Westecunk Creek in New Jersey

Trip Overview

Start in pond. The source stream can be followed up only about 1/4 mile. Back to pond. Carry over road. Next part is the best: a perky little stream sometimes only a paddle-length wide. With no carries! you get about 2 miles of this.

Passed swimmers and tubers in the village of West Creek. There are piers of an old dam there--go thru the 3rd gap from the left.

Now you are in the tidal section, which is utterly different. It widens out with saltmarsh on the left, beach houses with moored power boats on the right. Though you are traveling through the Edwin B Forsythe Natl wildlife refuge, you are also paralleling Bay Av. I made it all the way to the bay where I could see motorboat traffic and Atlantic City. This part looks like about 3 miles.

Accommodations:

Guerrilla paddlers only

Fees:

No

Directions:

From Rt 72, take Rt 9-South. Go 4.6 miles. Left on Dock Rd. Go 3/4 mile to the landing at the pond.

Resources:

Gertler's "Garden State Canoeing" + DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer