GO Gathering Pemi River Kayak Trip

We used Ski Fanatics to rent the kayaks and shuttle us to the river and back. We had two gay brothers who heard about us from Ski Fanatics when they reserved their own kayak/shuttle and asked to join us so we said….WELCOME! We had 13 overall making this an official gay flotilla!

Ski Fanatics provided us a shuttle to Robin's Nest and we arrived around 11:30am. Some members met us there since they had their own boats and made their own arrangements for a shuttle.

Soon after starting, there was a split in the river. The water was so low on the left we took a right and found ourselves in some fun Quickwater and had to navigate our boats around fallen trees. Despite the water being so low, we never once had to get out of our boats to pull our kayaks over the rocks.

On the river itself we saw people of all ages and sizes either on tubes, kayaks or canoes. Some people towed floatable coolers, had dogs in their boats and towed people tubing with their kayaks. It was entertaining just to observe everyone on the river.

For the most part, we found ourselves paddling together encountering other groups of kayakers and tubers now and then. A Blues Fest was occurring so we heard some music early on the paddle. We stopped near Big Rock along the shore of the river after paddling a third of the way for some swimming and lunch. The water temperature was perfect!

There was a section with exposed limbs sticking out of the water so one had to maneuver around them carefully. As we paddled under the trestle bridge we found some guys jumping off it into the water. Chuck jumped off a few times. A bit later we pulled by Big Boulder for another swim.

After this, we were at the home stretch where we paddled past our campsite and said hi to a few members chillin’. We continued to our pick-up spot and arrived just in time for 3PM pickup.

Overall, it was a relaxing day of paddling on the Pemigewasset River with 13 GO members in sunny weather!  

If you've camped with us last year at the GO Gathering along the Pemigewasset River last year, you would have seen the constant flotilla of kayaks, canoes, tubes, and other strange objects passing by our campsite ...LOL. Come check out the beautiful scenery along the Pemigewasset River with a leisurely kayak paddle from Robin’s Nest to Campton next to where the GO Gathering will be held! Pack a picnic lunch. Excursion will be approximately 3-4 hours and will be 6 miles. The river is calm, Class I, great for beginners and fun to paddle.

The paddle itself is great with little signs of civilization, lots of sandy beaches to pull in for swimming/sunbathing, and can get crowded that provides sort of a party atmosphere! The river winds and has a few spots with 'fast water' so it adds a bit of excitement to the day. Don’t forget to wear you swim trunks so we can check out the many spots for taking a dip along the way! We recommend wearing sturdy sandals or old sneakers for your feet. Bring a very small pack lined with a garbage bag for lunch, snacks, towel, sunscreen, sunglasses, etc. You can squeeze a very tiny cooler to hold a max of two-three beers in the kayaks as well. Also a water bottle.  Ski Fanatics recommendations as to what to bring.

Sometimes they are shallow spots on the river where you will have to get out of your kayaks and pull it. On the river itself we saw people of all ages and sizes either on tubes, kayaks or canoes. Some people towed floatable coolers, had dogs in their boats and towed people tubing with their kayaks. It was entertaining just to observe everyone on the river. The water can be a tad bit cold but it is certainly refreshing! There can be debris in the river so that would be require a bit of navigation that makes the paddle all that much more fun!

We’ll enjoy one of the many beaches along this sandy stretch.  You will have to make your reservation directly with Ski Fanatics located in Campton, NH for the 11:00 AM departure from Robin’s Nest and make sure you indicate you are with the GO Trip so they can keep us together. For a reasonable fee of $40 they will equip each person with a single seat recreational kayak with life vest and will include shuttle service to and from the Pemigewasset River. Once you sign up on the GO site, make your online reservation with Ski Fanatics before they sell out. It’s a great way to spend a summer day at a reasonable price!

We recommend you call Ski Fanatics to make a reservation at 603-726-7437 or fill out their online form.  

We’ll be back in plenty of time to relax back at the campsite for swimming, sunbathing and cooking something for the potluck.