58 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • JUNE 2020
PRESS BUZZ: DESTINATIONS
GUIDE TO LI’S PERSON-POWERED BOATING DESTINATIONS
CAPTREE STATE PARK
This boating and fishing oasis of a park
has more to offer than just party and
charter boats. Paddlers can launch
from the overlook parking field directly
into the Great South Bay and cruise
the coast of fabulous Fire Island. 3500
East Ocean Pkwy., Bay Shore, 631-669-
0449, parks.ny.gov/parks/captree
HECKSCHER STATE PARK
Conveniently located at the eastern
end of the Southern State Parkway,
this waterfront park allows paddlers
to launch from Field 7 into the north
side of the Great South Bay and lower
Connetquot River. 1 Heckscher State
Pkwy., East Islip, 631-581-2100, parks.
ny.gov/parks/heckscher
HITHER HILLS STATE PARK
Paddlers at this South Fork park located
in the heart of the Hamptons can launch
into Napeague Harbor, which opens
into stunning Gardiners Bay. 164 Old
Montauk Hwy., Montauk, 631-668-2554,
parks.ny.gov/parks/hitherhills
JK KAYAK & SUP
Serving Nassau and Suffolk counties is
this kayak and stand-up paddle board
guided tour company. Their certified
guides offer tours of Cold Spring Harbor,
the Connetquot River, and more.
130 Harbor Rd., Cold Spring Harbor,
800-489-0398, jkkayak.com/
NISSEQUOGUE RIVER STATE
PARK
This North Shore river launch is less
than a mile upstream from the mouth
of Smithtown Bay, which opens into the
Long Island Sound. But timing is key, as
launching and landing are impossible
during low tide due to mud flats. Reservations
required. 799 Saint Johnland
Rd., Kings Park, 631-269-4927, parks.
ny.gov/parks/110
PAUMANOK TOURS
The company’s North Shore water tour
guides supply the kayaks and bring the
equipment to you. Its certified guides
are there to assist everyone from beginners
to experienced paddlers looking to
experience new destinations. Guides
offer tours of a half-dozen waterways:
Flanders Bay, Port Jefferson Harbor,
Carmans River, Peconic River, Mt. Sinai
Harbor, and Setauket Harbor. 8 Three
Village Ln., Setauket-East Setauket, 631-
404-6447, Paumanoktours.com
SHELTER ISLAND KAYAK
TOURS
Although temporarily closed due to the
pandemic, nobody knows the secluded
shores of majestic Shelter Island better.
71 Cartwright Rd., Shelter Island, 631-
749-1990, Kayaksi.com
SMITH POINT MARINA
This Suffolk County-run park off William
Floyd Parkway in Shirley has a
self-launch ramp where Bellport Bay
meets Narrow Bay, where the distance
between Fire Island and mainland
Long Island is the smallest. 1 William
Floyd Pkwy., Shirley, 631-852-1313,
suffolkcountyny.gov
THE SOUTH SHORE BLUEWAY
TRAIL
This watery trail spans the four
western bays south of Nassau County,
from the West Bay in the Five Towns,
Middle Bay south of Baldwin and
Freeport, the East Bay off Bellmore
and Merrick, and South Oyster Bay
north of Jones Beach. It comprises
hundreds of acres of tidal wetlands,
creeks, channels, mudflats, and salt
marshes that are home to a wide variety
of fish and migratory shorebirds.
The route steers users by scenic,
historic, and environmentally significant
points of interest, allowing the
nonmotorized boating public to rediscover
the coastal resources up close
without harming the ecosystem. The
Blueway features more than a dozen
routes across 21,100 acres of waterways
accessible from nine boat ramps
along 18 miles of coast. Paddlers are
advised to check permitting requirements
for launching watercraft from
town, village, county, and New York
State-run facilities. Multiple locations,
southshoreblueway.com
SUNKEN MEADOW STATE PARK
It’s not all about the South Shore.
Check out the Long Island Sound and
Nissequogue River from launch sites
at the east end of Field 3. Sunken Meadow
Pkwy., Kings Park, 631-269-4333,
parks.ny.gov/parks/37
continued from page 57
WHERE TO RENT
Bridge Marine, 40 Ludlam Ave.,
Bayville, 516-628-8688, bridgemarinesales.
com
Dinghy Shop, 334 South Bayview
Ave., Amityville, 631-264-0005, dinghyshop.
com
Great Bay Marine, 1110 Flanders
Rd., Flanders, 631-204-0034, greatbayboats.
com
Rent-a-Boat, 320 South Country Rd.,
Brookhaven, 631-286-7816, rentaboat.
com
Lighthouse Marina, 2229 Meetinghouse
Creek Rd., Aquebogue, 631-722-
3400, lighthousemarina.com
Long Island Boat Rentals, 403 Main
St., Port Washington, 516-761-0840,
liboatrentals.com
Puff ‘N’ Putt Family Fun Center,
659 Montauk Hwy., Montauk, 631-
668-4473, puffnputt.com
Silly Lilly Fishing Station, 99 Adelaide
Ave., East Moriches, 631-878-
0247, sillylilly.com
Strong’s Marine, 2400 Camp Mineola
Rd., Mattituck, 631-298-4770,
strongsmarine.com
Ted’s Fishing Station, 143 Bayside
Dr., Point Lookout, 516-431-4193,
tedsfishingstation.com
The Waterfront Center, 1 West End
Ave., Oyster Bay, 516-922-7245, thewaterfrontcenter.
org
Uihlein’s Marina, Boat Rental, and
Motel, 444 West Lake Dr., Montauk,
631-668-3799, uihleinsmarina.com
SAFETY TIPS
• Wear a life jacket, sunscreen
• Keep track of the weather,
tides, and currents
• Pack a waterproof VHF
marine radio
• Leave a float plan on your
dashboard stating where you’re
paddling and when you’ll
return
• Avoid swimming areas
• Pack bottled water, snacks,
and a first aid kit
• Use common sense
Kayaking is a family-friendly, socially distant activity. (Getty Images)
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/Paumanoktours.com
/Kayaksi.com
/suffolkcountyny.gov
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/lighthousemarina.com
/liboatrentals.com
/puffnputt.com
/sillylilly.com
/strongsmarine.com
/tedsfishingstation.com
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