asm

Does anyone know of any areas near NYC/NJ where there is good kayaking/canoeing?

mj

asm,
Kayaking here is very popular but your general question really doesn't allow anyone to give you specific answers.

Here's a link to get you going:
www.downtownboathouse.org/
but I don't recommend East or Hudson river trips unless you're very experienced.

Do a google search and you'll find plenty of sites/clubs to contact for specifics based on your needs and experience.
hth,

Anthony

Beleive it or not, you can actually kayak in the Hudson!
The past 2 summers, there was a group, and I don't remember who (I'm sure if you do an on-line search you can find it)who provided free kayaking in the Hudson. They provided you with a free kayak, somewhere in the west village, and you kayaked to a dropoff point, where they would pickup the kayak. I had a friend who did it, and said it was a fun experience. I'm going to try to see if they are repeating it this summer.

suzanne

Anthony - The place you are referring to is the one mention by mj (downtownboathouse.org). It's located at the end of Chambers Street on the Hudson. It's free(!) but you can't "reserve" a spot - you have to just show up by a certain time, and spots are raffled off. I believe you have to go once or twice for a short session (where you have to stay near the shore) before they let you go on the longer trips (either to Statue of Liberty or the Intrepid, depending on the tides).

Another good place to canoe/kayak is the Delaware River. I've been up to Matamoras, Barryville, and Callicoon to kayak and canoe - it was very pleasant, definitely not hard-core. The further north you go, the prettier it is.

JerseyKayaker

Plenty of places to kayak along the Jersey Shore, not too far from NYC.

Check out www.njpaddlezone.org

Bunkhedena

Here is a company that offers kayaking in Sleepy Hollow and Nyack on the Hudson River in Westchester and Rockland County and New Rochelle on the Long Island Sound in Westchester: http://www.kayakhudson.com/

We've kayaked on the Hudson starting at Sleepy Hollow and going south of the Tappan Zee bridge.

Here is a web site showing companies that offer canoeing and kayaking trips on the Delaware River, which starts around Sullivan County: http://www.delawareriver.net/canoeing.php

The Delaware River is much further from New York City and not accessible by public transportation.

The kayaking or canoeing is good in both places.

Gekko

My favorite place to kayak is in the Napeague Bay, East Hampton. The water is relatively calm and a few degrees warmer than the Atlantic and the rivers.