The Hudson has been called “America’s river.” Just 315 miles from its source in the Adirondacks to its mouth inManhattan, the Hudson barely cracks the top 100 longest rivers in country, but its impact has vastly exceeded its size, shaping not only New York City and the state but also global trade, politics and the modern environmental movement. Talk about a legacy to live up to! While there is some primo whitewater on the upper stretches, especially in the Hudson River Gorge, flatwater paddlers can navigate the lower 193 miles without encountering any rapids — a transect through some of the most striking and historically significant places in New York.
I paddled the Hudson on a SUP from Fort Edward, where it joins the Champlain Canal, down to the Statue of Liberty. My trip took eight days; some folks might prefer to go faster or slower. But whatever your pace, it’s another route to consider when looking for an epic water journey on this side of the continent.
The Locks of the Hudson
Below Fort Edward, a series of locks control the flow of the Hudson until Troy, beyond which it continues as a tidal estuary for another 153 miles to the Atlantic. This 40-mile stretch is rich with Revolutionary War highlights, and almost all of the lock stations allow paddle camping, which helps with logistics on a river flanked largely by private land. But amidst all this development you’ll see deer dashing along forested shorelines and osprey perched in the trees, and riverside towns make for fun pitstops. Schuylerville is home to beautiful Hudson Crossing Park, a once polluted but now art- and garden-rich island where you can picnic and stretch your legs, as well as Bound by Fate Brewing. Overlooking a turning basin on the old Champlain Canal, the taproom is just up the road from the “Surrender Tree,”where a British general capitulated to the Americans under an elm in 1777 — “the turning point,” declares an interpretive panel, “of the American Revolution.” A long day’s paddle south will bring you to Waterford, where the Erie Canal meets the Hudson. You can dive into Erie Canal history, mingle with fellow boaters and shower at the Waterford Harbour Visitor Center. Time your visit for early September and catch the annual Waterford Tugboat Roundup, a celebration of the area’s maritime heritage. —Dan Rubinstein
Estuary and Hudson Highlands
After navigating the federal lock at Troy and getting an up-close look at the tug of war between industry and re-naturalization in Albany, the Hudson gets wilder and, eventually, wider. The valley here is framed by rolling green hills, with state parks, swamps and conservation areas to explore and the Gilded Age estates of Vanderbilt and Franklin Delano Roosevelt to gaze up at. Several of the tributary creeks that flow into the Hudson are also worth poking into, including Catskill Creek and Rondout Creek, which takes you to downtown Kingston and the docks of the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Historic towns that are being transformed by people and money from New York City are great for wandering and carb loading at local restaurants, and on summer mornings, all this civilization vanishes in dawn fog so thick you’d swear you have the whole river to yourself — just your boat and the calls and chips of songbirds, greeting the day afresh. Communities where you might want to stop include artsy Beacon and outdoorsy Cold Spring, and don’t miss the landmark Saugerties Lighthouse, at the tip of a point that juts out into the middle of the channel. Further south, the Gothic Revival arches, towers and buttresses of the West Point military academy and Bear Mountain preside over the river, which is also guarded by the crenulated shell of Bannerman Castle, a simulated Scottish stronghold built by a scrap metal and munitions dealer in 1901 (and abandoned after a gunpowder explosion in 1951).
The City
You can feel New York City dozens of miles before the megalopolis comes into view. The Hudson widens to three and a half miles at Haverstraw Bay and there’s more brine in the water; crabs crawl around dock pilings and seabirds pick at shells on at low tide. The span of the Tappan Zee Bridge, officially named the Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, crosses the river just before the finger of Piermont Pier and the dramatic rock walls of the Palisades on what is now the New Jersey side. But your best bet is to get tight to the bank river left before paddling beneath the George Washington Bridge into NYC. Enjoy bantering with walkers, cyclists and layabouts on shoreline paths in Yonkers and Harlem — “Where you coming from? Canada? Fucking awesome!” — and then enter the glass and steel canyon of Manhattan. Options for getting onto and off the water are limited here. Inwood Hill Park, where the Harlem River meets the Hudson, provides access in the northern part of the city, and the Downtown Boathouse at Pier 26 is your best bet in Lower Manhattan.
Logistics and Hazards
Below Troy, the Hudson is tidal, so consider timing your paddling to work smarter not harder. If you’re heading south, start an hour or two before the ebb begins, take advantage of the next six or so hours of extra current, and then maybe take a break after an hour or two of fighting against the flood. Your biggest challenge might be finding places to tent, however. Padding camping is permitted at most locks and they’re free to traverse for canoes and kayaks (although paddleboarders are not officially permitted to lock through, if you kneel on your SUP and wear your PFD you’ll likely have no problem). Once you’re past the locks (which also offer washrooms and drinking water) you may want to try calling ahead to marinas; you’d be surprised how many might be willing to provide a patch of grass to bed down on if you ask politely.
The weather here can be a challenge, too — surprise summer storms build quickly on humid days, so keep your eyes not only on the forecast but also over your shoulder and be prepared to bolt to the shore if you hear thunder. And be prepared for strong headwinds or crosswinds, especially in the afternoon and in the deep cleft of the Hudson Highlands section. Be aware, as well, of all the boat traffic in and around NYC (ferries, tour boats, police, barges) and the waves and wakes they kick up. Stay out of the main shipping channel and only cross it at a right angle when you’re sure the coast is clear; same goes for ferry terminals and busy docks in the city. The Hudson River Greenway Water Trail is a great resource and starting point for paddlers, and this kayaker’s guide to New York Harboris incredibly thorough.
Dan Rubinstein is the author of Water Borne: A 1,200-Mile Paddleboarding Pilgrimage, published in 2025 by ECW Press.
