New Jersey Kayaking

Parking and launch access are free. There can be a good deal of boat traffic on the river, especially ferries, but if you are careful, you can paddle around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

There is a strictly-enforced 150-yard maritime exclusion zone around both Liberty Island and Ellis Island, where private vessels are not permitted. The purple areas on the map are connecting the visible exclusion zone buoys at the time the satellite image was taken. The green line connects the green channel marker buoys, another excellent place to stay away from. There may be other buoys and restrictions, and buoys can be moved around, so verify conditions yourself. Passage is allowed behind the islands, although probably not under the causeway.

This does not look like a nice leisurely paddle. The distance is only about 3-1/2 miles from the park launch around the island and back, but much of that is out in the open river, with wind, current, boat traffic, and ship wakes. You'll need a calm day, and maybe aim for a slack or incoming tide. The map also shows the ferry routes, yet another hazard. A guided tour with the local operator shown might be well worth the cost.

If you could hug the island for shelter, this would be a lot of fun. But you can't do that, and actually it looks pretty dangerous to go out in mid-river. A stroll on the boardwalk would be a better idea. The museum in the old railroad/ferry terminal is another point of interest, as is the nearby Liberty Science Center.

The marina to the north is the outlet of the long-gone Morris Canal. Just a few small bits of the canal still hold water in Sussex County.