This new guide, published in April 2013, covers most of Maryland, something of southern Pennsylvania, northern Virginia (including the Rappahannock and lower and mid Shenandoah basins) and a bit of West Virginia. To order the book, please check on Amazon.
Roger Corbett
Virginia Whitewater
175 streams in 11 Virginia watersheds. 510 pages, 134 maps. History of areas is given. Out of print - 1988 edn. cheap, 2000 edn. expensive, .
Ed Grove, John Connely, John Porterfield, Charlie Walbridge
Appalachian Whitewater; The Northern States; Fourth Edition, April, 2001.
The premier book of canoeing and kayaking streams of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and states further North. Menasha Ridge Press, P.O. Box 59257, Birmingham, AL 35259-9257.
Kathleen Fulcomer & Roger Corbett
The Delaware River
97 pages. Seneca Press, Amazon.com
Nearby River Guidebooks and Maps
Appalachian Whitewater; The Southern States; Fourth Edition; Bob Sehlinger, et al., October, 2000. The premier book of canoeing and kayaking streams of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and states further South.
Appalachian Whitewater; The Northern States; Fourth Edition; John Connelly, Ed Grove, John Porterfield, Charlie Walbridge, April, 2001. The premier book of canoeing and kayaking streams of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and states further North.
Blue Ridge Voyages, Volume IV; Matacia & Cecil. 218 miles of the Shenandoah River from the headwaters above Waynesboro to Harper’s Ferry, WV, 110 photos, 180 pages and 20 maps. Kay Fulcomer, 6617 Belle Chase Ct., Laytonsville, MD 20882 (301) 990-7575
Canoeing Streams of the Upper Ohio Basin; Multicolor map with color-coded difficulty ratings of the Cheat, Youghiogheny, Allegheny, etc. Thomas L. Gray, 11121 Dewey Rd., Kensington, MD 20895.
Capital Canoeing & Kayaking, Steve Ettinger. This new guide, published in April 2013, covers most of Maryland, something of southern Pennsylvania, northern Virginia (including the Rappahannock and lower and mid Shenandoah basins) and a bit of West Virginia. Price $22.50 on Amazon, locally $20.00 from Alf Cooley at alfcooley@gmail.com.
Classic Virginia Rivers - A Paddler's Guide to Premier Whitewater and Scenic Float Trips in the Old Dominion; Ed Grove, 1992. An in-depth guidebook to over 80 Virginia streams. Ed Grove, 2420 N. George Mason Dr., Arlington, VA 22207 (703)533-8334 Price: $16.95
Delaware River Recreation Map; Delaware River Basin Commission, 25 Scotch Rd., Suburban Square, Trenton, NJ. Order at http://www.state.nj.us/drbc/recreation.htm Price: $25/Set
The Delaware River; Kathleen Fulcomer and Roger Corbett, 97 pages. Seneca Press, Kay Fulcomer, 6617 Belle Chase Ct., Laytonsville, MD 20882 (301) 990-7575
Exploring the Chesapeake in Small Boats, John Page Williams, Jr., 1992, 190 pages. This book written by one of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's leading voices, picks up where others leave off, where the open Bay merges into the edge of marsh and shallow water to see great blue herons, ospreys, eagles. Price: $12.95
Garden State Canoeing: A Paddlers Guide to New Jersey; Seneca Press, 1992, 220 pages, 55 maps. Edward Gertler, 530 Ashford Road, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Price: New from $27.00
Harpers Ferry; James Q. Reber with narrative by James V. Murfin, 1975, 901 pages, James Q. Reber, publisher, 4401 Leland St., Chevy Chase, MD 20815
Keystone Canoeing: A Guide to Canoeable Waters of Eastern Pennsylvania; Seneca Press, 1993, 420 pages, 160 maps. Edward Gertler, 530 Ashford Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Price: New from $33.00
Maryland and Delaware Canoe Trails: A Paddlers Guide to Rivers of the Old Line and First States; Seneca Press, February 2002, 290 pages, 93 maps, 8 figures. Edward Gertler, 530 Ashford Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910. Price: New from $10.99
Paddling the New Jersey Pine Barrens; Robert Parnes, June 1999, 184 pages.
Potomac Portrait; James Q. Reber, Liverright. New York, NY. 1974, 96 pages. Price: New from $17.50
Virginia Whitewater; Roger Corbett, 2000. 175 streams in 11 Virginia watersheds. 510 pages, 134 maps. History of areas is given. Should be available in stores. Price: New from $29.95
William Nealy River Maps: Get these valuable collector items while you can! Kids collect baseball cards - us adults collected Nealy River maps - insanely funny! Order from http://www.menasharidge.com/ Search on Nealy. Price: $5.96
A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to West Virginia, 5th Edition Paul Davidson, Ward Eister, and Dirk Davidson. April, 2003. Menasha Ridge Press, P.O. Box 59257, Birmingham, AL 35259-9257. NOTE: Us old-timers refer to this book as "The Bible". Every serious boater in our area should get a copy. Order from Menasha Ridge Press: http://www.menasharidge.com/product.php?productid=16218&cat=0&page=1 Price: List: $17.95, New: $13.46
Carolina Whitewater: A Paddlers Guide to Western Carolina, 9th Edition Bob Benner. July, 2005. Menasha Ridge Press, P.O. Box 59257, Birmingham, AL 35259-9257. This is the best guidebook for Carolina whitewater - "The Bible for Carolina Whitewater". Price: $16.95
Whitewater Classics: 50 North American Rivers Picked by the Continents Leading Paddlers Tyler Williams. May, 2004. Funhog Press. Great collection of runs with logistics and pictures, hard to put down. Price: $26.95
Other Recommended Books
The Canoe Handbook: Techniques for Mastering the Sport of Canoeing, Slim Ray, 1992,224 pages. Introduces the basic maneuvers that will soon have you paddling with confidence on both quiet lakes and rushing white water. Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. Price: $14.21
Trailside Guide: Canoeing, Gordon Grant, Feb, 2003, 192 pages. One of North America's top canoeing experts teaches his craft with unparalleled skill in this book designed for novice or experienced paddler-for anyone who wants to move a canoe in superb control, whether on lakes or down rapids, solo or with the entire family. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, N.Y. 10110. Price: $18.95
Catch Every Eddy, Surf Every Wave: A Contemporary Guide to Whitewater Playboating, Tom Foster and Kel Kelly, February 1995. Tom is an ACA whitewater instructor known among other things for his dedication to "the perfect forward stroke." Outdoor Centre of New England, Millers Palls, MA 01349. Price: New from $38.19
The Complete Wilderness Paddler; James West Davidson and John Rugge, 1975,260 pages. December, 1992 The original classic text of wilderness canoeing. Vintage Books, Division of Random House, New York, NY. Price: $11.96
First Descents; edited by Cameron O'Connor and John Lazenby, November, 2010. Twenty gripping accounts of trips by renown paddlers world-wide on such rivers as the Yangtze, the Niagara Gorge, the Zambezi, and the Hood River in Canada. Menasha Ridge Press, P.O. Box 59257, Birmingham, AL 35259-9257. Price: $17.99
Kayak: The New Frontier, The Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique; William Nealy, April, 2007, 173 pages. A humorous "textbook" of whitewater paddling techniques. The jokes are funny but the techniques are serious, innovative and clearly presented. This book has been updated since William Nealy passed away and uses modern techniques. One of the best intermediate training books out there. Menasha Ridge Press, P.O. Box 59257 Birmingham, AL 35259-9257 Price: $10.85
Paddle Your Own Canoe, Gary & Joan McGuffin, February, 2003, 208 pages. This is a great book if you want to learn a lot about the different paddle strokes used while in your canoe. It has great pictures and very good narratives. Boston Mills Press, Erin, Ontario NOB 1 To. Price: $13.06
Rivergods, Exploring the worlds great rivers; Richard Bangs and Christian Kallan. A superb book about the ten best rivers in the world. Sierra Club. August, 1986 Price: New from $8.99
River Reflections; edited by Verne Huser, January, 2006. An anthology covering 350 years about U.S. rivers. Globe Pequot Press, Box Q, Chester, CT 06412. Price: $12.95
River Rescue, Fourth Edition; Les Bechdel & Slim Ray, May, 2009, 238 pages. The foremost book on whitewater rescue techniques. Absolute must reading for whitewater boaters. In my opinion the best SWR book out there. Appalachian Mountain Club, 5 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108. Price: $24.95
River Stories: Tales from (Bo) Rockerville; Monte Smith, January, 1996. A thoroughly entertaining anthology of outrageous river tales set in Idaho and the southeastern United States. Monte Smith, 3200 McCormick Way, Boise ID 83709. Price: New from $14.95
Running the Amazon; Joe Kane (featuring CCA'er Piotr Chmielinski). Alfred Knopf, NY, May, 1990. Price: $10.17
The Squirt Book; James E. Snyder and illustrated by William Nealy, March, 1997. An illustrated manual for learning the art of squirt kayaking with its "mystery moves," "blasting," and "rock splats." Menasha Ridge Press, P.O. Box 59257, Birmingham, AL 35259-9257. Price: New from $38.42
Thrill of the Paddle: The Art of Whitewater Canoeing, Paul Mason and Mark Scriver, September, 1999, 192 pages, Firefly Books, Willowdale, Ontario M2H 3K1. Price: New from $9.95