Burkes Canoes, on the Russian River at Forrestville (before Guernville), a commerical canoe rental with an attached campground. This is a car-camping trip.
Activities
Canoeing on Saturday (free shuttle bus back to Burkes site), games on Sunday. Low-key fishing from the river bank at Burkes. Crawdads have been caught on past trips..
Problems
The camping site we usually get at Burkes is at the water's edge and very dusty.
In 1998 we camped overnight Saturday at Camp Royaneh instead, and this was a major improvement.
We did a service project at Royaneh on the following Sunday.
The river does have snags on the river banks, and could be dangerous during high flow periods.
So we always do our canoe trips in fall.
This trip is somewhat expensive.
Suggestions
Review BSA Safety Afloat requirements before the trip.
Get a canoeing Merit Badge counsellor lined up ahead of time, possibly every other year.
Consider requiring scouts to swim 50 yards without life jackets, else they dont go in a scouts-only canoe.
Encourage older scouts to get BSA Lifequard at summer camp, and to come on this trip.
Discourage older scouts from swamping younger scouts' canoes. The younger scouts get tired of this quickly, as they are barely strong enough to repeatedly refloat their canoes and still have fun.
Have a "Dad's" canoe (or raft) at front and at rear of the parade of canoes.