Magazine
Kayaking Boston | A Get-Started Guide
Want a fresh perspective on sightseeing (and a little fresh air, too)? Kayaking Boston offers a memorable way to experience New England’s marquee city.
By Yankee Magazine|Apr 02 2018|
Kayakers and sailors take to the water in the Charles River Basin. | Kayaking Boston
Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zenmama/7671295192/in/photolist-cFToNd-8yd79F-YKtVtj-6PL3yq-6GRkPa-4UL6wG-6GVhaN-6GVdTU-8bc8Fk-6GRKpv-cCccK1-6GVtcU-5bXUni-5bXW9e-6GVxT5-6GVkMb-jMt6yH-6PKSGS-XkKe2s-jMtWFZ-jMtUG8-mZRWS-eXC8b-mZRWG-jMtVF2-6PKRHm-jMtj5p-jMt7XV-4SGDpy-4Vq5ju-cXruXq-jMx6hS-cFTpuN-jMt8KB-jMuGPR-jMt4Kn-mZTnV-mZTnP-cXrv9d-jMx6Ud-mZSQf-jMvADv-3EEkFZ-ZFsiTA-UVHDon-qaSzM-4SGBGm-aofNZc-mZUxg-UPBVjh" target="_blank">Lorianne DiSabato</a> via Flickr/<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/" target="_blank">Creative Commons</a>
Kayakers and sailors take to the water in the Charles River Basin. | Kayaking Boston
Credit: Lorianne DiSabato via Flickr/Creative CommonsCredit: Lorianne DiSabato via Flickr/Creative Commons The slow-moving, generally flat Charles River, which runs from Hopkinton to Boston, is ideal for laid-back floating. Upstream, there are wooded parks and a scenic six-mile “lakes district” filled with quiet coves and inlets. Downstream, the Charles bisects Cambridge and Boston and opens up into a broad basin that’s home to several rowing and yacht clubs. Here is where you’ll find the jaw-dropping city views, as the river runs past Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood and its lovely waterside Esplanade.
Cruising one of the peaceful lagoons along the Charles River Esplanade. | Kayaking Boston
Credit: Leslie_atFlickr/Creative CommonsCredit: Leslie_atFlickr/Creative Commons Kayaking Boston Harbor, which connects to the Charles via locks near the TD Garden, is not for the faint-hearted. The waves and wind can be challenging — and then there’s the traffic. Ferries, cruise ships, and massive container ships all ply these waters. But kayakers can and do cruise the inner harbor, an activity that got a boost in 2011 with the opening of Fort Point Pier. Designed for nonmotorized watercraft, this public dock is a great put-in/take-out spot for those with their own boats. However you get to the harbor, though, the payoff is considerable: up-close views of Boston’s North End, downtown, and the Seaport District, as well as the USS Constitution in Charlestown.
Low-key sea kayaking lessons at Spectacle Island help beginners experience the natural beauty of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. | Kayaking Boston
Credit: Courtesy of Boston Harbor Island Alliance/Photo by Tom KatesCredit: Courtesy of Boston Harbor Island Alliance/Photo by Tom Kates For those ready to take kayaking Boston to the next level, about four miles offshore from downtown lies the edge of the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. The largest recreational open space in eastern Massachusetts, the park spans 34 islands and peninsulas. Its sprawl means that sea kayakers who are leery of launching from the inner harbor can choose from a variety of alternative put-in sites in Winthrop, Quincy, Hingham, and Hull. Not ready to tackle the open-water crossing to the Boston Harbor Islands? There’s a terrific (and free!) sea kayaking lesson offered on Spectacle Island on summer Mondays that’s suitable for beginners. All you have to do is reserve your spot and catch a ferry ride, and the rangers will help you do the rest.
Kayaking Boston | Outfitters and Resources
Paddle Boston/Charles River Canoe and Kayak
Known as the go-to for paddling fun in the Greater Boston area, this outfitter got its start back in the early 1970s. Today it operates five waterside locations renting canoes, kayaks, and standup paddleboards. Its Kendall Square location, in Cambridge, allows for easy round-trips onto the Charles River, or one-way trips to its nearby location in Allston/Brighton. The Cambridge outpost also hosts a wide variety of tours for visitors interested in kayaking Boston, from skyline and sunset outings to a trip into Boston Harbor. Named a 2011 Yankee Editors’ Pick for “Best Instant Getaway.”
Kayaking Boston
Credit: Charles River Canoe & Kayak
