Suggestions For Picking the Right Place to Paddle in the Finger Lakes & Central Regions of New York

By Sue Freeman

You're thinking of going paddling in the Finger Lakes Region, or maybe in part of Central New York, but you're clueless about where to go. That's not unusual. There are so many options that picking the right place can be an overwhelming task. Let's narrow it down. Below you'll find suggestions on some of the best places to head if you're looking for:

- Special experiences from a kayak or canoe

- Docile streams to meander down

- Kayak and camping options

- Beautiful ponds to putter about in

- Long rivers to cover some distance

- Fast water adventures

Every single one of these options (and many more) are mapped and detailed in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes and Kayaks."

Special Experiences from a Kayak in the Finger Lakes & Central Regions of NY

Pity those who only rely on their car for transportation. They miss so many unique sights and adventures. If you're willing to paddle a kayak you can go, see, and experience some aspects of the Finger Lakes region that few get to see.

1. Paddle among the river otters. Honeoye Inlet (at the south end of Honeoye Lake) was a release point for the river otter restoration project.
2. Lock through an Erie Canal lock. Sitting at the bottom of a lock chamber in a kayak makes you feel mighty small. The noises of the lock tender shifting gears and the lock doors clanking and grinding as they open and close is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, not to be missed. Just be sure to take a pair of gloves to protect your hands as you hold onto the cable that runs from top to bottom in the lock. Locks can be found in Macedon, Palmyra, Newark, Lyons, Clyde, Galen, Montezuma, Seneca Falls, and Clay.
3. Chimney Bluffs is a glacial moraine that has been cut into artistic peaks and spires along the shore of Lake Ontario by the forces of wind and water. On a calm day, paddle along the shore of Lake Ontario and gaze up in wonder at this work of natural art.
4. Sand dunes in New York State? You bet! Paddle Deer Creek to Lake Ontario and near the shore you'll pass through a series of sand dunes.
5. Paddle under the Erie Canal. Nine Mile Creek flows under the Erie Canal which is carried high overhead in an arched aqueduct. Now, where else can you do that?
6. Paddle through Ninemile Swamp on the Sangerfield River where wildlife and wildflowers will be your escort. This is a true escape into nature.

Maps and details for each of these special experiences and others can be found in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks."

Docile Streams of the Finger Lakes Region

"Flat water" is the technical lingo for docile streams that drift along with a gentle or nonexistent current. Without major drops in elevation, they don't plummet over waterfalls or roil in rapids. You can drift down them with a leisurely paddle and not worry too much about sharp turns or impediments along the way. Of course, even the most docile stream can get a blown down tree from a storm or become an angry torrent with enough rain or snow melt. Generally, if you're looking for a docile stream you should limit your paddling to summer and fall.

Docile streams also lend themselves to two-way travel. Without a strong current you can paddle both upstream and downstream. This means you don't have to hassle with spotting a car or arranging for a shuttle.

The Finger Lakes region teems with docile streams that wander through gorgeous countryside. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Circumnavigate an island. Using a section of the Erie Canal and a remote loop of the Seneca River you can paddle 10.7 miles around Howland Island. This is part of the Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area so be sure to take your binoculars for the excellent bird watching opportunities.
2. The Erie Canal today is wide and deep - dredged years ago to allow passage of barges. But remnants of the old, smaller canal still exist. One such segment runs between Dewitt and Canastota and is called the Old Erie Canal. You can paddle all 17 miles or choose a smaller segment. Along the way you will traverse through aqueducts over creeks and have to duck under bridges. Just like the famous Erie Canal song says, it's "low bridge everybody down."
3. Rent boats at Puddledockers in Ithaca and paddle the Cayuga Lake Inlet. There's much to look at along the way and you can even stop at the docks enroute to enjoy a meal, a drink, or ice cream.
4. West River Marsh at the south end of Canandaigua Lake is a lazy stream that can be paddled year-round, except when frozen. Enjoy the peace and quiet tucked below the towering hills that surround Canandaigua Lake.

Maps and details for each of these docile streams and others can be found in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks."

Kayaking & Camping In the Finger Lakes / Central Region of NY State

One of the things I love about kayaking is the opportunity it affords me to escape into nature, away from motorboats, away from throngs of people, and away from man-made noise. By combining camping and kayaking you can extend the escape and submerse yourself in nature. Some wonderful opportunities for these escapes exist in the Finger Lakes region. But first, camping needs to be sub-divided into two distinct experiences. The first is the use of campgrounds where you can set up a tent or use a camper and enjoy the luxury of a shower after a day of paddling. As drawbacks, you won't escape the noise and throngs of people and there is a cost involved. Primitive camping, on the other hand, is free and offers solitude and quiet, but you have to be willing to forego showers and flush toilets. You choose.

Campgrounds:

1. Stay at Fairhaven Beach State Park and paddle Sterling Creek. Fairhaven Beach State Park is a spectacular 1,400-acre site with nearly two miles of Lake Ontario shoreline. A stay here can combine shoreline walks, hikes on trails, and paddling on Sterling Pond and Sterling Creek. The creek is easy to paddle both upstream and down so you won't need to hassle with a shuttle. Be sure to take along binoculars. A swamp called "The Moat" abuts the creek and is teeming with hawks, herons, ducks, geese, turtles and frogs.
2. Stay at Hickories Park and circumnavigate Hiawatha Island on the Susquehanna River. Hickories Park is a campground owned by the Town of Owego that sits on the banks of the Susquehanna River. Launch from the campground and paddle upstream or down on the wide, slow river. Bring along your fishing gear and angle for walleye, bass and tiger muskellunge. Downstream it's a short paddle to 112-acre Hiawatha Island which is owned by The Waterman Conservation Education Center and offers two miles of hiking trails.
3. Camp at Park Station Recreation Center and paddle Park Station Lake. Park Station Recreation Center in Erin offers 6 miles of hiking trails, a RV and tent campground, and a 100-acre man-made lake to paddle or fish.

Primitive Camping:

1. Tent camping is allowed at the locks along the Erie Canal. Simply ask permission from the lockmaster. Camp at Lock 30 Canal Park in Macedon and you can paddle through history. Between Macedon & Palmyra you'll experience 3 versions of the Erie Canal - each from a different time period, see remains of an aqueduct, and even lock-through a canal lock.
2. Become an explorer on a 21 mile loop using the Erie Canal and Clyde River and camp along the shore in the Galen Marsh Wildlife Management Area. A true sense of adventure is helpful for this trip.
3. Long Pond in Smithville offers 10 primitive campsites at its north end that are free and on a first-come, first-served basis. The mile-long pond is undeveloped and tree-lined, part of the Long Pond State Forest, and is dappled with pond lilies.

Maps and details for each of these camping/paddling adventures and others can be found in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks."

Ponds of the Finger Lakes & Central Region of NYS

Yes, you can paddle the Finger Lakes themselves. But, they tend to be large lakes that are long and skinny. While paddling them you have to contend with wind, waves, and motorboats. Lucky for paddlers, the Finger Lakes region is dotted with many small lakes and ponds that are off the normal "tourist radar" and offer a much more pleasant human-powered boating experience. They also offer diversity. Each has a personality of its own, making pond hopping a fun Finger Lakes region sport.

1. Looking for shallow and pristine? Then choose Parker Pond or Otter Lake. They both sit between Cato & Meridian. It's just you and the wildlife in these ponds tucked inside a wooded wetland.
2. For a totally different experience go paddle Kasoag Lake & Green Pond. These waterways sport convoluted shorelines dotted with vintage cottages. Be a peeping Tom as you wind in and out of the lily-filled coves and among pine dotted islands.
3. Labrador Pond is a natural glacial pond tucked in a valley between steep wooded hills without a man-made structure in sight. After paddling, head across Route 91 and take a short walk up a trail to Tinker Falls. Here, you can walk behind the wall of water as it plummets off the limestone caprock.
4. Take a picnic lunch and paddle out to Red Bank Island in Lamoka Lake where you can swing off a tree rope, swim, and enjoy a leisurely meal with a spectacular view.

Maps and details for each of these pond adventures and others can be found in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks."

Long Rivers of the Finger Lakes Region

Are you aching to dip that paddle in a stream and cover some ground? You're in luck in the Finger Lakes region. The rivers here aren't wide, deep, fast moving behemoths that the term "river" may conger in your mind. They are significant waterways but the shores are close by and the currents are generally helpful, not menacing (except during spring melt of course). I loved paddling the rivers here. You can get a cadence going and meld into a trance as the countryside drifts by.

In the upper reaches of these rivers they can be creek-like with twists and turns and obstacles such as downed trees or submerged dams. It's just enough excitement to keep you alert and on guard.

1. One of the more creek-like rivers is the East Branch Tioughnioga River between Cuyler and Cortland. No day dreaming allowed here. Expect 20 miles of good paddling.
2. The Otselic River begins creek-like in Cincinnatus and is more river-like 14 miles later when it meets the north end of Whitney Point Reservoir. Birds will serenade you on this remote wilderness stream.
3. The Tioughnioga River flows in a wide valley with low banks, providing a panoramic view rimmed with farm-dotted hills. It runs 21 miles from Marathon to Chenango Forks. 4. Running 15 miles from Wallace to Bath, the Cohocton River is an especially beautiful river. This clear water stream flows over a rocky bottom, and allows you to watch fish as you float or paddle downstream. On route, you pass beautiful, lush scenery and have ample opportunity to take breaks along shore.

Maps and details for each of these long paddling rivers and others can be found in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks."

Fast Water Adventures in the Finger Lakes Region of NY State

Lakes, ponds, and meandering streams - they can all be found in the Finger Lakes region. But, so too will you find fast water streams that offer frolicking adventures for more experienced or more adventurous kayakers. These generally aren't white water - except during spring melt season - but they are streams where the water moves swiftly and you need to be adept at rounding sharp corners and avoiding obstacles such as downed trees or dams.

These are fun streams where your skills can be tested. You're just as likely to round a bend and find several deer standing in the creek drinking as you are to experience a game of tag with a great blue heron. The herons have a tendency to flush as you approach, fly downstream and rest on a limb until you approach and flush them again, and again, and again. Heron tag is one of the many joys of paddling in the Finger Lakes region. Here are a few of my favorite Finger Lakes region fast water adventures:

1. Canandaigua Outlet drains from Canandaigua Lake into the Erie Canal. Near Canandaigua Lake it's canalized and drops over several waterfalls but between Manchester and Lyons it's a moving water lover's paradise.
2. Ganargua Creek (also called Mud Creek) has a fast and twisty run between Palmyra and Lyons. Go have a whoop-hollering good time.
3. Owasco Outlet runs with clear water over a rocky bed so it's enticing to watch the fish and not pay full attention to what's ahead. The section between Throopsville and the Seneca River is 10 miles of fun.
4. Equally fun, but quite different is the other end of Owasco Lake on the Owasco Inlet. It's two streams in one. From Moravia to the Route 38 Bridge it's a fast moving, narrow, winding stream. Downstream from Route 38 it widens into a deep slow moving channel through Owasco Flats. Here, you're eye level with fields of ferns and get to enjoy deer, muskrats, great blue herons and beavers until you reach Owasco Lake.

Maps and details for each of these fast water adventures and others can be found in the guidebook "Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes New York Quiet Water for Canoes & Kayaks."(http://www.footprintpress.com/paddling/TAPfingerlakesPreview.htm)

Sue Freeman is the author of 14 guidebooks to fun outdoors in Central & Western New Your State. They can all be viewed at http://www.footprintpress.com.

Contact Sue at sue@footprintpress.com for photos to accompany this article.

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