Casselman

The boat launch can be found along this side road. The putin is on the river left/downstream side of the Rockdale Rd. Bridge in the center of Rockwood, PA. There's typically plenty of parking to be found in the GAP trail parking lots just up the hill from the boat launch.

At medium flows, a large rock in the center of the river signals an end to the flatwater section above this rapid. The river picks up speed through a class I section that is generally straightforward to read-and-run following a line in the center of the river. After a brief flattening of the water, boaters encounter a class II drop. At first glance, it can be somewhat challenging to spot an ideal line. The current generally flows toward river right, where a couple of successive ledges produce hydraulics that can be punched through.

At flows around 4 feet on the Markleton gauge, these holes are big enough to partly swamp an open-boat canoe even if the waves are punched at perpendicular angles. An alternative at this level is a sneak route on river left between a couple of rocks.

As the river bends around the town of Casselman, a couple of boulders appear on the left bank. At favorable flows, this is potentially a surfing spot with decent return service in the eddy downstream of the boulders.

As the river bends left downstream of the town of Casselman, a riverwide ledge system comes into view. At medium flows, a number of lines can be run through this rapid. At lower levels, the least scrapy line is probably the river left line.

The waves are potentially surfable, though the return service is not ideal.

Downstream of Hook Slide, boulders on river left signal the arrival at Olympia Rapids. The most straightforward line is generally the right-center line, though some dodging of small pourovers and knuckle rocks may be necessary. A river left line could be run, though it's not as compelling as it first appears, and there are potentially some modest consequences for novices who catch the rocks at a bad angle.

Almost immediately downstream of Olympia Rapids, the river bends to the right. Known as Over and Out, a straightforward line is to remain right-center through the top of the bend. At the bottom of the rapid, there is a ledge system on river right that is either runnable or a little trashy depending on the water level. Boaters who stay in the center-right channel can decide in the moment if they want to punch the holes to the right or follow the easier line in the center.

Take-out - Markleton, PA. The take-out is in Markleton, PA on the river right side upstream from the bridge on the river side from the railroad tracks. There is a nice park on river left downstream from the bridge, which would appear to be a good put-in, but from time to time, someone from the PA Fish & Boat Commission appears to harangue boaters about the PA Fish & Boat Commission sticker ($18.00 fee for 2 years [apparently required at all public PA river accesses, but which only comes up at the Markleton river access]) and threaten a $150.00 fine as a penalty for not having the sticker on the boat.