NYC Water Trail Guide

Going Coastal's NYC Water Trail Map & Guide connects people to the aquatic big apple by linking dozens of safe, legal launch sites for human-powered boating.

Find out where to kayak, canoe or row the city's rivers, bays and coves.

New York Harbor is one of the work's greatest natural harbors and the city's chief asset. It is part of the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary, where seawater is diluted by freshwater from rivers and streams creating an extremely productive eco-system that is home to all kinds of fish and birds and wildlife. The harbor is made up of the Hudson River, Long island Sound and the New York Bight of the Atlantic Ocean.

As the nation's earliest highways, New York City's waterways have played a significant part in exploration, transportation, trade and history. Today, residents and visitors can discover and travel these same routes, enjoying natural resources while getting a glimpse of its rich history. The NYC Water Trail connects with a statewide system of water trails including the Hudson River and Erie Canal water trails.

Going Coastal, Inc., a grassroots nonprofit organization, has produced the NYC Water Trail Map & Guide since the official launch of the blueway in 2008. We welcome your feedback and suggestions for improving access and safety on the water trail.

The NYC Watertrail Map & Guide is produced by Going Coastal in collaboration with NYC Parks, National Park Service, Hudson River Park, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Bronx River Alliance, U.S. Coast Guard Sector NY, and numerous boating clubs and paddlers.

The project has been funded in part by a grant from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund through the Hudson River Estuary Program of the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Additional support is provided by the NYC Department of Environmental Protection and a grant from ESRI.