Information for Guests at MCYC Paddle Events
URBAN STREAM ADVENTURES
What to Bring/Wear
Clothes appropriate for the weather. Layers are always best as weather conditions may change and water temperatures can be cool. Moisture wicking materials preferred, avoid cotton or wool.
Close-toed shoes are required as urban streams have special dangers for sharp objects
Bring drinking water, sunscreen, hats, bug spray, and personal items as needed.
Maintain a bag of warm dry clothing and shoes as well as additional water and snacks in your vehicle.
Protect mobile devices in waterproof cases (or leave in vehicles)
FOR CLEANUPS: Expect to have hands dirty and feet wet. Hard work and heavy lifting involved, not much paddling. Wear waders or heavy boots. If you bring tools, be sure they are labeled.
Allow time for post-paddle rehydration at a local watering hole!
WHAT TO EXPECT
ARRIVING ON THE DAY OF THE EVENT
Each MCYC trip has been carefully planned for our guests. Trip leaders will check weather and water levels for safe passage. In general, our stream adventures are rain or shine but there are certain conditions that cancel an event. You will be notified by 7 am on the morning of an event if there is a cancellation.
Paddlers should arrive at the TAKE OUT location at the designated time. Paddlers will then be shuttled to the PUT IN location where the equipment awaits and the adventure begins following an important safety briefing.
If you are a non swimmer or inexperienced paddler, you should identify yourself as such to the group leaders.
Our canoes accommodate two paddlers and you are welcome to paddle with a friend or with one of our experienced guides.
All paddlers must wear life jackets at all times.
At the end of the paddling adventure, guests help carry boats from the stream bank to to the canoe trailers and assure that all equipment is back on land.
ACA Beginner’s Guide to Safer Paddling
SAFETY
No experience is required to paddle with the MCYC. However, you can be better prepared for success by spending a little time learning a few tips and tricks of the trade, such as:
Wear a properly fitted PFD (personal flotation device)
Know the Route. Our paddle maps describe the details of each trip
Leave your paddle plan info with an emergency contact
Watch the weather to plan appropriate clothing, and be prepared for last minute trip changes if weather conditions fluctuate.
Paddle Safety Tips from paddling.com
Basic instructions to choose the right size paddle
A simple way to find a paddle that is the right size for you is to stand the paddle straight up and down in front of you. The right length paddle should come up to around your chin. For the beginning paddler, following this general guideline is a great place to start.
The canoe paddle has 4 major components, named from top to bottom:
- grip
- shaft
- blade
- tip
Always hold the paddle with one hand on the top of the grip and the other hand on the shaft.
When canoeing in a tandem (2 person) canoe, paddlers should paddle on opposite sides.
Details COMING SOON for upcoming outingS
2025 Urban Stream Adventures
May, June, August, October
2025 Cleanups
April, July, October
About the Mill Creek
The Mill Creek is an urban stream passing through 37 jurisdictions in the heart of Cincinnati. Most of the stream would be classified as Class 1 (Easy): Fast-moving current with small waves and few obstructions that are easily avoided. Low-risk. Easy self-rescue (shallow water). Rapid changes in water level and flows possible.
Dangers include strainers, sweepers, low head dams, foot entrapments, unpredictable weather, flash floods, hypothermia, CSO discharges, and unseen hazards (pollution).
IMPORTANT NOTE: MCYC veterans are trained professionals who have a wide range of paddling experience. Every MCYC trip includes American Canoe Association (ACA) trained instructors who have been trained in the essentials of river canoeing, including safety and rescue techniques. Every trip includes first aid, safety, and rescue equipment and guides trained to use it. However, we advise you to take advantage of the resources on this page and learn more about paddling and safety while on the water.
WHILE ON AN ADVENTURE….LEAVE NO TRACE
The parts of a canoe from www.coolofthewild.comPADDLING WITH THE YACHT CLUB -
FUN WITH A PURPOSE
Urban Stream Adventures
Mill Creek Yacht Club veterans provide guided trips on the Mill Creek. Participants embark on a 4 hour trip down the Mill Creek in one of the five sections of the creek. Each trip is $25/person and all equipment is provided. No experience is required but a certain level of physical ability is needed to safely accomplish the trip. You will experience the wonders of the creek from a new perspective! Registration and waivers are required.
CLEAN-UPs WITH THE YACHT CLUB
Stream cleanups are also a big part of the Mill Creek Yacht Club, with over 75 trips dedicated to this purpose since the group formed over 25 years ago.
Annual Mill Creek Valley Cleanup by Canoe takes place on the Friday before Earth Day on the Mill Creek near Sharonville, Evendale, and Reading.
Lower Mill Creek Cleanup takes place both up and down river from the barrier dam on the weekend before Paddlefest, in an effort to put some shine on the Mill Creek for the thousands of visitors who travel 1/2 mile upstream for the Mill Creek Peek.
Annual Upper Mill Creek Cleanup (UMCCU) takes place in late fall, usually at the end of September or beginning of October and provides needed maintenance on completed restoration projects
Cleaning up the stream is a tough job and recommended only for those in good health looking for a challenge. It's a great way to build camaraderie with the Yacht Club, coworkers, friends, and family because it's a job where the feeling of accomplishment is real.
To stay up-to-date with the Mill Creek Yacht Club and outings, subscribe to the Alliance's newsletter and keep an eye on our event calendar.
Who's been on an Urban Stream Adventure with us?
See for yourself on our LIST OF CREWMATES, which includes: members of congress, mayors, state legislators, county commissioners, Council donors, township trustees, consultants, public works directors, sewer district directors, watershed group directors, planners, journalists, videographers, stream specialists, professors, regulators, business people, landowners, engineers, environmentalists, college students, and a dog or two. Check out more pictures from stream adventures and cleanups on our google site.
Upcoming Events
THE MAN WHO STARTED IT ALL, OUR COMMODORE:
Video produced, edited, and directed by David Ashbrock.
Please note, that the although MCA is working hard to improve the conditions of the Mill Creek, and even though we have never experienced any problems, we are obligated to provide the following information:
Ohio EPA recommends no contact with waters of the Mill Creek because it can have high levels of fecal coliform bacteria and other pathogens from time to time, especially within 48 to 72 hours of a rainstorm heavy enough to cause combined sewer overflows. It is your personal choice on whether to participate, based largely on the strength of your immune system and your willingness to take a calculated risk. If you have an open cut or weakened immunities, you should not go. Wash up well with soap and water after the trip and before eating/drinking.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with additional questions (mcyc@themillcreekalliance.org)