Lawrence Parks Recreation Area – Cohocton, NY

Lawrence Parks Recreation Area  in the town of Cohocton (situate well outside the village of Cohocton) charges a $1.00 or so admittance fee per person for the park & pool.  An after-hike social & swim could be held there.  Riverside Ice Cream / quick food place, 59 Maple Avenue (at Allen St & the Cohocton River) in the village of Cohocton is another possible locale for after-hike social.  (It is right next to the Cohocton River.)   Gene has promoted the hike & swim option return to Tumble Hill Campground since our S/T 12/22/2013 hike there.

Not sure if kayaking on the Cohocton River might also be an option.  I think there is access for put in or take out at the Town of Cohocton’s Lawrence Parks Rec Area, located on Atlanta Back Rd.   May also be possible to put in at: Parks Rd just N of Co Rd 36, Co Rd 39A, River St, Co Rd 36, or Lawrence Parks Rec Area.  Perhaps possible take out further down stream may be: NYS Rt 371, NYS Rt 415, Larrowe Rd, Flint Rd, Wentworth Rd / NYS RT 415, Long Lane Rd, NYS Rt 415 at Wallace, Wallace Avoca Rd, NYS Rt 415 either in or south of Avoca.

Not sure how much water is flowing in summer and where along the river, and how much distance “deliverance paddlers” seek to cover, and if and where debris accumulations may disallow for easy kayaking.   This may be an adventure for those willing to accept the unknown.  Not sure onus of a preview is necessary, although also is undesirable to find too many debris jams & non-navigable areas with the full group paddling, … so maybe some type of preview, assessment, or talking with someone who has experience here and knows is a good thing.  Then take on the challenge together as a group.  Sounds like one I might enjoy but I no longer have a kayak, and summer availability for me is problematic, so I will not Hike Plan it.  Possible that Cheryl may know some answers or know someone who does, being that she lives in the area.

OF NOTE: several Dec 2013 S/T hikers have stated they would like to return to hike at Tumble Hill Campground and enjoyed the loosey goosey approach of the hike.   Also possibility of coordinating a potluck after-hike social at the campground with the campers there if owner Deborah sees fit.  (I believe campers do a potluck at the Tumble Hill rec hall periodically during the camping season.  Check with Deborah, the campground owner, on this one.  And I would think that if we are sharing alongside with her campers and promoting the campground thru our use and awareness raising, there very well may not be a fee charged to S/T for this one. )

FYI – I have an open query e-mail to a contact who kayaks with a group and may be familiar with the Cohocton River (a tributary of the Chemung River at Painted Post/Corning NY), I will update if/when I get any salient info.   I did glean that from Riverside Ice Cream on corner of Maple Ave (Rt 415) and Allen Street is doable from there downstream, unsure what conditions are further upstream.  –Anyone in S/T who has knowledge on kayaking the Cohocton River, please share.–   Here is a good resource about the Cohocton River.  Both  Cohocton River – NY | Kayak Trip / Canoe Trip – Paddling.net  &  Cohocton River – NY | Kayak Trip / Canoe Trip – Paddling.net are paddling reports with put-in at Wentworth Rd & Rt 415 south of Cohocton Village, and indicates clear sailing in 2002 southward.   also see: 1)  https://newyorkoutdoors.wordpress.com/tag/cohocton-river/  , 2) book: Take A Paddle-Finger Lakes by Rich & Sue Freeman. 3) http://www.scout.me/kayaking-and-canoeing–near–cohocton-ny  &   http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?2761  a put-in on Maple Ave at the ice cream shop in the Village of Cohocton  , 4) mentions the canal between Keuka & Seneca Lakes & the centuries old proposed canal between Keuka Lake & Cohocton River  http://www.ovguide.com/cohocton-river-9202a8c04000641f800000000031345d#    , 5)   http://www.paddling.net/places/showReport.html?1078   , 6)  search engine for Cohocton River Paddle, or similar.

Lawrence Parks Recreation area is located at 10726 Atlanta Back Rd in the town of Cohocton http://www.townofcohocton.com/recreation.html  .  Info at phone ?(585)-384-9901?  Town Clerk hours & phone numbers are listed at URL hyperlink  – http://www.townofcohocton.com/town-clerk.html


Update as of Summer 2014 — best to do a kayak in June when water levels are higher, as later in the summer low water levels make for difficult going in a kayak in some areas (probably especially upstream of the Village of Cohocton).