At 4 a.m. on Saturday, November 7, the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources starts releasing water from the Nockamixon State Park dam into Tohickon Creek. The water takes about four hours to reach Ralph Stover State Park. Bucks County puts the flow at 500 cubic feet per second over the two days. That turns the shallow creek most of Pipersville knows into Class 3 and 4 whitewater, and it draws paddlers from as far away as Maine. It happens again on Sunday, November 8.
The release has a starting time, a direction and an end point. DCNR's October 13 announcement says most boaters launch at Ralph Stover and paddle about four miles to where the Tohickon meets the Delaware at Point Pleasant. If you plan to watch from the bank, plan the day in that order. Start where the boats go in, move downstream as they do, and end in the river town where they come out.
The Clock DCNR Sets
DCNR has published the times, and the times shape the day:
| What | When | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Water released from Lake Nockamixon | 4 a.m., Nov. 7 and 8 | Nockamixon State Park dam |
| Suggested viewing hours | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Ralph Stover State Park |
| Boating conditions | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Ralph Stover down to Point Pleasant |
| Starwatch | 7 to 10 p.m., Nov. 7 | Tohickon Boat Launch, Nockamixon |
| Dam Release Hike | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nov. 8 | Tower Road Trailhead, Nockamixon |
Releases usually happen twice a year, on the third weekend in March and the first weekend in November. The November release comes after the leaves have mostly fallen, so the cliffs above the creek are easier to see than they are in summer. Before 8 a.m., the creek at Ralph Stover still looks like an ordinary morning. The viewing hours begin when the water arrives.
Morning at the Put-In: Ralph Stover
Ralph Stover State Park is at 6011 State Park Road in Pipersville. It's open daily from sunrise to sunset and has a creekside picnic area. On release mornings, this is where the kayakers, canoeists and the occasional raft put in. DCNR describes them as coming "from throughout the Northeastern United States." Ralph Stover is also where the day starts most visibly, with boats coming off roof racks and paddlers checking the water as it rises.
That makes it the busiest spot on the creek. Before the March 2025 release, the Bucks County Courier Times warned that the park would be busier than usual. It listed three public places to park: Ralph Stover on State Park Road, the High Rocks Vista lot on Tory Road and Tohickon Valley Park on Cafferty Road. Those three lots line up with the creek's course from upstream to downstream. The park's whitewater boating page asks everyone not to block parking areas or roadways.
Coffee comes first. Amsterdam Coffee Bar is inside Kolbe Antiques & Art at 6 River Road in Pipersville. It opens at 8:30 a.m. on weekends, about half an hour after DCNR's viewing window begins, and stays open until 4:30 p.m. The café opened this location in March 2025, so it's newer than many longtime residents may realize.
Midday From Above: High Rocks
Once the boats are on the water, move up to the rim. The High Rocks Vista trails start from the Tory Road parking lot. The easy blue trail runs 1.6 miles to an overlook on a 200-foot cliff. The yellow trail is 1.9 miles, harder, and runs closer to the creek. From the blue trail you look down on the paddlers. From the yellow trail you're closer to the rapids and to the sound of the water.
DCNR expects heavy traffic on the High Rocks Vista Trail System both days, and its release notice includes trail etiquette for the weekend:
- Stay on the blazed trails to slow erosion and protect native plants and wildlife.
- Keep to the right when passing other hikers.
- Split large groups into smaller ones.
- Keep dogs on a 6-foot leash and clean up after them.
On most weekends you could ignore these tips. On release weekend, more people than usual are walking a cliff-edge trail at the same time.
Afternoon at the Rapids: Tohickon Valley Park
Below the cliffs, the creek runs through Tohickon Valley Park, a 612-acre county park on Cafferty Road in Point Pleasant that's open from dawn to dusk. Bucks County is direct about where to stand. Its park page says that if you want to watch the release, "the best rapids are around cabin 4."
Cabin 4 has its own history. According to the county's page for the park, cabins 3 and 4 were privately owned vacation homes before the county began buying the land in 1962. Most of the park's current trails follow old logging roads. The county also notes that the cabins and campground are popular during both releases. So the people next to you at the rapids may have camped there the night before.
Two timing details matter. Boating conditions end at 4 p.m. In early November, a dawn-to-dusk park also closes early. Plan to be at the rapids in the early afternoon. The last paddlers on the water are also the ones you'll see at the finish.
Where the Water Ends: Point Pleasant
The run ends where the Tohickon meets the Delaware. Space at the take-out is tight. American Whitewater's Tohickon page describes a small riverside take-out above the bridge and a paid outfitter lot below the canal aqueduct, and it warns paddlers not to park on the road. If you're driving down to meet the boats, those spots are meant for the paddlers, so plan to park somewhere else.
That makes the restored firehouse on River Road the natural end of the day. Boo's Brewing Co., at 4961 River Road in Point Pleasant, opened in March 2025 in the old Point Pleasant firehouse. The Bucks County Herald reports that the beer is brewed on site. The kitchen serves smoked meats and barbecue every day, according to Boo's own site. Boo's is open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and to 10 p.m. on Sunday. The kitchen closes at 10 p.m. Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday. Most of Point Pleasant's paddling crowd will finish around 4 p.m., so the brewery is likely to be busiest right after that.
Saturday Night, Back at the Source
The water you watched all day starts at Lake Nockamixon, and on Saturday night DCNR has an event there. The free Starwatch runs from 7 to 10 p.m. on November 7 at the Tohickon Boat Launch. It doesn't require registration, and the telescopes will be pointed at Saturn, the Pleiades and the Andromeda galaxy. That puts Saturday's last outdoor event on the lake behind the dam, about 15 hours after the 4 a.m. release.
Sunday, Upstream to the Dam
Sunday adds a stop most visitors never get to see. The Dam Release Hike on November 8 is a free, moderate hike of about four miles. It runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and starts at the Tower Road Trailhead in Nockamixon State Park. The dam area is normally closed to the public. Park staff will lead registered hikers in under special permission, so you have to register in advance.
After the hike, Sunday ends in Pipersville. Historic Piper Tavern opens at noon on Sundays and closes at 8 p.m. The Plumsteadville Inn, at 5902 Easton Road, lists Sunday hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Its contact page is a few years old, so call ahead before you go.
The Week After
Once the release ends, the creek drops back to its usual level, and DCNR's calendar keeps going. On Wednesday, November 11, a Crow Social Hike runs from 3 to 5 p.m. at 165 Cafferty Road, and you need to register. On Sunday, November 15, a sunrise hike runs from 6:30 to 9 a.m. from the High Rocks Overlook parking area at 150 Tory Road. It also requires registration. The overlook that was crowded on November 7 will likely be much quieter a week later.
For two days a year, the Tohickon is the main event in our corner of Bucks County. At Addison Wolfe Real Estate, we keep track of the dates that shape life along this stretch of the creek, from Ralph Stover to the River Road firehouse. If you'd like to talk about the land, homes and back roads between Pipersville and Point Pleasant, we'd be glad to hear from you. Contact Us.
