“There’s something very satisfying about paddling on a river that was practically inaccessible just a couple of decades ago. No other activity makes you feel more connected to nature. Don’t waste another minute. Explore with your kayak.” 

The 2024 kayak and boating season is upon us and starting this Memorial weekend, the unofficial start of the Summer. From Peekskill based HVH20, to Hudson River Expeditions at the Annsville Circle, to the New York Boating Company at the Riverfront Green, the Peekskill Herald has your watersports covered.

Nothing satisfies the soul like the sounds of nature and the kayak hitting the water, where each paddle stroke washes away the noise of the mind, and where every gentle paddle stroke, nature whispers its secrets. Kayaking is not only an adventure, a sport, a family activity, or a way to enjoy nature, it is a way to rest your mind and be at peace. 

HVH20

That sense of adventure and peacefulness can be had by everyone on Peekskill and the surrounding community starting on May 25, 2024 at 11:00 am when Peekskill based non-profit HVH20 begins the season at the Peekskill Landing where folks can jump in a kayak or on a paddleboard and cruise around the Hudson River in the Peekskill Bay at their leisure.

Once a month, on Saturday May 25, June 8, July 20, August 17, and September 14 from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm, HVH20 will gear up and take a slew of single and tandem (double) kayaks and paddleboards out to the Peekskill Landing on the Northern end of the Peekskill Riverfront Park, and have them available for those willing to give it a shot and see what Peekskill looks like not from the land, but from the water. Kayaks will be available on a first come, first serve basis and the cost is $30 per person per hour for a single kayak or paddleboard and $40 per hour for a tandem kayak.

HVH20 will also host two separate group tours throughout the season on July 19 and on August 18, 2024. On Friday, July 19 at 5:30 pm the group will host the Annsville Creek Exploration with a guided tour of Annsville Creek. HVH20 and paddlers will gather at 5:30pm and launch kayaks by 6:00pm from the Peekskill Landing Park. The group will then head towards and then up the Annsville Creek, returning around sunset. The tour will take approximately 2 hours and costs $20 per person if you bring your own kayak, and $35 per person for rentals. Be sure to email HVH20 in advance to ensure a spot on the tour and/or get a rental as spots and kayaks will sell out quickly. The second tour of the season HVH20 will host on August 18 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm is the Bear Mountain Bridge Paddle. This is an 8 mile round-trip guided paddle tour from Peekskill Landing Park under the Bear Mountain Bridge to Fort Montgomery and back to Peekskill. The group will paddle into Popolopen Creek then stop for lunch at Mine Dock Park. This tour is $40 per person and $55 per person if a rental is needed. Be sure to email HVH20 to ensure a spot or if a boat reservation is needed.

Ultimately, the mission of HVH20 is to create a watersports and environmental center on the Peekskill Riverfront. The organization’s long term goal is to create an affordable space for people to store their watercraft by the river and ultimately create a recreational and educational facility near the Peekskill Landing launch site that includes a space to store HVH20 watercraft and other educational equipment as well as provide more permanent display spaces. Funds and donations collected by HVH20 from rentals, as well as online donations, go directly back into the organization which helps increase the number of kayaks and paddleboards the organization owns in order to give people the opportunity to afford and experience life on the water. 

HVH20 offers Kayak and Paddleboard rentals, Lessons and Camps, and Ecology Education.

The organization is headed by Executive Director Ian Berger, President Mary Foster, Treasurer Dan Novak, Educator & Secretary Jim Crookston, and Design & Marketing team member Taryn Murray. 

To learn more visit HVH20.org or their social media pages via Facebook and Instagram. 

Hudson River Expeditions

Hudson River Expeditions at the Annsville Circle will also begin their season this coming Memorial Day weekend with kayak, canoe, and stand-up paddleboard rentals and tours, as well  as instruction for the novice to the experienced paddler. Hudson River Expeditions has been at the Annsville Circle location for over a decade in addition to their Cold Spring and Beacon locations. Hudson River Expeditions has a passion for paddling and adoration of the natural beauty along the Hudson River. Kayaks, tandem kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards are available for rentals every weekend from May 25 to September 29th from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. Walk-ins are accepted IF there is availability online reservations are strongly encourgaed. Hudson River Expeditions also has many tours available throughout the season such as “Bear Mountain Bridge” or “Annsville Creek” tour. Maybe an “Intro to Hudson Highlands Peaks” or “Peekskill Bay Tour” is more interesting. Either way, for a single hour or for a kayak tour, check out the Hudson River Expeditions website and social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for additional information. 

As news of the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater faces rough water with fears of insolvency, our friends at The Highlands Current reported a few days ago, Hudson River Expeditions has joined in the fight to help save this non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the Hudson River by inspiring lifelong stewardship of the river and its tributaries with innovative advocacy through education programs. Therefore, from Memorial Day to the end of July, Hudson River Expeditions is offering 20 percent off Weekend Rentals at their Peekskill, Cold Spring, and Beacon locations, and 40 percent off of their Cold Spring and Beacon locations only on weekdays IF participants sign up for the Paddle for Our Hudson, Clearwater Sloop Fundraiser, keep track of the distance you paddle whether on a canoe, kayak, a rowboat, or stand up paddle board, and raise money for each mile through donations from your peers. For more information visit https://www.hudsonriverexpeditions.com/ or https://www.clearwater.org/paddle/.

The New York Boat Company 

Peekskill based New York Boat Company, located on the southern end of the Riverfront hosted their first trip of the season on Friday, May 3rd. Since 2010, the New York Boat Company, formerly known as Trinity Cruises, has departed from their home dock in Peekskill, offering sightseeing, history, sunset and private charters for families and corporate events all aboard “The Evening Star”. The Evening Star is a former US Coast Guard Buoy Tender converted to a 36-passenger tour boat. The Evening Star gives folks an opportunity to witness the spectacular beauty of the land and the rich history weaved in and out of the Hudson Highlands. As Peekskill is the gateway to the Hudson Highlands, the allure of the water and the Hudson River aboard the Evening Star is the perfect opportunity to see the Hudson River as Time Magazine named the Hudson Valley One of the World’s Greatest Places.

The New York Boat Company has an assortment of cruises available from One-Hour Boat Rides, to one and a half hour Sunset Cruises and River Trips to the Bear Mountain Bridge and back, and Sightseeing Tours to West Point and back the New York Boat Company has you covered. In addition, the New York Boat Company hosts Live Music Cruises and Fall Foliage Tours. The One-Hour Boat ride that departs every Saturday and Sunday at 5:00 pm costs $22 for adults, $12 for children and $5 for children 3 and under. The Sunset Cruise departing every Friday, Saturday and Sunday costs $38 for adults, $22 for children and $5 for children 3 and under. The River Cruise departing at 1:00 and 3:00 every Saturday and Sunday costs $32 for adults, $17 for children and $5 for children 3 and under. Sightseeing Tours to West Point and back depart every Saturday at 10:00 am and cost $42 for adults, $38 for seniors, $23 for children and $5 for children 3 and under.

For more information or to book a boat tour, visit the New York Boat Company website, follow them on Instagram or visit their booth on the southern end of the Peekskill Riverfront.