Expedition Kayaking Skills Workshop

You don’t need to be a professional athlete to take part in this program! However, you do need at least a little base level of fitness. We’ll be on-the-water paddling at a sustained, moderate touring pace for about 3 hours each day. We’ll also practice skills including attaining through moving water that require kayaking at a sustained, medium to high-intensity for several minutes at a time.

We’ll spend several hours practicing skills at a pair of ledges called McKees Half Falls. It’s a class II to II+ feature in most water levels.

It’s A-OK to arrive as a beginner. However, you’ll get the most out of the workshop if you already have strong turning strokes and good basic paddling technique.

The workshop is designed for “mid-level beginner” through “advanced-intermediate” paddlers.

If you’re flying in for the workshop, Bad Adventures staff will pick you up from either of these Harrisburg International Airport-area hotels between 7:00 and 7:15 AM on the first day of the workshop:

• Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Harrisburg International Airport
• Comfort Inn and Suites Harrisburg Airport

We’ll drop you off at your hotel again on the last night of the workshop. Please note that we can’t get you to the airport in time for a flight on the last day of the workshop.

The workshop meets in Riverfront Park in Millersburg, PA, a town park at the confluence of Wiconisco Creek and the Susquehanna River. Please arrive by 8:30 AM and park on the east side of River Street.

Expect daytime highs in the 60’s to 80’s and nighttime lows in the 40’s. The workshop will take place rain or shine.

You may! Please start by contacting us with a description of your boat. Large touring kayaks and tripping canoes are appropriate for the workshop. Recreational kayaks lack the carrying capacity required for our two nights of backcountry camping.

We tent camp on an island for both nights of the workshop. Dome-style backpacking tents and self-inflating camping mattresses are provided. (You may also bring your own.)

I (Matt Stan here) suggest packing 30-degree sleeping bag. See the packing list for complete details.

Nah. That’s pretty unlikely. The workshop is solo-adventurer-friendly!

You can reserve your spot today by paying a $149 deposit. The balance is due 60 days before the course. Be sure to read the complete Trip and Course Policies.

There's no cancellation fee if you decide to cancel 90 days or more before the course and we'll even refund your deposit! However, if you cancel fewer than 90-days before the course, your deposit is nonrefundable. Additionally, there are significant cancellation fees if you decide to cancel your registration 59 days or less before the course. Be sure to read the complete Trip and Course Policies.

We only advertise trips and courses we plan to operate. Since our founding in 2013, Bad Adventures has never canceled a multi-day trip or course. However, we must reserve the right to do so. Be sure to review our Trip and Course Policies.

Yes. However, it’s broken up throughout the day, with lots of opportunity for rest. The unique geometry of our campsite, the ledges of McKees Half Falls, and the surrounding islands let us paddle upstream, hopping between eddies. There are only a few times we have to paddle on a “treadmill.”

Our total distance of upstream paddling is about 3.5 miles. We never paddle more than 1 mile upstream at a time.

Bad Adventure guides will be there to help! However, if you decide to take it easy, you can forgo the second half of day 2 and hang out at camp while the rest of the group returns to the water.

At our island camp, we use river groovers (portable toilets) to minimize the environmental impact of our stay. They’re pleasant to use.