Cohocton River in New York

Trip Overview

Paddling the Cohocton River was a great experience. The weather was warm all three days, in the mid sixties to seventies, with plenty of sun.

The river starts off somewhat narrow and about knee deep. As you move further down stream it gets wider. There were a few obstacles in the way, like fallen trees, but they were no real problem to get around. There are also some spots, mainly when you get into Bath that the river is very wide and shallow. In these spots you may have to get out and pull your boat into deeper water. However these shallow parts never last more than 20 to 30 feet. As you move into Campbell and Savona area the water gets deeper and most of these spots end.

When you make it into Corning, the Cohocton meets the Canisteo River and the water gets much deeper and slower, almost completely still. My Trip ended in East Corning right off exit 48 only because I was short on time. I plan to do this trip again and follow the river until it meets the Susquehanna and flows down into PA.

On my way down the river, I saw a variety of birds including geese, a variety of ducks, and even an eagle which was nested on the top of a telephone pole in Bath. I also saw a few deer and a beaver. The river follows the highway for a ways so it is not the best wilderness experience but there are lengths that are a distance from civilization.

I would recommend this trip to anyone. I am a relatively new paddler and the friend I took with me had never paddled before. We both had no problem on this trip.

Accommodations:

None, we camped along the river using tarps

Fees:

None

Directions:

Take I-390 to Cohocton exit at Rt 415. Take 415 south to Wentworth Rd. At that intersection there is a parking area for anglers and paddlers. Exit when Rt 10 crosses the river just south and east of Bath.