Planning your route on the river is crucial to having success and safety during any canoeing trip. For example, accidently passing your camp site or take out point can lead to endless hours of searching and paddling (sometimes upstream). As we discovered in our whitewater and outdoor leadership classes, it is not very fun to miss your camping location and paddle endless hours until sunset to find a suitable one. Thus, it is crucial to plot your route and regularly check the maps to be as certain as possible of your position on the water. Take it from someone who knows!