Information About FOCR Canoe Trips

Friends of the Crooked River welcomes paddlers who want to experience the Cuyahoga River and learn more about this fascinating, varied, historic waterway.

Trips are limited to twelve guest boats (solo or tandem) in order to provide an experience that is both educational and as safe as possible. Trips are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, but we ask you to become a member of FoCR if you wish to join us for more than two trips. (You’ll be family by then anyway, so you may as well.)

Paddlers who request to join a given trip will be notified of the meeting point and time, and of any water or weather conditions that may necessitate cancellation of the trip or moving it to a different section of the river. (In other words, please don’t just show up unannounced.)

While most trips are on flat, slow-current stretches of the river, several have in-stream hazards like downed trees and dams, which require the ability to control a boat in moving water. Friends of the Crooked River reserves the right to screen participants for skills required by the conditions of the trip. Paddlers who arrive improperly prepared or with inadequate equipment will be refused participation.

Take-out times are trip-dependent but are generally projected to be around mid-afternoon. Participants will be responsible for bringing personal equipment, including:

• lunch/snacks

• water (at least 1 qt. per person)

• rain gear

• a change of clothes in a waterproof bag in cold weather, and

• life jackets/PFDs (Personal Flotation Devices)

Participants shall follow all safety procedures as determined by the Trip Leaders, including life jackets at all times.

Children under 18 must be accompanied by parents who will be solely responsible for their safety. Children under seven years are discouraged from attending. For their own safety, children may be prohibited from some trips at the discretion of the Trip Leaders.