kiskatom Creek Mombaccus Creek Mill Brook Neversink (1.) Neversink, E. Branch Neversink, W. Branch Peters Kill Platte Kill Plattekill Creek Potic Creek Roeliff Jansen Kill (1) Roeliff Jansen Kill (2) Rochester Creek Rondout Creek (1) Rondout Creek (2) Rondout Creek (3) Sandburg Creek Saw Kill (1) Saw Kill (2) Saw Kill (3) Schoharie Creek (1.) Schoharie Creek (2.) Shingle Kill Creek Squirmer Creek Stony Clove Creek Ten Mile Creek Thorp Creek Tremper Kill Wallkill West Kill Woodland Creek Vly Creek Downstate New York Area Reaches Beer Kill Beer Kill, W. Branch Callicoon Creek, E. Branch Callicoon Creek, N. Branch Coxing Kill Croton Delaware (1.) Delaware (2. Mongaup Wave) Delaware (3.) Fishkill Creek Mombaccus Creek Mongaup Moodna Creek Neversink (1.) Neversink (2.) Neversink, E. Branch Peters Kill Pocantico Popolopen Brook Ramapo Rochester Creek Rondout Creek (1.) Rondout Creek (2.) Rondout Creek (3.) Sandburg Creek Stony Brook (1.) Stony Brook (2.) Wallkill Wappinger Creek Google Map of New York Whitewater New York Whitewater Paddlers Facebook Group