Susquehanna River,
West Branch
Shawville to Keating 54.0 miles
Class Grad Size (Area/Volume) Scene/Poll Level
I 6/12 Large(1,462/2,447) A/B 2.0-??
Karthaus Karthaus
Large(2,975/4,912)
Renovo
Topographic Maps: LeContes Mills, Frenchville, Karthaus, Pottersdale, Snowshoe NW, Keating.
County Maps: Clearfield, Centre, Clinton
Description: The stretch from Shawville to Keating makes an excellent canoe-camping trip. It is quite attractive with little civilization showing. There is a power plant at Shawville and a dam at Clearfield not far upstream. There is some pollution due to mine drainage and heating by the Shawville power station. [Checked 2003]
Difficulties: One riffle that is slightly rougher than the rest is about 6 miles upstream from Karthaus, just beyond the point where the railroad on your left turns to enter a tunnel. This is called "Moshannon Falls" by local residents.
Shuttle: Put-in is 0.1 miles south of Shawville on State Route 0970. To get to the take-out, take State Route 0879 towards Karthaus or Keating. Go straight through the turn-off to Karthaus taking State Route 1011, a Forestry Road. The State Route number changes to 2001 at the county line and also becomes Wykoff Run Road. Continue to Sinnemahoning Creek where you cross the bridge and turn right on State Route 120. Turn right on the first road which is State Route 4002. This road first crosses the Sinnemahoning Creek. Take-out is just west of Keating, 0.25 miles upstream of the junction with the Sinnemahoning Creek. A convenient intermediate access point is Karthaus (at the railroad bridge over the mouth of Mosquito Creek). It is 21 miles upstream from Keating.
Gauges: Karthaus. This gauge should read at least 2.0 feet. This is a National Weather Gauge.
Normal Wet Period: No available statistics on seasons. Since this section is large, it should normally be runnable all year, but it may be too high from February to April.