Palmyra to Dredge Harbor and Pompeston Creek

The stretch of river between Palmyra and Dredge Harbor offers variety, history, and wildlife. The Palmyra Cove Nature Park provides a good launch point. Kayak wheels to get from the parking lot to the beach are more than helpful, and there are driftwood logs to negotiate once at the beach. The Tacony-Palmyra Bridge is a product of the industrial age, opening in 1929, so this trip’s history and natural components start right at the launch point. Traveling upstream, the Victorian houses of Riverton come into view, with the Riverton Yacht Club serving as the town’s centerpiece. This Victorian structure at the end of Steamboat Wharf was once the landing place for a paddle-wheel-driven steamboat offering service up and down the river. 

On the opposite bank is a metals scrap yard which features a unique sight-a WWI era ship that had its superstructure removed, and was filled with dirt, to become a pier. It now looks more like a planter. This yard had scrapped ships after WWII and this vessel was selected to become a pier. Upstream from that are the water intakes for Philadelphia’s drinking water system. 

Back on the New Jersey side, Pompeston Creek offers a short side trip through plains of spatterdock. One must be mindful of the height of the tide as the bridges near the mouth of the creek are quite low.

Back on the Delaware, one paddles along beaches loaded with driftwood until arriving at Dredge Harbor, the home of two marinas. The name comes from the islands of dredge spoils protecting this harbor. One of those islands is a rookery populated with herons and cormorants. Their large nests are visible in the trees, and the sky and waterways around the island are full of birds.

May 2024