The Washington Canoe Club occupies a lovely green shingle style building in an idyllic, hidden spot…read moreon the Georgetown waterfront. Founded in 1904, its mission is to promote the sport of canoeing (and more recently kayaking). WCC focuses on Olympic style canoe and kayak racing in particular, producing dozens of Olympic team paddlers, and four Olympic medals, over the years. The club offers canoe, kayak, and outrigger training from novice to master levels as well as summer camps, has organized sprint teams, and partners with area schools interested in developing their own paddling teams. Membership fees run $700 a year for individuals and $1,000 for families, and include all-hours access to the club, use of the shared equipment and craft (canoes, outriggers, war canoes, all manner of kayak), and boat storage. Your fee also means you can bring as many guests with you as often as you'd like.
I had the distinct and absolute pleasure of visiting WCC with a colleague who's a club member, as well as a group of excited middle schoolers. We arrived at the clubhouse -- nestled along the Potomac in the shadow of the towering Key Bridge -- and set to work pulling down two war canoes, donning life jackets, and picking out paddles. Our party paddled a mile north on the river, past the Three Sisters and the leaning foundations of the "camps" that used to dot the riverbanks -- spotting cormorant, night heron, blue heron, mallards, turtles, and fish along the way. When we returned the docks, we were able to take out single and double kayaks to explore the river on our own. And once we'd paddled up an appetite, we pulled out WCC's grills (yours to use with your membership fee!) and barbequed up some al fresco lunch before heading back out on the water.
WCC is currently embroiled in a legal battle with the National Park Service that -- after visiting this gem -- I hope comes to favorable end soon. When WCC first opened, it rented its land from the railroad company that owned it, but built its clubhouse with its own funds. WCC paid rent to the railroad until the land was sold to the Park Service, and the club began paying rent to NPS. A few years ago the NPS lawyers went over WCC's lease with a fine-toothed comb and discovered that the Park Service has legal rights to the clubhouse itself as well as the land. They promptly "condemned" and padlocked the boathouse, which members have not had access to for over two years now as the legal battle rages on. NPS originally wanted to turn the structure into an interpretive center, thereby displacing WCC, but it appears that they've had a change of heart and will turn the building back over the club (which intends to refurbish and renovate it). It would be a shame for the beautiful emerald boathouse -- added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 -- to leave WCC's hands after more than a century.
Husband and I canoe fairly regularly, but my day at WCC was so completely invigorating and fun that it made me want to sign a membership form as soon as I set foot back on the dock. Unfortunately, I don't have $1,000 to drop. For those of us who love to dabble in the paddle, however, WCC offers $100 partial, time-limited membership options. Or you can simply donate to help them fight the good fight. Paddle or die, homies. Paddle or die.