neshaminy Creek

On a flood tide, the NJ State Marina Boat Ramp is an excellent place to put in. This ramp is covered with a layer of sand, making it ideal for launching a kayak.

The entrance to the creek is downriver from the boat launch, past the channel into the state marina. This is a short paddle against the flood tide. The Neshaminy State Park, at the confluence with the Delaware River, supports a freshwater wetland backed by woods. Croyden has a varied waterfront of businesses and dwellings, and a marina is clearly on hard times. A little way past this is a World War One ferrocement canal barge now serving as a bulkhead offering some maritime history. The resident’s appreciation of the creek is reflected in the number of gazebos, decks, and floating docks.

Once past the town, the shoreline combines houses and woods. A mile of woods paralleling I-95 appears natural but sounds like a highway. The egrets, herons, and ospreys don’t seem to mind. Wildlife is plentiful by contemporary urban standards, and the vegetation is lush.

The creek becomes shallow, rocky, and increasingly challenging to navigate about four miles up, making the New Falls Road Bridge a good turnaround point.

August 2022