The French Creek Valley Conservancy Summer Sojourn event will be Saturday, July 11, 2026.

Registration is $25 per adult and $18 per youth (ages 12-18).  All participants must be pre-registered.  Only 50 paddlers will be permitted.  *All paddlers must wear a life jacket and carry a whistle.  All paddlers must be age 12 and older.  All minors must be accompanied by an adult.

We have a great day of French Creek fun planned! Paddlers will start at Cambridge Springs at FCVC's Cambridge Landing Launch and stop at Karl Gerdon Park in Venango for lunch and an educational program. Following lunch, paddlers will continue to Bertram Park in Saegertown to take out.  This 10 mile paddle normally averages a 4-5-hour paddle time straight through.

Participants will drop boats at Cambridge Landing and take their vehicles to Bertram Park in Saegertown.  A bus will be provided to take DRIVERS back to Cambridge Springs.  

T-shirts for the event must be preordered and prepaid before June 15th at $16 each.  *You can pick up your pre-ordered t-shirt at registration!

Schedule:

8:00 - 8:45 - Check in at Cambridge Landing parking lot (found within the Cambridge Springs Carnival Grounds). Drop off boats. 

*DRIVERS take vehicles to Bertram Park. 
Shuttle 8:30 am depart Bertram Park; 8:45am arrive at Cambridge Landing. 
Second and LAST shuttle 9:10 am depart Bertram Park; 9:25 am arrive at Cambridge Landing.

8:45 - First Safety briefing and paddlers get on water. 

9:25 - Second and last safety briefing, paddlers get on water. 

12:00 - 1:00 - Lunch and Educational Presentation at Karl Gerdon Park in Venango.  

1:00 - 3:30 - Continue paddle/float to Bertram Park. 

*Please note, if you are planning to continue your journey further than our stopping point at Bertram Park, there is a low-head dam that is just downstream of the park. Also, there is a bridge that is under construction between Saegertown and Meadville on Route 19. 

French Creek Valley Conservancy are the designated managers of the official French Creek Water Trail. Learn more about FCVC by visiting www.frenchcreekconservancy.org. 

The 2026 French Creek Summer Sojourn was financed in part by a grant from the Community Conservation Partnerships Program Environmental Stewardship Fund under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation administered through the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers Sojourn Grant Program.