Jim Koehler from the Dinghy Shop provided me with just such a boat and saw that it remained in excellent condition. Knowing where to paddle that boat is yet another requirement. For that expertise I can thank Ray Clarkson, who shared with me his list of favorite kayaking places; Bonnie Aldinger and the crew from the Sebago Canoe Club, for taking a day to show me around Jamaica Bay; and Raymond Howell of the Gowanus Dredgers, who not only provided me a wealth of information about the Gowanus Canal but also opened a fire hydrant so I could rinse off my boat after paddling on it. Thanks also to Margaret Falk and Travis Beck from the New York Botanical Garden, who escorted me through the construction zone I stumbled into while paddling the Bronx River and gave me an impromptu guided tour of the gardens.
As I was writing the descriptions of the many places I paddled, dozens of questions arose. To find the answers I needed, I often turned to the members of my local paddling club, Long Island Paddlers (lipaddlers.org). In particular, Steve Berner offered much advice and, together with Mike Matty, created the system I’ve used to rate the difficulty of every paddle in this book. Ken Fink, Chris Scalisi, and Nick DeNezzo worked with me during the club’s skills days, helping (or at least trying to) make me a better kayaker. And Fred Hosage gave selflessly of his free time to come paddle with me, even though it was getting dark, the tide was dropping quickly, and we would have a current to fight on the way back to our cars. I thank you all for your help, advice, and companionship.
I must also give special thanks to my amazing family for all of their encouragement, generosity, and love throughout the writing of this book. My sister Randy and her husband, Jim, gave up a day on the water to keep me well fed in Montauk, while my niece Caitlin and nephew, Cameron, helped tie up my boat and showed me around a bit of Lake Montauk. My sister Allison, along with my nieces Sophia and Delaney, helped occupy my own children while I spent many a weekend paddling. And Allison’s husband, Eric, provided me with much-needed gear, information, and solutions to problems. All kayakers need someone responsible on land to know their whereabouts and itinerary in case an emergency occurs. Thankfully, Eric became this person for me, and because of him I felt safer and more secure on the water. And my parents, Sue and Doug, continued to do what they do best: encourage, give, guide, and love. They also helped watch my children when I was out kayaking, kept track of where I was paddling, and made sure I was safe. They also fed me whenever I was hungry (and even sometimes when I wasn’t). I hope you know how much it all meant to me.
A few family members even trusted me enough to accompany me on some of my trips, making the paddles much more enjoyable in the process. Eric, Allison, Laura Stiegelmaier, and my father tagged along as I paddled everywhere from East Hampton to Staten Island. Remarkably, they never complained when they got muddy, tired, hot, lost, or caught in a thunderstorm. Thank you all for giving of yourselves and your time, and for sharing these experiences with me.
Finally, I have to acknowledge my two children, AnnaGrace and William, whom I love more than anything else in the world. Thank you for your unlimited hugs and kisses, for your love and support, and for always making me smile.
—Kevin Stiegelmaier
PREFACE
As someone born and raised on Long Island, I’ve always felt a strong sense of attachment to this place. Early-morning fishing trips with the family, days at the beach swimming, collecting shells, and watching seals—all helped solidify my love of the island and, of course, its waters. In high school that love led to a scuba certification, and in college it resulted in a degree in marine biology. The purchase of a house near the water was a by-product of it as well. As strange as it may sound, Long Island has played a large role in shaping my life thus far.
With such an affinity for the area, I thought it only logical that after writing a statewide paddling guidebook, Canoeing & Kayaking New York, I would eventually write one that focused solely on Long Island. So, after taking some time off to rest (and rinse out my paddling gear), I began researching this new book and planning the many paddles it would include. This process, I assumed, would be much easier than it was with the first book. After all, I was very familiar with Long Island and had been paddling much of its water for years. I soon learned that it was going to take more work than I had thought.
I have my favorite places to paddle and, of course, was planning on including them in the book. But before I got too far into my research, I also wanted to see what places other people enjoyed. So I sent out queries to my paddling friends, their friends, and even friends of friends of friends. A few locations stood out right away as popular favorites: Sebonac Creek, Hallock Bay, the Carmans River. Then there were the personal picks, which varied as much as the people naming them. Some folks favored rough, wide-open water like that at Montauk Point; others preferred smaller, more protected spots like West Meadow Creek. Still others were drawn to locations somewhere in between, like Huntington Harbor.
It had become clear to me that Long Island was home to an incredible variety of paddling opportunities with something for everyone. I also realized that I had a daunting task ahead of me—choosing 50 of these amazing spots to write up for the book. Nevertheless, I consulted my charts, read firsthand accounts, drove to put-ins, scouted beaches, and, finally, created my list of what would hopefully be the best of what Long Island has to offer.
As I began to paddle the waters on this list, I found that most of them were just as good as I had hoped. Descriptions of beautiful beaches, lush plant life, amazing wildlife, and scenic water views soon filled my notebooks. Unfortunately, so did assessments like muddy, bug-infested, and unnavigable. Some days were warm and sunny, others cold and dreary. Calm water seemed to be as common as rough. The birds of summer left in the fall, only to be replaced by the winter denizens. Seals showed up, ice formed and thawed … and I paddled through it all.
Four tubes of sunblock, two pairs of neoprene gloves, three pairs of wet-suit booties, two GPS units, and hundreds of miles later, I had kayaked my way across the island and had loved every minute of it. What emerged from all of this was a better understanding of Long Island and its waters, a greater appreciation for its plant and animal life, a deepening of the love I had already felt for the area, and a belief that the 50 places I ultimately chose to include in the book were indeed the best places to kayak on the island.
Of course, these locations vary greatly in length, difficulty, scenery, and type of water. They are a testament to the wide range in ecosystems found on Long Island. Everything from unspoiled harbors on the island’s eastern end to the canals of New York City is included in these pages. Among the 50 paddles are trips in the rivers of the Pine Barrens, by the islands in the center of Peconic Bay, and alongside sandy beaches on the island’s South Shore.
As you read about the places in this book and begin to plan your own paddling trips on Long Island and on into the waterways among the boroughs of New York City, remember that what I’ve written is meant only as a guide. I spent a good deal of time researching put-ins, tide levels, average sea conditions, and potential water hazards so you don’t have to. I also described a trip on each body of water that would, in my opinion, showcase the best of what it had to offer. Does this mean you must follow my directions verbatim? Absolutely not. Part of the joy of sea kayaking is exploring new places and creating your own adventures. Perhaps for you that means getting lost in a maze of salt-marsh channels. Or maybe it means finding a deserted beach that’s the perfect spot for a picnic lunch. It could also mean encountering wildlife that you weren’t expecting. Sometimes it’s good to plan your own trips. It is my hope that this book will give you a little extra help in doing just that.
RUN RECOMMENDATIONS
As I considered this book’s 50 amazing paddles, settling on the best of the best was no easy task. But for the attributes in the eight categories below, the following destinations won out based on my own experience and observation. These sites include freshwater rivers, tidal creeks,
