35th annual Swatara Sojourn to be held May 3; rental kayaks will be available

The Swatara Watershed Association will host its 35th annual Swatara Sojourn – an all-day group outing consisting of paddling, education, and litter cleanup along the way – on Saturday, May 3.

The kayak journey begins at the creek access point at 313 W. Market St., Jonestown, and ends at Swatara Watershed Park, at 1929 Blacks Bridge Road, Annville.

Shuttles will be available so that participants can drop off their gear between 8:30 and 9 a.m. at the Jonestown access on Saturday morning, and then drive to Swatara Watershed Park where they can park their vehicles before being shuttled back to Jonestown. There, a quick breakfast will be served before an introduction and safety briefing, followed by the launch at 10 a.m.

Along the way, kayakers will enjoy the Swattie’s many natural wonders, while also hopefully extracting some of the manmade distractions they find littering the waterway. Pitstops will be made at the Water Works access for a restroom break and trash drop off and Blue Rock, where lunch will be served along with an educational presentation.

Read More: Unraveling age-old mysteries of Swatara Creek: A journey into geologic time

Then it’s back in the kayaks to finish the journey to Annville, with a restroom break and trash drop-off at Harper’s Tavern along the way. Take out at Swatara Watershed Park should happen around 5 or 6 p.m.

The cost to participate is $25 for adults and $10 for children. Kayaks are also available for rental at an extra cost through Cocoa Kayak.

More information and a registration form can be found on the Swatara Watershed Association website.