Boating

Boating in Connecticut

Where can I paddle in Connecticut? Looking to kayak or paddleboard/SUP?

The Rivers Alliance currently has a complete map of launches with 412 launches, their interface leaves a little something to be desired but definitely use them as a resource as I continue to work on this page.

Quick Links:

Work in progress below with at least 125 rivers in Connecticut and many more lakes and ponds aiming to strike a balance between most boat-able/popular and complete.

Major Rivers: 

Major Bodies of Water:

  • Candlewood Lake
  • Squantz Pond
  • Bantam Lake
  • Lake Zoar

[expand title=”Rivers – Alphabetical    |expand|” tag=”h3″]

  • Green Fall River
  • Mystic River
  • Pawcatuck River
  • Poquonock River
  • Shunock River
  • Thames River
  • Wood River

[/expand]

[expand title=”Rivers – By Drainage Basin    |expand|” tag=”h3″]

       Block Island Sound

    • Pawcatuck River
      • Shunock River
      • Green Fall River
      • Wood River

    Long Island Sound

    • Mystic River
    • Poquonock River
    • Thames River
      • Oxoboxo River
      • Shetucket River
        • Quinebaug River
          • Pachaug River
          • Blackwell Brook
          • Moosup River
          • Five Mile River
          • Little River (Quinebaug River tributary)
          • French River
        • Little River (Shetucket River tributary)
        • Merrick Brook
          • Beaver Brook
        • Natchaug River
          • Mount Hope River
            • Fenton River
          • Bigelow Brook
          • Still River (Natchaug River tributary)
        • Willimantic River
          • Tenmile River
          • Hop River
            • Skungamaug River
      • Yantic River
    • Niantic River
    • Pattagansett River
    • Fourmile River
    • Threemile River
    • Black Hall River
    Connecticut River watershed
    • Connecticut River
      • Back River
      • Lieutenant River
      • Falls River
      • Eightmile River
      • Deep River
      • Salmon River
        • Moodus River
        • Blackledge River
        • Jeremy River
      • Sumner Brook
        • Pameacha Creek
      • Mattabesset River
        • Coginchaug River
      • Hockanum River
      • Park River – also known as Hog River and Little River
        • North Branch Park River
        • South Branch Park River
      • Podunk River
      • Farmington River
        • Pequabu River
          • Pequabuck River
        • Nepaug River
          • Poland River
        • East Branch Farmington River
          • Hubbard River
        • West Branch Farmington River
          • Still River
            • Mad River
      • Scantic River
        • Watchaug River
    • Patchogue River
    • Menunketesuck River
    • Indian River (Clinton)
    • Hammonasset River
    • Neck River
    • East River
    • West River (Guilford)
    • Branford River
    • Farm River
    Rivers of New Haven
    • Quinnipiac River
      • Muddy River
      • Tenmile River
      • Eightmile River
    • Mill River
    • West River
      • Sargent River
    • Cove River
    • Oyster River
    • Indian River (Milford)
    • Wepawaug River
    Housatonic River watershed
    • Housatonic River
      • Farmill River
      • Naugatuck River
        • Mad River
      • Halfway River
      • Pomperaug River
        • Nonnewaug River
        • Weekeepeemee River
      • Pootatuck River
      • Shepaug River
        • Bantam River
        • Marshepaug River
      • Still River
      • West Aspetuck River
        • East Aspetuck River
      • Rocky River
      • Ten Mile River
      • Hollenbeck River
      • Blackberry River
        • Whiting River
      • Konkapot River
    • Pequonnock River
    • Ash Creek
      • Rooster River
    • Mill River
    • Saugatuck River
      • West Branch Saugatuck River
      • Aspetuck River
      • Little River
    • Norwalk River
      • Silvermine River
    Rippowam River
    • Fivemile River
    • Noroton River
    • Rippowam River
    • Mianus River
    • Byram River [/expand]

Mono Pond State Park

★★☆☆☆

41.678741, -72.310645

Mono Pond State Park Reserve Connecticut State Park / Scenic Reserve 218 acres in Columbia, CT Parking: Medium sized lot near 120 Hunt Rd Columbia, CT Trail Map …

Selden Neck State Park

★★★★☆

41.400831, -72.418437

Selden Neck State Park Connecticut State Park 607 acres in Lyme, CT Parking: Accessible by water only closest access is from the Hadlyme Ferry Boat Launch near… Read more…

Mansfield Hollow State Park

★★★★☆

41.765018, -72.178339

Mansfield Hollow State Park Connecticut State Park and Wildlife Management Area 251 acres in Mansfield, CT Parking: A number of lots and pull offs along Bassett’s Bridge… Read more…

Beaver Brook State Park

★★☆☆☆

483 Back Rd, Windham, CT 06280

Beaver Brook State Park Connecticut State Park 401 acres in Chaplin and Windham, CT Parking: Small lot at 483 Back Rd, Windham, CT 06280 Trail Map     …

Bishop Swamp

★★☆☆☆

41.722671, -72.396840

Bishop Swamp Connecticut Wildlife Management Area 752 acres in Andover and Hebron, CT Parking: Small lot near 236 State Hwy 603, Andover, CT for hiking and small pull off… Read more…

Chapman Pond Preserve

★★★☆☆

41.445753, -72.435977

Chapman Pond Preserve The Nature Conservancy and East Haddam Land Trust Property 700 acres in East Haddam, CT Parking: Medium sized lot near 187 River Rd, East…

Ross Pond State Park

★★☆☆☆

41.771477, -71.869135

Ross Pond State Park Connecticut State Park 314 acres in Killingly, CT Parking: Medium sized lot at the end of the forest road near 223 Ross Rd Danielson,… Read more…

Quaddick State Park

★★☆☆☆

41.957243, -71.817554

Quaddick State Park Connecticut State Park 116 acres in Thompson, CT Parking: Medium sized lot near 818 Quaddick Town Farm Rd, Thompson, CT Trail Map       …

Quinebaug Lake State Park

★★☆☆☆

59 Shepard Hill Rd, Danielson, CT, USA

Quinebaug Lake State Park Connecticut State Park 181 acres in Killingly, CT Parking: Small lot near 59 Shepard Hill Rd, Danielson, CT Trail Map       Trails: 2…

Goodwin State Forest

★★★★☆

41.785700, -72.083707

James L. Goodwin State Forest Connecticut State Forest 2,003 acres in Hampton and Chaplin, CT Parking: Lot at 23 Potter Rd, Hampton, CT Trail Map       …