Not So Urban Athletics: Canoes, Campfires, and Mildly Questionable Life Choices

*** Once you've made payment to the outfitter you'll be moved off the waitlist. Read cost details ***

Paddling and camping are two activities that sound like they should go together perfectly. There’s really only one way to find out. Join us as we bid farewell to Summer 2026 with a weekend of canoeing down the Delaware River, sleeping outdoors, and discovering exactly how much stuff can fit into a canoe before physics intervenes.

The Plan

We’ll meet up bright and early Sunday morning with the outfitter, check in, and get shuttled up river with our boats and gear. After that, we’ll load up and paddle roughly 10 miles downstream to our campsite.
Don’t worry—this isn’t an Olympic race. We’ll make plenty of stops to swim, fish, eat lunch, skip rocks, admire nature, and wonder whether that one waterproof bag is actually waterproof.

Once we reach camp, we’ll set up our tents and spend the rest of the day enjoying riverside life: cooking dinner, splashing around, relaxing by the campfire, and swapping stories with our fellow paddlers. Monday morning, we’ll pack everything back into the boats—somehow—and paddle the remaining miles to the take-out point.

Cost

• $106 per person plus tax for a two-day canoe rental paid directly to the rental outfitter. I will provide the details before the trip
• $10 per car, per day for parking at Smithfield Beach
• Campsite rental fee will be split among the final number of attendees

Priceless memories and at least one mosquito bite are included at no extra charge.

Important Stuff

• This is a one-night camping trip covering about 22 miles of paddling over two days.
• This is canoe camping, which means everything you need—food, water, clothing, snacks, more snacks, and your favorite camp chair that definitely won’t fit—must come with you in the boat. There are no stores, no vending machines, and no canoe-side delivery service.
• Canoes seat two people. If you sign up solo, we’ll pair you with another paddler and trust that lifelong friendships (or at least a temporary alliance) will form.
• The river is mostly flat water with the occasional Class I ripple. Beginners are welcome, as long as you’re physically able to paddle about 10 miles each day and don’t mind being outdoors for an extended period of time.
• The campsite is rustic: composting toilets, no showers, and no potable water. For one glorious weekend, we return to the lifestyle of our ancestors—except with better snacks.

Meeting Location

Smithfield Beach National Recreation Area
River Road
East Stroudsburg, PA 18302

The Delaware Water Gap is about 90 minutes from NYC, and carpooling is required. When you RSVP, please let us know whether you need a ride. If you’re driving, tell us where you’re coming from and how many passengers you can take.

Come for the scenery, stay for the campfire, and leave with a newfound appreciation for indoor plumbing.