First Trip

So you just impulse-bought a new kayak at Walmart. Now what?

Don't take it someplace hairy for your first trip. Pick a place that is easy - shallow enough to stand up, no tides, no wind, no waves, no motorboats, no currents, no cold. Find some nice inland lake, I have quite a few of them listed. Learn how to get in and out of the boat, how to paddle, etc. Get a feel for things before you head out into the big water.

Also, figure out how to secure the boat for transport. The pool noodles and twine that you used to take the boat home from the store on the roof of the car are not suitable for the highway. Get whatever racks and tie-downs you need and figure out how to set them up properly. I always use a minimum of two completely independent tie-downs, even for the most local of trips. On the highway, double that.


Morris County
( 40.87670, -74.52438 )

  1. Branch Brook Park ( 40.75077, -74.18305 )
  2. Budd Lake - Hackettstown ( 40.86292, -74.75154 )
  3. Clinton Reservoir (N) ( 41.09734, -74.44232 )
  4. Clinton Reservoir (S) ( 41.09409, -74.44102 )
  5. Cranberry Lake - Andover ( 40.95204, -74.73681 )
  6. Echo Lake - Mountainside ( 40.67351, -74.34560 )
  7. Lake Aeroflex - Andover ( 41.01041, -74.73564 )
  8. Lake Hopatcong - Ashley's Cove ( 40.96426, -74.61082 )
  9. Lake Hopatcong - Hopatcong (E) ( 40.92890, -74.63861 )
  10. Lake Hopatcong - Hopatcong (W) ( 40.91763, -74.66346 )
  11. Lake Musconetcong - Netcong ( 40.90099, -74.70354 )
  12. Lake Musconetcong - Port Morris Park ( 40.90851, -74.68505 )
  13. Lake Surprise - Summit ( 40.69370, -74.37097 )
  14. Lamington/Black River - Ironia Rd ( 40.83520, -74.64481 )
  15. Lamington/Black River - Pleasant Hill Rd ( 40.80333, -74.69788 )
  16. Lamington/Black River - Pottersville ( 40.71374, -74.72011 )
  17. Lamington/Black River - Righter Rd ( 40.85089, -74.63450 )
  18. Lamington/Black River - Route 10 ( 40.86048, -74.62893 )
  19. Lamington/Black River - Washington Tpk. ( 40.77881, -74.72098 )
  20. Morris Canal - Waterloo ( 40.91259, -74.76785 )
  21. Mountain Lake - Denville ( 40.88952, -74.44225 )
  22. Musconetcong River - Beattystown (N) ( 40.82340, -74.83263 )
  23. Musconetcong River - Beattystown (S) ( 40.81291, -74.84166 )
  24. Musconetcong River - Hackettstown ( 40.83466, -74.82278 )
  25. Musconetcong River - Saxton ( 40.88829, -74.79732 )
  26. Musconetcong River - Stephens SP ( 40.87225, -74.80619 )
  27. Musconetcong River - Waterloo (N) ( 40.91147, -74.76912 )
  28. Musconetcong River - Waterloo (S) ( 40.89663, -74.79111 )
  29. Musconetcong River - WMA ( 40.80501, -74.85012 )
  30. Orange Reservoir - Rahway River ( 40.75964, -74.28903 )
  31. Passaic River - Basking Ridge ( 40.69503, -74.51600 )
  32. Passaic River - Chatham ( 40.73795, -74.37159 )
  33. Passaic River - Chatham ( 40.72583, -74.38948 )
  34. Passaic River - Dead River ( 40.65005, -74.52464 )
  35. Passaic River - East Hanover (N) ( 40.82749, -74.33529 )
  36. Passaic River - East Hanover (S) ( 40.82581, -74.33332 )
  37. Passaic River - Fairfield ( 40.89775, -74.27988 )
  38. Passaic River - Hawthorne ( 40.93992, -74.15224 )
  39. Passaic River - Livingston ( 40.77879, -74.36862 )
  40. Passaic River - Warren ( 40.67078, -74.46441 )
  41. Paulins Kill - access ( 41.07478, -74.78607 )
  42. Paulins Kill Lake - Newton ( 41.05273, -74.82674 )
  43. Peaquannock River - Appelt Park ( 41.00189, -74.31640 )
  44. Peaquannock River - Oak Ridge Reservoir ( 41.06314, -74.48597 )
  45. Peaquannock River - Riverdale ( 40.99137, -74.29694 )
  46. Peaquannock River - Riverdale Rd ( 40.98818, -74.29319 )
  47. Pequest River - Allamuchy ( 40.92160, -74.84089 )
  48. Pequest River - Hackettstown ( 40.86630, -74.90540 )
  49. Pines Lake - Pompton ( 40.98952, -74.26212 )
  50. Pompton River - Follari Tract ( 40.98011, -74.29032 )
  51. Pompton River - Lincoln Park ( 40.91475, -74.27182 )
  52. Pompton River - River Drive ( 40.98153, -74.29748 )
  53. Potash Lake - Ramapo River ( 41.02250, -74.25936 )
  54. Rahway River - Cranford (N) ( 40.66036, -74.30627 )
  55. Rahway River - Cranford (S) ( 40.65097, -74.30133 )
  56. Rahway River - Cranford (W) ( 40.65900, -74.30997 )
  57. Rahway River - Lenape Park ( 40.67407, -74.31426 )
  58. Rahway River - Nomahegan Lake ( 40.66832, -74.31741 )
  59. Rahway River - South Mountain ( 40.73112, -74.30704 )
  60. Rahway River - Springfield ( 40.70824, -74.30186 )
  61. Ramapo River - Glen Gray Rd ( 41.05339, -74.22408 )
  62. Ramapo River - Great Oak Park ( 41.01630, -74.26106 )
  63. Ramapo River - Pompton Lake (E) ( 41.00056, -74.27621 )
  64. Ramapo River - Pompton Lake (N) ( 41.00602, -74.27796 )
  65. Ramapo River - Pompton Lake (W) ( 41.00392, -74.28272 )
  66. Ramapo River - Stiles Park ( 40.98695, -74.28014 )
  67. Raritan River North Branch - Far Hills ( 40.68441, -74.64214 )
  68. Raritan River North Branch - Natirar Park ( 40.64761, -74.68024 )
  69. Rockaway River - Boonton ( 40.91556, -74.42705 )
  70. Rockaway River - Denville (E) ( 40.89625, -74.47500 )
  71. Rockaway River - Denville (W) ( 40.89916, -74.48675 )
  72. Rockaway River - McCarter Park ( 40.89122, -74.47349 )
  73. Rockaway River - Montville ( 40.89893, -74.37344 )
  74. Rockaway River - Pine Brook ( 40.86608, -74.35202 )
  75. Rockaway River - Rockaway (E) ( 40.90190, -74.50881 )
  76. Rockaway River - Rockaway (W) ( 40.89737, -74.51528 )
  77. Rockaway River - Towpath Rd ( 40.90322, -74.46364 )
  78. Rockaway River - Wharton ( 40.88947, -74.56952 )
  79. Rockaway River - WMA ( 40.95537, -74.57069 )
  80. Speedwell Lake - Morristown ( 40.81265, -74.48090 )
  81. Split Rock Reservoir - Rockaway ( 40.96274, -74.45808 )
  82. Sunset Lake ( 40.87071, -74.61751 )
  83. Tilcon Lake - Waterloo ( 40.90717, -74.76840 )
  84. Walkill River - Franklin ( 41.11063, -74.58840 )
  85. Walkill River - Hamburg ( 41.15266, -74.58161 )
  86. Wanaque River - Back Beach Park ( 41.03504, -74.28571 )
  87. Wanaque River - Hershfield Park ( 40.99313, -74.28983 )
  88. Watchung Lake - North Plainfield ( 40.63723, -74.45384 )
  89. Whippany River - Whippany ( 40.81921, -74.44021 )

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