Click here if you're looking for the 2010 Allegheny Sojourn.

On Saturday, June 13, 2009 and Sunday, June 14, 2009, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy will host a return trip to the Allegheny River for its Annual River Sojourn. The trip will include activities and presentations that are centered on the theme “Paddling Toward Preservation.”

Participants will enjoy wild scenery as we travel the Allegheny River from Kinzua Dam downriver to Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals in Tidioute. The first day entails a 14-mile trip from Kinzua Dam to Buckaloons Recreation Area. Along the way, we will pass historic Warren, visit Point Park and have some excitement with a short section of rapids. On the second day, participants will enjoy a leisurely, 10-mile float past a few of the designated National Forest Islands. The trip will end a few miles upriver of Tidioute at Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rentals.

This weekend of outdoor recreation on the river also includes fun activities on dry land. On Friday night, the Warren County Historical Society will be available for tours of local museums and historical highlights. WPC will not coordinate the historical tours, but if you are planning on attending please let us know by indicating so on your registration form, so that we can inform the historical society about the number of participants. Saturday will include a presentation about the eastern hellbender salamander, a rare creature that is a reliable indicator of great water quality. The Allegheny River is one of only a handful of waterways where the hellbender makes its home. Saturday evening will be capped off by a local storyteller who will be available for some exciting fireside tales.

This year’s Sojourn also provides an opportunity to explore National Forest Islands along the Allegheny River. In 1984, Congress recognized the importance of preserving some of the river’s unique features by designating seven of the islands in the Allegheny River as National Forest Islands, part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Throughout the event, WPC staff members will be available to speak to participants about the flora and fauna found throughout the region, as well as current WPC projects and initiatives. Registration fees include daily meals, entertainment, canoes, and shuttle service for the event. Participants must reserve their own overnight accommodations.

Sponsors for the Sojourn are Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers (POWR), Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), Indian Waters Canoe and Kayak Rental, American Eagle Printing and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC).

To register for the 2009 Allegheny River Sojourn, or for more information, click here. For additional questions, contact Kelly Horrell, at (724) 459-0953 ext. 113. The registration deadline is Friday, June 5, 2009.