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]

Merrow Meadow

★★☆☆☆

41.822443, -72.313051

Merrow Meadow Park Mansfield Town Park 33 acres in Mansfield, CT Parking: Small lot near 13 Merrow Rd, Storrs, CT Trail Map         Trails: Less than…

Eagleville Preserve

★★☆☆☆

41.781177, -72.279490

Eagleville Preserve Mansfield Town Park 11 acres in Mansfield, CT Parking: Medium lot at 479 South Eagleville Road, Storrs, CT Trail Map           Trails: 1.25…

River Park Mansfield

★★☆☆☆

41.798234, -72.301950

River Park Mansfield Town Park Location: 10 acres in Mansfield, CT Parking: Just before the bridge on Plains Rd Mansfield, CT Trail Map        Trails:…

Killingly Pond

★☆☆☆☆

41.85941200, -71.80275900

Killingly Pond State Park Connecticut State Park 162 acres in Killingly, CT Parking: Shoulder parking north of 156 Pond Rd Dayville, CT Trail Map         …

West Rock Ridge State Park

★★★★★

41.337800, -72.965522

West Rock Ridge State Park Connecticut State Park 1,691 acres in Hamden, Woodbridge, and Bethany, CT Parking: Main parking near 1134 Wintergreen Ave, New Haven, CT if the gate… Read more…

Higganum Reservoir

★★☆☆☆

41.489029, -72.561924

Higganum Reservoir State Park Connecticut State Park 147 acres in Haddam, CT Parking:  Small lot near 54 Killingworth Rd Higganum, CT Shoulder parking for boat launch past…

Barn Island

★★★★☆

41.340596, -71.874711

Barn Island Wildlife Management Area Connecticut Wildlife Management Area 1,013 acres in Stonington, CT Parking: West Side: Shoulder parking and boat launch near 249 Palmer Neck Rd,…

Black Pond

★★★★☆

41.528562, -72.740850

Black Pond Wildlife Management Area Connecticut WMA 16 acres in Meriden, CT Parking: Medium sized lot at the boat launch near 1699 E Main St, Meriden, CT Trail… Read more…

Bigelow Hollow State Park

★★★★★

41.994655, -72.130835

Bigelow Hollow State Park Connecticut State Park / Nipmuck State Forest 516 acres in Union, CT Parking: Several large lots along the park’s road off CT-171. Trail… Read more…