Muskingum River in Ohio

Trip Overview

This was a Cincypaddlers.org group trip, putting in at Rokeby Lock and ending up at Beverly. The first day we paddled about 18 miles to Stockport, which took about five hours of leisurely paddling and locking through. This is the country's last river with hand-operated locks.

The water is flat, with little current. The locks and dams (ten) seem to limit the size and type of powerboats, making them less of a factor.

There are locking fees, but it was free for this weekend. That saved some strenuous portages. At McConnellsville, there's a riverside McDonalds, in case you tire of trail mix.

We camped at the Stockport lock, which is free. There are a few places to eat in Stockport, should you care to walk across the bridge. It is in a dry county, so plan on that.

The next morning we launched and headed for Beverly, which is a little over 15 miles away. You lock through at Luke Chute.

The river is placid and surroundings generally serene. A very pleasant trip.

Video link: http://tinyurl.com/mdw5aw
More photos: http://tinyurl.com/mq9gho

Accommodations:

Camping is free at the locks, unless there's a campground. They are equipped with pit toilets and water fountains, although most of the fountains weren't functioning when we were there.

Fees:

There are fees for locking.

Directions:

From Zanesville, take Route 60 south 20 miles to Rokeby Lock.

Resources:

ODNR will provide a free water trail map that is quite good.