“My paddle’s keen and bright, flashing with silver. Follow the wild goose flight. Dip, dip and swing.” The lyrics to an old Canadian paddle song by Margaret Embers McGee often ring in my mind as I navigate my canoe on the waters of the Juniata River.
This ancient river was designated as a National Recreation Water Trail in 2009. The Juniata River Water Trail (JRWT) has three branches, each with its own map: the Raystown Branch, Upper and Lower. The Raystown Branch Trail begins in Bedford and ends at the Weaver Falls Recreation Area near the headwaters of Raystown Lake just north of Saxton. The Lower JRWT starts in Lewistown and flows downstream to Duncannon, where it empties into the Susquehanna River 15 miles upstream from Harrisburg. The Upper JRWT follows the Frankstown Branch and Little Juniata River to their confluence, forming the Juniata River just upstream of Petersburg’s Warrior Ridge Dam and downstream to Lewistown.
One of the greatest assets of the Upper JRWT is the number of public access points. It is easy to get on and off
the river and shuttle within three hours for a nice float any time of the day, for nearly all its length.
The Frankstown Branch part of the trail shares a trailhead with the Lower Trail rails-to-trail at Flowing Spring near Canoe Creek State Park, although in the spring you can paddle from at least as far upstream as Hollidaysburg. The river meanders through Williamsburg, past the historic Mount Etna Iron Furnace and through Alexandria before it meets up with the Little Juniata. This section offers the rare opportunity to shuttle by bicycle as the 18-mile Lower Trail parallels the river to Alfarata Station just about one mile above Alexandria. Also, because of rails being removed and turned into multi-use trail, this section is among the quietest sections of the JRWT, with only a couple of spots where the river comes close to U.S. 22 and never close to active rail lines.
The Little Juniata, commonly called the “Little J”, part of the trail is probably the most fun for paddlers who enjoy swift moving water with a few riffles to navigate through. The JRWT begins in Tyrone, but in the spring you can access it as far upstream as Bellwood. The river meanders along the Norfolk Southern Railroad’s main line, which crosses the river numerous times on beautiful stone arch trestles. The trestles are also one of the hazards to be aware of when navigating the Little J, as they can become logjammed. Another factor to be aware of on the Little J is that it is a high quality trout stream which draws fly anglers from all over the world, so paddlers should be respectful of other users, and should also be diligent about washing and drying their boats and paddles between use on other waterways to keep invasive species away from the fishery.
Both of the upper branches empty into the Warrior Ridge Dam, Huntingdon County’s lesser-known lake. Warrior Ridge Dam is a circa 1907 hydroelectric power-generating dam that backs up water on the Juniata River about 3.5 miles, and about 0.5 miles on Shavers Creek into the borough of Petersburg. 
The best launch is owned by the Petersburg Fire Company along Route 305 next to the fire hall. Keys to use the launch can be purchased annually at either the Petersburg Firemen’s Club or Skip’s Convenience Store, both visible from the ramp. The sale of keys helps the company maintain the launch itself and the parking facilities.
Just below Warrior Ridge Dam is an access point that begins 113 miles of unimpeded paddling for the remainder of the Juniata River and downstream to City Island on the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg.
In addition to the launch below Warrior Ridge Dam, the Water Trail can be accessed from Riverside Park in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission’s Point Access (permits required), Mapleton’s Riverside Memorial Park, Mount Union’s Riverside Park and PFBC Shawmut Boat Launch (permits required).
For a great inner-tube float, I recommend putting in at Mapleton and taking out at Mount Union to float 3.3 miles through Jack’s Narrows, one of the deepest gorges in Pennsylvania.