Free Kayaking on the Hudson — Sunday 9 August
Sun 9 Aug, 10:00 · Downtown Boathouse, Pier 26, Hudson River Park, N Moore Street at West Side Highway, Manhattan · New York
Details & booking — Downtown Boathouse
via Downtown Boathouse · Checked 9 Aug 2026
About this event
Volunteers hand you a kayak, paddle and life jacket, and the Hudson does the rest. The all-volunteer Downtown Boathouse has run this programme for decades, letting complete beginners paddle a sheltered embayment off Pier 26 with the Manhattan skyline overhead. No experience needed, though you must be able to swim. Sessions run about twenty minutes and cost nothing at all.
Why we picked it
Open-water kayaking on the Hudson for nothing is one of the most generous free offers in any major city.
Free entry
Organiser states the programme is completely free with no reservations taken; confirmed on the Downtown Boathouse website.
Registration
Registration needed
Limited capacity
A third-party event from official public listings, checked by Glentio. Programmes can change — confirm on the organiser's site.
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