This time of year can be very rewarding on the water, especially the Susquehanna River according to Brad Bubb, owner of Bubb’s Outdoor Rentals in Hughesville. Since 1991 Bubb has been transporting outdoor enthusiasts and groups of all kinds to paddle down the Susquehanna River.

Bubb’s Outdoor Rentals, located near Lairdsville, can help plan a safe, exciting, outdoor adventure with kayak and canoe rentals. His many years of experience will accommodate paddlers for an enjoyable outing, nothing too long or too challenging. He always goes over some safety rules and tips before allowing anyone to paddle out beforehand. Emphasis is placed on the importance of wearing safety gear such as life vests and he requests release forms to be signed also.

Bubb’s can arrange a trip that will fit your schedule – a half-day 9-mile or a weeklong 100 miler. “We keep track of water levels and know from personal experience what those levels represent on the river. We can give you paddle time and lunch spot information. A great all summer trip on the West Branch Susquehanna River is the 9 miles between Williamsport and Muncy. This distance usually takes 3 hours, but you may want to take longer as you pass by lush islands, ride bouncy waves, and maybe see an eagle overhead, ” says Bubb.

He can transport eleven canoes at once or nine kayaks. This allows large groups or families to enjoy the trip together. There are several excursions that can be taken along the river. The easiest one is from Montoursville to Muncy. The party can park their cars at the Muncy boat dock just below the bridge in Muncy on Route 405 and get shuttled to Montoursville’s boat launch near the airport (turn right after the Montoursville bridge heading east just before Montour Oil). After spending time paddling at your leisure, at a designated time, Bubb’s Canoe Rentals will shuttle groups back to their vehicles at Muncy where the trip will end.

There are several stops along the way where canoes or kayaks can be pulled up easily, unlike motor boats. It is a leisure trip and the pace can go according to how much you want to paddle. Another nice trip is from Muncy to Watsontown. It ends just below Watsontown at Fort Boone. Some popular stops to pull over to rest and enjoy some food are at the Mays Drive-In Restaurant for ice-cream or at The Fence, a popular restaurant noted for their fried fish sandwiches along Route 405.

Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Shangri-La Campground has a boat launch located at the foot of Montour Ridge along the Chillisquaque Creek in Central Pennsylvania. This is a great place to plan an overnight stop to camp and continue down the river the next day,” notes Bubb. “We can meet them at the boat launch one mile below Route 45 bridge in Lewisburg on 405 South and then shuttle them back to their destination.”

Another popular trip is a trip from Montoursville to the Riverside Campground in Montgomery. You can paddle down to the campsite, launch the canoes or kayaks overnight, spend the night at the campground and continue to Lewisburg the next day.

One of the best excursions according to Bubb is on Pine Creek. Water conditions are good right now and the access areas are maintained by DCNR. Guage readings can be obtained from Bubb’s website at www.bubbscanoe.com. Some parts of Pine Creek are classified as Class III water with frequent rapids and swift flowing water, especially during spring. Depending on rainfall, sometimes below the Blackwell area, there is potential danger if the canoe is swamped or broaches on a rock so safety precautions are important. There are areas for camping along Pine Creek, but they are restricted to primitive camping only.

If you are interested in pursuing this outdoor adventure during the remaining of the season, only a couple of days advance notice is needed, but weekends do fill up quickly during the summer season,” adds Bubb. Bubb’s Outdoor Rentals can be contacted at 570-584-4547.