Events : Rafting Sites: Cattaraugus Creek
We're Goin' Raftin'!
Click here for the current river conditions.
Site #2 - Cattaraugus Creek - Class II/III+
(average duration of trip about 3 hours on water)
SCHEDULES AND RATES
March 17 through May 20 (water levels permitting), Saturdays and Sundays. Call for departure times. Weekday trips available upon special request, with advance notice. Cost: $45.00 per person, and includes hot soup on the river and a post-trip pizza party at our Gowanda Site Office. If the trip is paid for in full at least two weeks prior, all wetsuit rental fees will be waived.
Due to the time of year, wetsuits are mandatory.
Wetsuit Rental......................................................$7.00
Wet Top Rental.....................................................$7.00
Wet Booties Rental (pair).......................................$5.00
Early springtime rafting on the Cattaraugus Creek is not for everyone! It's not very warm and the rapids can be intimidating. However, water levels permitting, if you're adventurous, you will have the opportunity to paddle through the Zoar Valley State Forest Preserve, one of the most remote and pristine regions in Western NY.
The watershed for Cattaraugus Creek is comparatively small and as a result, the flows can be sporadic. The creek can be exciting one week and relatively dry the next. Conversely, it can be at an average level early in the day and following a localized heavy downpour, will turn into a raging torrent in a matter of hours. For this reason, we utilize two different sections of the creek, depending on water levels. When the creek is not dangerously high or too shallow, we will run the canyon section. On the other hand, should a “high flow event” be predicted or if the creek is at below normal levels, we will paddle an upper section of the creek, taking out above the canyon section. At present, we are not able to paddle from Gowanda to Versailles due to the ongoing dispute between the Seneca Nation of Indians and New York State.
Having taken care of the obligatory paperwork and gotten into your wetsuits, you’ll board our bus for the 20-minute ride to the launch site. Once there, the trip leader will give a safety talk, check your gear, and introduce you to your raft.
Assuming we’re running the canyon section, the first hour of the trip allows you to gain confidence in your paddling abilities and enjoy some of the peaceful solitude within the Zoar Valley State Forest Preserve. After stopping for a hot cup of soup, the wild ride begins. The pace quickens after the South Branch of Cattaraugus Creek empties into the main channel. If the river is high, plan on
experiencing the most exciting raft ride in Western New York! The rapids continually build, with names like “Pinball”, “Larry, Curly, and Moe”, and “Cruncher” jostling you about as you paddle frantically to keep pace with the guide’s instructions. Back in town, “Grand Finale Rapids” will test everyone’s mettle and skill, putting your heart in your throat.
Upon reaching the takeout, it's just a short walk back to our offices where you can dry out, warm up, and then join us either upstairs in the guest lounge or next door at the Wicked Glen Restaurant and Tavern for the complimentary post-trip pizza party.
If we are paddling the upper section of the Cattaraugus, it will be necessary to take a slightly longer initial bus ride to reach the put-in, and there will also be a 10 minute bus ride back to the Site Office.
This six-mile stretch of the creek is primarily class I/II whitewater. What the trip lacks in excitement it makes up for in scenery. We start out in a pastoral setting, meandering through the countryside. From that, we enter a smaller version of the gorge that is the main body of the Zoar Valley State Forest Preserve, paddling past several small waterfalls and hidden bedrock wonders. It is rare that at least two or three eagles aren’t spotted, along with the various other animals indigenous to the region.
Later in the spring we also offer sit-on-top kayaking trips on this section for those of you who’d like a more intimate experience on the water. Advance reservations are mandatory.
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