This location offers kayaking lessons for children and adults, guided tours of the Thimble Islands, and even kayaking and stand-up paddleboard summer camps. Read on for guides to planning your own kayaking trip to Connecticut, connecting with other Connecticut paddlers, and many other resources! I offered to call the coast guard and dared him to call the cops, so we could see who would win. By Malerie Yolen-Cohen • Photography by Caryn B. Davis When Ayn Rand needed to gather material for The Fountainhead, when President Howard Taft sought a summer home, when circus star Tom Thumb wished […] GPS, use 192 Thimble Island Rd Branford which is the Stony Creek Congregational Church. Although the river is only 13 miles from source to mouth, the river length is actually closer to 75 miles. It was my turn to drive so I loaded my 14-foot Merlin sea kayak onto the roof rack and picked up Alan and his 18-foot sea kayak and headed down Route 17 from Middletown through Durham. Go off-seasonThe best launch is downtown in Stony Creek. The Branford River Launch is a free, public state boat launch and is an excellent choice for small boaters and kayakers looking to explore the scenic river and near by Thimble Islands. In the far north, where the evergreens are now heavy with snow, there lives an inconspicuous and finely streaked bird called the pine siskin. One very wealthy local tried to get legislation passed to make us register our boats because they were afraid a paddler would blow up their mansion with a boat full of C-4. The Thimble Islands is an archipelago consisting of small islands in Long Island Sound, located in and around the harbor of Stony Creek in the southeast corner of Branford, Connecticut.The islands are under the jurisdiction of the United States with security provided by the town of Branford police and the US Coast Guard. For now, I’m just focusing on a simple day trip that visits three of the islands. Pricing: Rentals: kayak-$20/per hour; tandem kayak $35/per hour; stand-up paddleboard $25/per hour. There are several launch … Meet at 10:30 at the Stony Creek boat ramp and plan to be under way at 11:00. Thimble Island Kayak Rentals is located in Stony Creek, Branford. The Casco Bay Islands sit just a mile off the coast of Portland, ME. Check out Thimble Island Brewery's core beer selection. Also, stay out of the marked channels. Boston Harbor Map. There are currents, but they’re not bad at all. Rent a Kayak On the Puget Sound around Olympia, kayak rentals are reliable and easily accessible at two iconic local destinations. Location: Located at Barn Island Wildlife Area. Kayak Launch Location. Connecticut is a very historic state with many historic towns and rivers to kayak through! The shoreline landowners only have rights to the high tide line, and last I knew, were required to provide public access to land in case of an emergency on the water. Calum Siemer 2,688 views. State parks, for instance, manage boat ramps with well-defined seasons and accessibility. Outer Island Visitor Information. He backed down. Very scenic, lots of islands, and only 3 legal places to land/launch. Thimble islands - on-street parking - very congested in the summer - weekdays and evenings are best - a great island chain When the ice melted, the sea level rose to cover all but the tops of the pink granite hills which now form the Thimble Islands. Since it’s a long haul, you should kill two birds w/ one stone (as long as the birds aren’t on the endangered species list). Music by John Butler Trio. Here is why you shouldsubscribe and support The Day. This 365-island chain, whose summer residents include “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau and his wife, TV journalist Jane Pauley, once had been home to President William Taft and Tom Thumb of P.T. Any tips on launch sites, best places to see, things to avoid, after paddle places for seafood with a view, can I really see seals there, etc …would be appreciated for planning a trip. The three-story Thimble Island House on Pot Island encouraged tourism by offering hotel rooms in the mid-1800s, though today it is a private residence. The beach is located in the southeast section of town and is open to the general public and staffed with lifeguards. Home to the Thimble Islands Bed & Breakfast, the village of Stony Creek is renowned for the enchanting archipelago of tiny islands that hug its shoreline. Where you find fishing locations in Connecticut – in the salt waters of Long Island Sound or in fresh-water lakes or ponds -- you are likely also to find well-maintained boat ramps providing easy access to the anglers’ sport. Its premier coastal setting has made it a magnet for summer visitors for well over a century. Less But rather than being scattered across a wide bay, they are concentrated in a tiny region, within two miles of the shore. The “downtown”, or business area, extends less than a quarter-mile from the town dock, which is home to tour boats and the dinghies of moored and anchored yachts. From tumbling mountain rivers to the secluded islands of Long Island Sound, Connecticut provides a wide variety of opportunities for kayakers. Their history as a tourist destination dates back to the mid-1800s, when local resident William Bryan built a hotel on Pot Island and began offering guided boat trips. The locals aren’t all that kayak-friendly, though, so mind where you park (Make sure it’s a legal space — it’ll cost you if it isn’t). If you have kayak racks on your car, make sure you’re legally parked – paddlers don’t get any leeway there. Stand up paddleboards, kayaks and fishing kayak rentals, beginner instructions, SUP yoga and guided tours of the Thimble Islands. Most folks who can afford shoreline houses can also afford “Good laws and good law enforcement”. Riparian ownership ends at the mean high water mark. If you have kayak racks on your car, make sure you’re legally parked – paddlers don’t get any leeway there. Just off the coast of Stony Creek in South Central Connecticut, the area is home to more than 300 islands and stony outcroppings, though some of them are revealed only during low tide. Great for families. Advertisement The Thimble Islands contain all sorts of odd bits from history, including buried treasure legends, a quarry that provided the granite for the Lincoln Memorial, and President William Taft's "summer White House." Basics: Best for a Sunday, Launch on Naskeag Point Rd in Brooklin, about 35 parking spaces and one portapottie. By the end of the 19th century, a number of private homes were built on other islands, and the Thimbles gained popularity as a summer retreat. We provide full-day kayak adventure tours, and multi day kayaking in New Zealand.We are based in Paihia which is located 228 km north of New Zealand’s largest city Auckland. Turn left onto Leete's Island Rd, and follow straight to intersection with Rt 146. Stony Creek is a tiny town of 1,500 people located a few miles east of New Haven and part of the city of Branford. Four of us rented 2 tandem kayaks. I once was leading a club paddle at the Thimbles about 8 years ago, and a homeowner started screaming at us to get away from his property, or he’d have us arrested. We were 100 feet offshore. Today 23 islands sport homes that range from rustic summer cottages to seaside mansions. Or at least they used too, it’s been 4 years since I’ve lived up there. Any tips on launch sites, best places to see, things to avoid, after paddle places for seafood with a view, can I really see seals there, etc …would be appreciated for planning a trip. Left on Goodsell Point Rd. Out here among the Ten Thousand Islands, there are no traffic jams, crowds or cell phones to get the blood boiling.. Gillette Castle-Hadlyme (Chester) Ferry Landing on the Connecticut River. They have paddling meet-ups . Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled, http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2705&q=323804&depNav_GID=1635. Thimble Island boat tours run from May through October. By some accounts, the name was derived from the thimbleberry, a type of native black raspberry. Otherwise, the best place to start this paddle is Bug Lighti… Commenting is closed. Kidd buried pirate treasure there. If you need to rent a kayak, you can pick one up from Portland Paddle and launch from the Eastern Promenade Park (about a quarter mile from downtown). Also many Thimbles appear to be dominated by houses with greater square footage than the island possesses. Otherwise, the best place to start this paddle is Bug Lighti… Town ramp in Stony Creek can be a little tough to find parking in the summer. Off the coast of Branford, 10 minutes from New Haven, Connecticut, lie the Thimble Islands, a group of about 365 small islands in Long Island … Some isles have many homes and some just have one, all the islands are private except for one, Outer Island is trusted to the Federal Fish and Wildlife Department. You can launch your kayak here or arrange for lessons or tours from Connecticut Coastal Kayaking (www.ctcoastalkayaking.com) or other local rental companies. They’re up at Norrie Pt. Approximate GPS/Maps address for Veterans Park boat launch: 200 CT-136, Norwalk, CT 06855 The West Beach of Chimon Island is open daily 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset. I live in the Hudson Valley, so its a long haul for me. Off the coast of Branford, 10 minutes from New Haven, Connecticut, lie the Thimble Islands, a group of about 365 small islands in Long Island Sound.Summer is the perfect time to … Central Coastal Connecticut Map. For now, I’m just focusing on a simple day trip that visits three of the islands. Directions. Legend has it Capt. By Terry Tomalin. As friends and I often say, there’s no such thing as bad weather — only inappropriate gear and clothing. Stand up paddleboards, kayaks and fishing kayak rentals, beginner instructions, SUP yoga and guided tours of the Thimble Islands. Cruise around the Thimble Islands to discover even more Thimble Islands history and take in the gorgeous views. She was at the boat lunch waiting for us when we got there. The River Avon in Bristol, or Bristol Avon as it is also known, rises in South Gloucestershire.It then flows through Wiltshire, to Bath and the Severn Estuary. I live in the Hudson Valley, so its a long haul for me. It isn’t worth the hassles to be in the right in some places, and that is definitely one of them. I paddled the Norwalk Islands and heard the Thimble Islands are great also. Ten Thousand Islands. Exploring the Thimble Islands and Connecticut River - Duration: 2:44. While the land owners believe that to be true, Ct. law upholds the public trust doctrine. Left on Monroe St. Thru stop sign, over RR tracks (bridge) to next stop sign. Of course, for those of us who paddle year-round, kayaking is always in season. From our American Ale to our Coffee Stout, we have something to satisfy every type of beer lover's taste. It ain’t called “Corrupticut” for nothing. Trying to keep pace with surfskis in sea kayaks would be like attempting to pedal a fat-wheel mountain bike alongside carbon-titanium cycles in the Tour de France, so we agreed to split up and rendezvous in about an hour at Outer Island. Very scenic, lots of islands, and only 3 legal places to land/launch. 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