Most People Don’t Know There’s a Kayak Park Hiding In New Jersey
By Kristen|Published July 16, 2018
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Kristen
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Kristen is a writer, editor, and social media maven who loves her state. Born and raised in New Jersey, sharing all it has to offer is her passion. After attending Montclair State University, she continued her education online, obtaining certifications in social media management.
There are plenty of incredible state parks in New Jersey, many of which allow kayaking. Wharton State Forest is a favorite and should not be missed but there are smaller, local parks that don’t get the attention they deserve. One of the best may surprise you…
Overpeck County Park is an 811-acre park in Bergen County with major sections in Leonia, Palisades Park, Ridgefield Park, and Teaneck.
Image/Author's Own
The beautiful park offers walking and biking trails, playgrounds, picnic areas, tennis, volleyball, and basketball courts, baseball, soccer, and football fields, and a 46-acre eco-art park. You'd never guess that it was a landfill not too long ago...
One of the best parts of the park is Overpeck Creek, a tributary of the Hackensack River.
The calm, protected waters are perfect for kayaking. There's a public boat launch, which I love, but you don't need to BYOB (bring your own boat). Overpeck Park Kayak Center offers affordable rentals and is open from late April-October. While rentals are daytime only and you must bring a buddy, there are special sunset and group paddles available. Children 5 and up are welcome but must paddle with an adult or adults.
Stand-up paddleboards. Perfect for improving core strength and balance (or, fun!), they can be rented by guests 16 and up for $25 (2 hours). Kayaking is $15 per paddler (2 hours).
Nearby Laurel Hill Park (in Secaucus) offers guided moonlit paddles! Starting around sunset and lasting for two hours, they're absolutely spectacular. Though the park isn't quite as beginner-friendly as Overpeck, the evening tours let you see the meadlowands in a whole new (and wonderful) way!
Summer hours at Overpeck are 10-6, Monday-Friday, and 9-7, Saturday and Sunday. Have you been kayaking at Overpeck County Park? I’ve had so much fun on the creek! You can find the kayak center at the 50 Fort Lee Road, Leonia entrance. To learn more about kayak rentals at (at either Overpeck or Laurel Hill), click here. To learn more about the park, click here. For a different kind of boating adventure in New Jersey, check out this ferry boat.
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