Where to Paddle Board in Northeast PA
- Posted on
- By Ski Shack
- Posted in Paddle Sports
Paddle boarding is one of the outdoor industry's fastest-growing sports. And, today's inflatable boards make it easy and convenient to transport your equipment to and from the water. But where to paddle? In this article we share our favorite spots to SUP in Northeast PA.
Here in Northeast PA, we are blessed with dozens of lakes, rivers and reservoirs. We can't list all of them here, but we'd be remiss not to provide a handful of our FAVORITE places to SUP in NEPA ... Where the water is calm, the scenery is gorgeous and the paddling is just perfect!
Luzerne County
Frances Slocum State Park
Frances Slocum State Park's 165-acre Frances Slocum Lake features beautiful paddling in a natural setting; access the lake via the Carverton Boat Launch on Carverton Road, another launch at the end of Nature Center Road, and another in the state park's campground.
Harveys Lake
Home to Ski Shack's summer paddle boarding classes, Harveys lake is Pennsylvania's largest natural lake by volume with more than 600 acres of open water to explore. While most of the lake's meandering waterfront is private property, SUP enthusiasts can access the lake from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission Boat Launch at 2509 Lakeside Drive, which offers bathrooms, ample parking and a shallow, sandy area where you can put your board in the water.
Moon Lake State Forest Natural Recreation Area
Nestled among the hills of PA's Pinchot State Forest, this gorgeous tree-fringed natural wonder offers 48 acres of watery paradise. It's quiet and feels remote, so it's a great place to relax and soak in some nature, and fishermen take note: it's stocked with trout. Camping, mountain biking and hiking also available.
Francis E. Walter Dam
In Bear Creek, you can head out into the confluence of Bear Creek and Lehigh Rivers near the Francis E. Walter Dam (access via the Francis Walter Boat launch), for sunshine and sandy shores.
Lackawanna County
Lackawanna State Park
20 minutes northwest of Scranton, Lackawanna State Park offers abundant opportunities to paddle in a lovely park setting. While Lackawanna Lake is open to human-powered and motorized watercraft, the lake features many narrow inlets with abundant wildlife and protected water. Paddlers accessing from the Bullhead Bay boat launch off PA-438 can enjoy wild shorelines with minimal company, while those looking for a more social paddling experience can launch from the park's primary boat launch near the park's main entrance off Lake View Drive. Finally, paddlers can access the calm waters at the lake's south end from the launch area near the University of Scranton's "boat tent" off South Shore Road.
Aylesworth Park, Jermyn
Here's a small (4-acre) lake with calm waters, a sandy beach and forested shorelines in one of Lackawanna County's most popular county parks. It's a great place for beginners to paddle and easy to get to for folks living in Scranton, Olyphant, Dickson City, Carbondale and points north. We like to stop at nearby Riverview Winery to enjoy a fresco glass of wine near the Lackawanna River after paddling!
Covington Park, Moscow
Located 15 minutes east of Scranton in the North Pocono hills, Covington park offers easy access for paddlers to get an intimate look at one of NEPA's smaller, calm-water lakes.
Wyoming County
Lake Winola
You can access the this popular recreational lake via the public boat launch off Lake Road near the intersection of PA-307. From there explore 185 acres of open water and friendly shorelines. This lake can get busy with boaters, water skiers etc., during high summer, so keep an eye out for bigger boats!
Paddle Board Safety and PA State Boating Regulations
On larger lakes that allow motorized watercraft, such as Lake Winola and Harvey's Lake, we recommend paddling near the shoreline or in no-wake zones (usually marked by buoys) during weekends and busy boating hours. This will ensure you're in nice, calm waters, and help to avoid close encounters with water skiers, speed boats and other motorized watercraft.
Launch Permits
If you are paddling on waters governed by the state of Pennsylvania (State Parks and Forests), or if you're accessing any body of water via a PA Fish & Boat Commission public launch, you must hold a current launch permit from the PA Fish & Boat Commission for your paddle board (or kayak, canoe, or other human-powered watercraft).
Launch Permits cost $10-12 per year for PA residents (up to $18 for non-residents) and are available from FBC offices directly, or via private retailers (including local hardware stores, boating/sport shops, even Wal-Mart).
Personal Floatation Devices
State regulations also require all paddle boarders to carry or wear a United States Coast Guard-approved (USCG) life jacket/personal floatation device (PFD) while paddling in public waters or accessing lakes etc. via public access launches.
In the warmer months, it's sufficient to carry a PFD (within arm's reach) for each person onboard, but from November 1-April 30, you must wear the PFD on your body.
This is important! If you don't follow these rules while paddling in public waters (or via public boat access), you could get hit with a fine.
Read More:
Inflatable vs Hard Paddle Boards
Which Paddle Board is Right for You?
The Best Fishing Kayaks for 2023