C&O
Canal and Harpers Ferry, in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland
Harpers Ferry is a former federal armory saturated with American history. It also happens
to be at the confluence of two of the East's most notable rivers, the Potomac and the
Shenandoah. When Lewis and Clark explored the West, they carried guns forged at Harpers
Ferry. When John Brown revolted against slavery, he attempted to take over the armory
here. During the Civil War, the town was the scene of bloody battles.
And if you're visiting Washington D.C. and need a river fix, this is the place for it.
"The passage of the Patowmac through the Blue Ridge is perhaps one of the most
stupendous scenes in Nature," wrote one early visitor named Thomas Jefferson. The
bluff above Harper's Ferry is the most westerly spot Jefferson ever reached.
Nowadays, the Appalachian Trail passes through town. The mountains flanking Harpers Ferry
are still cloaked in hardwoods. If you catch the fall colors at their peak, consider
yourself blessed.
Great Falls of the Potomac and the C & O Canal offer a natural diversion after a day
of touring museums and monuments in Washington. The sound of the river drowns out the hum
of traffic and the lush forest stands in contrast to the urban landscape hidden not far
away.
The historic C & O (Chesapeake and Ohio) Canal is a 184-mile long greenbelt running
along the Potomac. It runs from the posh Washington D. C. suburb of Georgetown, past
Harpers Ferry, to the upstream community of Cumberland, Maryland.
Historically, mules pulled barges ferrying coal and other raw materials up and down the
canal from a tow path along the bank. Now, the path hosts joggers, walkers, and anglers.
The Potomac crosses the Washington Beltway near the Great Falls. Here, kayakers peel out
of wetsuits, slip into suits and ties, and head back to work after a mid-day paddling
break.
The canal path has 34 primitive campsites, right along the river. In theory, a canoer can
float between campsites. Check your map carefully, though, because the campsites are not
always visible from the water. The paddling is Class II, and the major danger is a series
of small dams that must be portaged.
Wow Factor? Standing in the footsteps of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, pondering
how the nation they founded 223 years ago treats its rivers, both for work and for play.
Both Harpers Ferry and C & O Canal Headquarters can be contacted at, PO Box 4,
Sharpsburg, MD, 21782. Phone: (301) 739-4200.
Congaree Swamp National Monument, South
Carolina
When Spanish explorer Hernando De Soto marched through the territory of the Congaree
Indians, South Carolina had perhaps a million acres of old-growth floodplain. After four
centuries of exploitation, a mere 13,000 acres remain. Fortunately, 11,000 of those acres
are protected in this national monument.
This is the largest old-growth floodplain east of the Mississippi River. A visit is akin
to time-travel. The Congaree River floods the monument 10 times a year. The floods
replenish the soil and grow some of the biggest trees in the East. Loblolly pine, cypress,
and cherrybark oak tower overhead.
The 87 species of trees here support a broad array of wildlife, from native otters and
bobcats to exotic wild boar. Birders are drawn by Congaree's eight species of woodpeckers
and the Swainson's warbler. In summer, a dense canopy of leaves arches over the river. In
places, canoers paddle through a lush, green tunnel. Warblers sing and frolic overhead
while the river gently pulls your boat downstream.
Canoe travel along the Congaree can consist of short outings or overnighters. The paddle
from Cedar Creek to the Highway 601 bridge is a 20-mile route that lends itself to a
primitive overnighter. On land, the Park Service maintains a trail network, with hikes
ranging from short boardwalks to 10-mile treks. Fishing for catfish, black and striped
bass is allowed in most of the monument under state regulations.
The river fluctuates with upstream rains. Rising water can swamp camps and falling levels
can leave your boat stranded. The main water trail is periodically cleared of debris, but
a wrong turn can force you to drag your canoe through a field of downed logs. Also, beware
of copperheads, cottonmouth, and other venomous snakes, mosquitoes and deer flies, and
poison ivy.
Visiting the monument is free, although donations are accepted. Primitive camping is also
free, although a permit is required. "This is a four-season park," said one
official. "It can be enjoyed every month of the year."
Wow Factor? Joining hands with your paddling friends, trying to measure the girth of a
giant cherrybark oak tree that somehow survived decades of logging and 1989's Hurricane
Hugo.
Contact: Congaree Swamp National Monument, 200 Caroline Sims Road, Hopkins, S.C. 29061.
Phone: (803) 776-4396.
Yukon-Charley River National Preserve, Alaska
If you're the kind of paddler who has longed all your life for a true wilderness paddling
experience, Yukon-Charley in interior Alaska may be your destination. It's the kind of
place that requires long planning and plenty of experience, but it offers rewards that
only comes from wilderness adventure.
The 1,800-mile long Yukon is one of our nation's mightiest and most legendary rivers. This
preserve protects 100 miles of that river.
Moreover, the preserve protects the entire Charley River drainage, from source to mouth.
That's a 108-mile river and a 1.1 million-acre watershed. The drainage has no roads. It
doesn't even have any maintained trails. Because of its clear water, bold whitewater and
untouched vistas, Alaskans consider the Charley one of their most spectacular rivers.
The preserve was created in 1980 and encompasses some 2.5 million acres, the size of
Yellowstone Park. It is home to wolves, caribou, and Dall sheep and has the continent's
highest concentration of nesting peregrine falcons. Technically, Yukon-Charley is a
national preserve, not a national park. The land is managed by the National Park Service,
but is open to some uses that are barred in traditional parks, such as hunting and
trapping.
Boats and airplanes, often in combination, are the two most popular ways to visit
Yukon-Charley. Floaters load rafts on bush planes and fly to the upper reaches of the
Charley to float downstream. But planes cost money. A bush plane from Tok to the
headwaters of the Charley runs $1,200. The downstream run includes a steady course of
Class III whitewater.
Other potential floats don't require aircraft. One option is the Yukon, between Eagle and
Circle, which is a 150-mile trip. Just outside the park, the Fortymile River also affords
whitewater floating and has road access. But take this trip seriously. The Park Service
brochure is blunt: "Novice boaters have no business...on these wilderness
rivers."
The Yukon tends to run silty and is not known for its fishing. Several tributaries,
however, are clear and sport grayling and other species. Start dreaming.
Wow Factor? The moment the bush plane leaves you at the put-in when you become aware of
the total silence and know your party is utterly on its own for the next hundred miles.
Contact: Yukon-Charley National Preserve, Box 167, Eagle, AK 99738. Phone: (907) 547-2233.
Big Bend National Park, Texas
The Rio Grande River is a border between Mexico and the United States, but also is the
life-blood of Big Bend National Park. Technically, the dividing line between nations is
the center of the main channel, but the border once fought over by nations is ignored by
Nature.
Ironically, most of the water in the Rio Grande flows in from the south, from Mexico. The
American tributaries of the Rio Grande are tapped so heavily for irrigation they offer
just a trickle to this landmark river. This is tough country, long inhabited by tough
people.
Big Bend National Park offers desert adventure for paddlers willing to venture to the
remote park. The Rio Grande-or the Rio Bravo del Norte, as it's called in Mexico-carves
through 118 miles of Big Bend. The park itself is 800,000 acres but sees a mere 300,000
people a year, making it one of the largest, yet least visited, parks in the National Park
system.
The park includes the canyons of the Rio Grande, a sweeping desert plain rising to modest,
isolated mountain ranges. All of it lies under a vast, blue sky. As you might easily
imagine, summer temperatures in Big Bend can be blistering. Daytime highs can surpass 100
degrees for weeks. This makes Big Bend a prime off-season destination.
The banks of the Rio Grande form an abrupt contrast between desert uplands and the lush
riparian corridor. Both are rich habitat, but are strikingly different. Because of that
variety, Big Bend hosts some 450 species of birds and more than 1,200 species of plants.
That's more varieties of birds and cacti than any other national park. Whoever said a
desert is lifeless? There are even a few black bears living in those isolated mountains.
Besides the living creatures, Big Bend visitors ponder fossils from the dinosaur eras.
Paleontologists have found enormous, fossilized pterodactyls here. With a little
imagination, it's not difficult to transform circling black vultures into flying
dinosaurs.
The Rio carves through limestone, cleaving steep-walled canyons 1,500 feet deep. River
trips can be one-day, 10-mile trips, or longer journeys of 33 miles or more.
Just outside the national park is Big Bend Ranch State Park. Access to the river can be
arranged on neighboring ranches as well, with a few phone calls and a little diplomacy.
Wow Factor? Reading Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses by flashlight, after a camp
dinner and a cold beer along our nation's southern border.
Contact: Superintendent, PO Box 129, Big Bend National Park, TX, 79843. Phone: (915)
477-2251.
 No wonder the rest of the world thought America's national parks were
such a good idea. But National Parks are victims of their own popularity. Crowds of people
have resulted in long lists of rules to protect the parks' wonders for future generations.
The Land of 'Wow!' is also the Land of 'No!' Rules vary from park to park and it's the
visitor's responsibility to know and follow them.
Fees and permits also vary widely. Congaree Swamp, for example, charges no fees for
boating and camping. Yellowstone Park, however, requires a park sticker on every
"floating craft," including a float tube.
Thanks to some recent legislation in the United States and Canada, both the US National
Park Service and Parks Canada have gone on a fee-spree. The bad news is that services like
backcountry camping permits that were free a few years ago may now cost money. The good
news is that the money goes toward projects that better serve visitors and the park.
But who can complain? Our National Parks are still the best adventure value in the world.
Where else can you experience wonders like this? No where but the Land of Wow!
Ben Long is a regular contributor to RIVER Magazine, a national magazine dedicated to
moving water and the activities surrounding it. For more information on Paddling the Land
of Wow and a list of more National Parks that feature outstanding rivers, look for the
June 1999 issue of RIVER in Barns & Noble, and specialty outdoor shops in your area,
or contact RIVER at 877-582-5440.
Courtesy of Article
Resource Association - info@aracopy.com |
