Paulins Kill

the dam between rt. 519 and the lake is absolutely runnable. i checked the depth of the landing w/ my paddle about 1/3 of the way from the right bank and it was 2.5 ' deep at low water. impatient me tried to run it at that level and my brand new ammo now has a brand new piton scar! higher levels should not be a problem, will report back w/ pics after a decent rain.

dave carter
the two rapids i described in my last comment are no more. drop and struggle has been blocked by a rather large tree fallen just 1O' from the drop, considering the size of the tree and the insignificance of the rapid removal is just not worth it. surprise s has simply vanished! after sitting down at the spot in a 'wtf!!' daze for 2Omins i've concluded that it was actually a log jam that is no longer there, lucky me for running it and making it through! so if you just want river fun put in at lafayette village for the very fast 'drag strip' take out at memorial park or run under rt. 15 to the firehouse. put back in at rt five nineteen and take out at the north end of paulinskill lake.

We have had success putting in at the Paulinskill Lake dam and pulling out at the metal bridge at Saddleback Road in Stillwater. The river is not blocked but for one large tree that is easily navigated. The ride is a very relaxing 1.5 hours or so depending on the flow. Have found that 200cfs is about the minimum for an enjoyable day.

Roy you put this in? Yep

the map information for this river is incorrect. the point marked take-out would actually be the put in. also the paulinskill river does not run through sparta, it in fact starts at a brook near memory park in newton, runs northeast flowing into a bigger brook ner the old limecrest mine and then west through a town called lafayette, continues west past ross' corner and turns south across the highway from the nj state fairgrounds and from there continues south and runs into the north end of paulinskill lake. your take-out, which would be the put in, is a few miles downriver of the damned south end of the lake. i've now paddled from olde lafayette village to paulinskill lake, whitewater is sporadic through the section i've paddled and dosent exceed class II. i paddled at high level and at that level after a log jam it's basically a seven to ten foot wide drag strip with 2 1/2 to 3 foot wave trains between the village and the park across the street from the fire house, speeding past the old washed out foot bridge was disconcerting; bonus points for catching the river left eddy at the end . the better 2 rapids can be found between the put in at the lafayette f.d. and rt. fifteen ,dispite the many log jams it's a worthwhile trip by itself. the first i call drop and struggle, basically it's an easy 1 to 2 foot drop to a rocky and wood cluttered riffle. the second i call surprise s, and it's an eight or nine feet tall twenty foot long s turn, very very fun!! between rt. five nineteen and the lake are two river wide riffles that are fun even at low levels, the first is right after a dam that is questionable even at high water due to the rocks at the bottom, scout first or portage at river left!!! this riffle includes an old bridge footing shortly after the dam giving you three choices, congrats if you make it river right in a rec boat, i couldn't. the second starts after a quarter mile pool that the first flows into. go right out of the pool as the left fork will take yo to an old unrunnable dam, this riffle is very straight forward and longer than the first. about a quarter mile after that is a very small drop which is the end of whitewater fun above paulinskill lake, the info i've provided is accurate, hope it can help. see ya on the river.