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.


Raritan River
( 40.59399, -74.59918 )

  1. Raritan River - Bound Brook ( 40.55995, -74.52758 )
  2. Raritan River - Branchburg ( 40.55644, -74.68838 )
  3. Raritan River - Duke Island (E) ( 40.56082, -74.64751 )
  4. Raritan River - Duke Island (W) ( 40.55279, -74.68330 )
  5. Raritan River - Edison ( 40.48791, -74.38382 )
  6. Raritan River - Highland Park ( 40.48864, -74.42226 )
  7. Raritan River - New Brunswick ( 40.48760, -74.43280 )
  8. Raritan River - Perth Amboy ( 40.50057, -74.27712 )
  9. Raritan River - Piscataway (N) ( 40.54085, -74.51236 )
  10. Raritan River - Piscataway (S) ( 40.50935, -74.46641 )
  11. Raritan River - Power Canal ( 40.55112, -74.67136 )
  12. Raritan River - Raritan ( 40.56492, -74.63884 )
  13. Raritan River - Sayreville ( 40.47450, -74.35606 )
  14. Raritan River - Somerville (E) ( 40.55798, -74.61520 )
  15. Raritan River - Somerville (W) ( 40.56539, -74.63173 )
  16. Raritan River North Branch ( 40.60018, -74.67447 )
  17. Raritan River North Branch - Far Hills ( 40.68441, -74.64214 )
  18. Raritan River North Branch - Natirar Park ( 40.64761, -74.68024 )
  19. Raritan River North Branch Depot ( 40.58160, -74.68161 )
  20. Raritan River South Branch ( 40.54640, -74.69603 )
  21. Raritan River South Branch - Clinton (N) ( 40.63854, -74.91169 )
  22. Raritan River South Branch - Clinton (S) ( 40.62806, -74.91200 )
  23. Raritan River South Branch - Flemington (C) ( 40.52105, -74.82666 )
  24. Raritan River South Branch - Flemington (E) ( 40.50354, -74.77814 )
  25. Raritan River South Branch - Flemington (N) ( 40.53810, -74.83934 )
  26. Raritan River South Branch - Hamden ( 40.59699, -74.89827 )
  27. Raritan River South Branch - High Bridge (N) ( 40.66394, -74.89742 )
  28. Raritan River South Branch - High Bridge (S) ( 40.66094, -74.90237 )
  29. Raritan River South Branch - Lockwood Gorge (N) ( 40.69682, -74.87171 )
  30. Raritan River South Branch - Lockwood Gorge (S) ( 40.68816, -74.88014 )
  31. Raritan River South Branch - Neshanic (E) ( 40.50873, -74.72776 )
  32. Raritan River South Branch - Neshanic (W) ( 40.50250, -74.74182 )
  33. Raritan River South Branch - Rte 31 ( 40.56315, -74.85544 )
  34. Raritan River South Branch - Stanton ( 40.57219, -74.86834 )
  35. Raritan River South Branch - Sunnyside ( 40.57942, -74.88795 )

The Raritan River is what is left of the outflow of the Hudson River after it broke through the Verrazano Narrows about 6,000 years ago and changed to its present course. The modern Raritan River drains much of central New Jersey, with tributaries threading through the state from Princeton to Morristown. One northern tributary - the Lamington River - reaches almost to Lake Hopatcong. Zoom the map out to see the entire drainage. The thin red line is the "fall line" - the nominal division between uplands and lowlands.