Illustration Paddlers
Launch a kayak without getting soaked
Shore, dock and ramp launches step by step, plus the cart that ends the long carry from the car.
Kayak launch guideWe list 211 kayak launches in 134 towns across New York. Each one lets you get a paddle craft onto the water without backing a trailer.
Illustration Paddlers
Shore, dock and ramp launches step by step, plus the cart that ends the long carry from the car.
Kayak launch guide
Illustration Life jackets
What the Coast Guard requires on kayaks and canoes, and kids' vests with head support.
Life jacket rulesWe list 211 kayak launches in New York, most of them around Lakeview (6), Elmira (5), Rochester (5) and Livonia (4).
Among others Hudson River, Susquehanna River, Chemung River, Seneca Lake and Seneca River.
Check with the New York boating agency. Many states don't register non-motorized kayaks, but some require a permit at state launches or an invasive species sticker.
Every paddler in New York needs an approved life jacket on board, and kids have to wear theirs.
21 of the 211 are marked free in the map data, including Dann Park Accessible Launch, Floyd Bennett Field Kayak Launch and Squibb Park Boat Ramp.
Guide: How to launch a kayak or canoe · All boat ramps in New York