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New Jersey | Passaic County / Lower Passaic River Blueway

Passaic RiverSuchorsky Canoe Launch to Pennington Park Canoe Launch

A bounded Lower Passaic River Blueway planning reach between two PVSC-mapped municipal canoe launches, from Suchorsky Park toward Pennington Park.

Route location

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Plan this route

DistanceApproximately 8 river miles including the Great Falls portage context
DifficultyHard
Typical time4–8 hours depending on current
ShuttleCar shuttle
A Passaic River Blueway canoe and kayak trail sign beside the river in New Jersey.
Route photoLower Passaic River Blueway sign and launch contextPhoto by Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission

Need to know

Why this call
This route is documented for planning, but does not receive a Paddle Today score.
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Route overview

Trip details

Access rules, camping, seasonal conditions and trip length.

Distance, difficulty, rules and camping
On-water distanceApproximately 8 river miles including the Great Falls portage contextSuchorsky Canoe Launch to Pennington Park Canoe Launch
DifficultyhardThe named source describes recreational moving water. Shallow sections, current, strainers, bridges, cold water, and access restrictions remain material.
ShuttleCar shuttleStage at Pennington Park only after confirming current municipal parking, hours, and landing conditions, then shuttle to Suchorsky. Do not unload on bridge shoulders, private banks, emergency-only sites, or the Great Falls portage route unless the official site is open and usable.
PermitsCheck posted rulesFollow current municipal park rules, PVSC Blueway notices, New Jersey boating/PFD requirements, Great Falls/Dundee portage controls, spill or water-quality advisories, and any posted closure. No route-specific permit is claimed.
CampingDay tripNo on-route camping is identified. Use separately managed lodging or a lawful designated campground; municipal canoe launches and portage areas do not grant overnight shoreline rights.
SeasonMar-NovSpring through fall is the practical planning season. Check current flow, recent rain, debris, water temperature, daylight, and park alerts before every launch.

Plan ahead

Tomorrow and the weekend

Forecasts can change. Check current conditions again before leaving.

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Plan

Plan your trip

Launch points, shuttle details, distance, and access notes.

Route logistics

Access and shuttle

A bounded Lower Passaic River Blueway planning reach between two PVSC-mapped municipal canoe launches, from Suchorsky Park toward Pennington Park.

Access map

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Start

Put-in

Suchorsky Canoe Launch
Open mapDirections to put-in

PVSC’s official Blueway layer identifies both endpoints as municipal canoe launches, but current parking, hours, erosion, carry, and wetted-edge conditions must be confirmed before travel.

Finish

Take-out

Pennington Park Canoe Launch
Open mapDirections to take-out

Great Falls is a hard portage boundary within the Blueway. Do not approach or run the falls, and do not use private or emergency-only intermediate sites as substitutes.

Road shuttle

Driving shuttle routeShuttle in Apple MapsOpenStreetMap
Access notes and hazards

Access caveats

  • PVSC’s official Blueway layer identifies both endpoints as municipal canoe launches, but current parking, hours, erosion, carry, and wetted-edge conditions must be confirmed before travel.
  • Great Falls is a hard portage boundary within the Blueway. Do not approach or run the falls, and do not use private or emergency-only intermediate sites as substitutes.
  • The route passes through a heavily developed corridor. Keep a hard turnaround and emergency extraction plan for bridge, debris, water-quality, traffic, and landing changes.

Watch for

  • USGS 01389500 direct Little Falls discharge and gage height, plus USGS 01389802 Great Falls stage context, recent rain, and current PVSC spill/cleanup notices
  • Great Falls and other dam/portage hazards, bridge hydraulics, strainers, debris, eroding banks, cold water, and urban runoff
  • Suchorsky and Pennington municipal parking/hours, carry, landing, daylight, portage status, and the non-routine status of emergency-only/private sites

Plan this paddle

Choose your trip times

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Trip schedule

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Conditions

Water levels, gauge history, and hourly forecast

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Gauge detail

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Gauge

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Weather

Hourly forecast

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Route gallery

Photos

Check each caption: some photos show the surrounding area rather than this exact trip.

A Passaic River Blueway canoe and kayak trail sign beside the river in New Jersey.
Lower Passaic River Blueway sign and launch contextPhoto by Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission
PVSC official Blueway project image

Sources

Data and sources

Read the access and hazard notes and check the linked guides. We do not issue a daily score for this trip.

NotesWhat to know before you go

These notes cover the access details, route quirks, and source caveats most likely to matter once you get there.

  • Named moving-water corridorPVSC Lower Passaic River Blueway Canoe and Kayak Trail; approximately 32 miles with 20 public launch/access sites

    PVSC’s official program page and story map identify the Blueway, its endpoints, public launch network, and field-work partners.

    Source

  • Direct public endpoint evidenceSuchorsky Canoe Launch and Pennington Park Canoe Launch, both municipal features in PVSC’s official canoe-launch layer

    The layer is queried in WGS84 for the stored coordinates; verify current municipal parking, carry, erosion, hours, and wetted-edge conditions.

    Source

  • Route-specific hazard and portage evidencePVSC story map documents Great Falls, portage options, emergency-only sites, and private-site constraints

    The route stops at Pennington Park and does not treat the Great Falls or Dundee structures as runnable water.

    Source

  • Direct flow evidenceUSGS 01389500 Passaic River at Little Falls NJ

    Use current discharge and gage height with Great Falls stage context, recent rain, urban runoff/spill notices, debris, and visual scouting; no numeric recreational cutoff is inferred.

    Source

  • Camping postureNearby basecamp only

    No municipal launch, portage, or shoreline camping entitlement is claimed.

    Source

  • Live gaugeUSGS 01389500, Passaic River at Little Falls NJ

    Direct route-context station: use current discharge, gage height, recent rain, and visual conditions together; no numeric recreational cutoff is transferred.

    Source

  • Approved route imageryRights-cleared same-river or same-water-trail context image

    Approved PVSC Blueway sign image from the official Lower Passaic River Blueway project; it provides route context and does not certify current launch, portage, flow, or water-quality conditions.

    Source

Verify it yourselfCheck the source links

Use these links to double-check the gauge, route details, and access notes before you head out.

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Keep exploring

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Nearby routes within 75 miles

Old Place CreekGulf Avenue hand launch to the Arthur Kill connection and same-launch return · about 18 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 4 round-trip planning miles from the Gulf Avenue hand launch to the Arthur Kill connection and back; DEC describes the one-way creek connection as about 2 milesBronx RiverShoelace Park 219th Street kayak launch to Soundview Park Kayak/Canoe Launch · about 19 straight-line mi awayHard · Approximately 7 river miles from the 219th Street launch to the Soundview Park launch; planning estimate for the Blueway sectionRamapo RiverTuxedo DEC parking access to H. Pierson Mapes Flat Rock Park · about 21 straight-line mi awayModerate · About 6 river miles to H. Pierson Mapes Flat Rock Park; the broader American Whitewater listing continues toward SuffernLemon CreekBayview Avenue hand launch toward the Raritan Bay mouth and same-launch return · about 26 straight-line mi awayModerate · Approximately 2 round-trip planning miles from the DEC Bayview hand launch toward the Lemon Creek mouth at Raritan Bay and back; distance is a conservative mapped channel estimate, not a surveyed mileage

Quick answers

Passaic River paddling FAQ

What water level is best for the Suchorsky Canoe Launch to Pennington Park Canoe Launch route on the Passaic River?

This planning route has no live Paddle Today score. Review the linked water-level sources, current access notices and route-specific hazards before travel.

Where does the Suchorsky Canoe Launch to Pennington Park Canoe Launch route on the Passaic River start and end?

This route starts at Suchorsky Canoe Launch and ends at Pennington Park Canoe Launch, Approximately 8 river miles including the Great Falls portage context on the water.

Is the Suchorsky Canoe Launch to Pennington Park Canoe Launch route on the Passaic River suitable for beginners?

This is listed as a hard route. Review the difficulty notes, hazards and current access conditions against your group's skills. No live score assesses this trip.

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