NYS Forest Rangers had a busy July 4th weekend in which they recovered the body of a paddler; rescued two people on an inflatable kayak from rapids they didn’t know existed on the Saranac River; assisted with an overturned sailboat on Lake Champlain; rescued someone from the rapids in the Siamese Ponds Wilderness; and two teens hiding from a black bear near Lake George. [Read more…] about Rangers Recover Paddler’s Body, Make Multiple Rescues July 4th Weekend
kayaking
Recently Upgraded Public Water Access Sites
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has expanded and enhanced several fishing and paddling access sites across the state, including those with universally accessible features.
Check out the list below for your next adventure: [Read more…] about Recently Upgraded Public Water Access Sites
The Bronx River: A Natural History
The source of the Bronx River is now the Kensico Reservoir in Westchester County. From here the river flows south, passing 24 miles through White Plains, Scarsdale, Yonkers, and Bronxville until it reaches Bronx County, where it then empties into the East River, a tidal strait connected to Long Island Sound, between Hunts Point and Clason Point.
The river gets its name from colonial settler Jonas Bronck. The river once originated in an area the Weckquasgeek called Quaropes (White Marshes). [Read more…] about The Bronx River: A Natural History
Ultralight, All Heart: Hornbeck Pack Canoes
In the early 1970s, Pete Hornbeck moved to the Adirondacks with his wife Ann, built fiberglass kayaks on the lawn, then stumbled onto something timeless: the pack boat — canoe-shaped, paddled with a double blade, light enough to shoulder into wild water.
By the late ’70s, he was working with Kevlar (“I’m never going back,” he said), and the rest is Adirondack history. [Read more…] about Ultralight, All Heart: Hornbeck Pack Canoes
Northern Forest Canoe Trail Celebrating 25 Years
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2025, an occasion that is expected to be marked with dozens of community events throughout the Northeast.
The NFCT is an inland water trail tracing 740 miles of Indigenous and historic travel routes across New York, Vermont, Québec, New Hampshire and Maine. The canoe trail starts in Old Forge, NY, and ends in Fort Kent, Maine, traversing 23 rivers and streams, 59 lakes and ponds, 45 communities and towns, and more than 65 portages. [Read more…] about Northern Forest Canoe Trail Celebrating 25 Years
Northern Forest Canoe Trail Wraps 2024 Stewardship Season
The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) wrapped up its 2024 stewardship season earlier this fall, completing a diverse array of infrastructure and access projects across the 740-mile water trail that runs from Old Forge, NY, to Fort Kent, Maine, and connects New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire and Maine.
This year’s NFCT stewardship program set new benchmarks for the organization, with more staff and volunteers on hand than ever before and a record number of projects completed. [Read more…] about Northern Forest Canoe Trail Wraps 2024 Stewardship Season
Black Willow Provides Many Ecological Benefits
I often spot black willow trees as I’m kayaking along a riverbank or lakeshore. While perhaps less picturesque than its (non-native) cousin the weeping willow, black willow is native to the Northeast and provides a host of ecological benefits. [Read more…] about Black Willow Provides Many Ecological Benefits
Kayakers Rescued From The Moose River
On Sunday, July 21, at about 3:25 pm, New York State Forest Rangers McCartney and Pelrah responded to a call for two overturned kayakers on the Moose River in the Town of Webb, Herkimer County. Waters there have been running well above normal levels for this time of year due to recent storms. [Read more…] about Kayakers Rescued From The Moose River
Hudson River Paddler Drowns Near North Creek; 6 Rescued From St. Regis River
On Friday, July 12, at about 8:25 pm, Warren County requested Forest New York State Ranger assistance with the search for an overturned kayaker on the Hudson River near North Creek in the town of Johnsburg,, NY. The Adirondack Park hamlet is a popular center for padding and whitewater rafting. [Read more…] about Hudson River Paddler Drowns Near North Creek; 6 Rescued From St. Regis River
Hudson River Riders: A Classroom On The Water
Founded in 2003, the Yonkers Public Paddling Program, an arm of the Yonkers Paddling and Rowing Club (YPRC) was initially created to introduce people to the sport of kayaking. [Read more…] about Hudson River Riders: A Classroom On The Water
Angler Drowns In Upstate Pond
On Sunday, November 5, 2023, at about 4:27 am New York State Police in Greenwich were advised that an individual had failed to return home from a fishing trip. [Read more…] about Angler Drowns In Upstate Pond
New Hand Launch Installed at Old Erie Canal State Park
The Town of Manlius, east of Syracuse in Onondaga County, recently installed an ADA accessible kayak dock at Poolsbrook Park in Kirkville. The launch is located within the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park, making it much easier for paddlers to explore the remains of the Enlarged Erie Canal. [Read more…] about New Hand Launch Installed at Old Erie Canal State Park
Paddling Freshwater Marshes: Wildlife Mosaics
Sunlight glinted off the water as we paddled our canoe along a winding channel which led through a freshwater marsh of tall grasses and wild rice. Two white, long-legged birds – great egrets – stalked the shallow water, poised to spear fish with their pointed bills.
A bald eagle landed in a tree, squawking as it joined its mate. After four miles of canoeing down the Missisquoi River in northwestern Vermont we had reached the point where the river enters Lake Champlain. [Read more…] about Paddling Freshwater Marshes: Wildlife Mosaics
Searches & Rescues Keep DEC Forest Rangers Busy
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Forest Rangers respond to search and rescue incidents throughout New York State. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, Forest Rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people.
What follows is a report, prepared by DEC, of recent missions carried out by Forest Rangers. [Read more…] about Searches & Rescues Keep DEC Forest Rangers Busy
Hudson River Park’s Pier 26 Welcomes 500,000th Kayaker
The Downtown Boathouse, a Hudson River Greenway Water Trail Site, in Manhattan announced its 500,000th kayaker in June from Hudson River Park’s Pier 26 Boathouse. Pier 26 is the southernmost designated site on the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail, a National Water Trail. [Read more…] about Hudson River Park’s Pier 26 Welcomes 500,000th Kayaker
Featured State Lands: Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area
Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is located in Ontario and Livingston Counties at the south end of Honeoye Lake and is named after the lake and stream that flows through the property.
A great variety of wildlife finds high-quality habitat on this WMA, making it a worthwhile stop for birding and other wildlife observation. Wood duck, great blue heron, swamp sparrow, and least flycatcher are abundant in the silver maple-ash swamp. Each spring, thousands of salamanders migrate from the surrounding upland forest into the swamp to breed. [Read more…] about Featured State Lands: Honeoye Inlet Wildlife Management Area