I never knew this place was here. A friend has been a member and kayaks here regularly and was…read moretelling me about it so I went to a couple "Open to the Public" events to check it out. They take you out in groups: kayaking, rowing, and sculling. When it gets too cold to go on the water, inside their building, they have Concept2 RowERGs, my favorite workout machine. It became a no-brainer for me-- goodbye Gym; hello Canal Dock Boathouse.

Nice place to enjoy the water view and clean air. Ample street parking nearby and plenty of food…read moretrucks to crave any appetite.

This is a good, clean facility that is kept up well. But bear in mind that this is a corporate…read moremarina. If all is well, the place is great, but if you have any issues, management is very unresponsive. In early June it became apparent that mechanical issues will keep my boat out of the water this season. I immediately spoke with the member service specialist, asking whether it's possible to get a partial refund or credit towards next season. I was told management needed to sign off on this but "it's looking good". After repeated followups, I was told in mid-July that nothing could be done and they're keeping my money. This is not customer service, they'll never see another dime from us.

Destination resort marina. Formerly a Brewers yard. Excellent repairs and family paradise with pool…read moreand restaurant.

A beautiful free quiet preserve along the inlet allows for gentle relaxing walking trails, and you…read morecan bring your dog. It's an 18 acre natural meadow that can be explored. This acreage overlooks the Indian River, marsh and Long Island Sound in the distance. It's a quaint little gem lots of parking, adjacent to the also free McCuster Landing, a small boat dock and cupola called McCusker Landing.

The Sachem's Head region of Guilford is so-named because when viewed from the air, the coastline…read moreresembles the outline of an Indian chief's head in ceremonial headdress. The yacht club and historic homes anchor the ancient, opulent neighborhood; resilient against the succession of storms that have battered the coast. Sachem's Head, due to it's geography, is isolated, and therefore tranquil. It is worth a visit on a lazy Sunday drive but it is also worth remembering that people live here for the peace and quiet, and to be respectful.

Beautiful and peaceful park. Lots of grills (bring charcoal) picnic areas and rolling grass. While…read moreno launch is available- appears that kayaks are easily launch-able from the shore due to proximity. Overall beautiful and peaceful.

Lovely park at the banks of the mouth of the West River, with scenic views of Long Island Sound…read more Large boulders, natural saltwater marsh and plenty of green grass await. Excellent spot for photography, a picnic or just to soak up nature. And it's dog friendly, afaik.

To see the…read more sea The town of Clinton Connecticut has lots of great places to kayak and canoe but unfortunately it doesn't have many good places to launch a yak or other type of small boat. Most of the coast line is private and finding a place to park a car or truck is problematic. Some cool rivers and of course Long Island Sound is right there but you just can't get to it. Fortunately the town realized that the number of people yaking is growing every year and decided to do something about the problem by building a launching area for yaks, canoes and other small craft. It was completed this summer and It's located off of Main Street right on the Indian River. From the Indian River you can go north up the small river or south down into Long Island Sound. Either way is pretty cool but if you go north make sure you judge the tide right or you might end up carrying carry your yak in places. I usually save going up river until the winter or late fall when all the horrid flies are gone. Going south into the sound gives you miles of great yaking. You can go west to Hammonasset Beach, east to Duck Island or if you have the time and energy even cross the sound and go over to Long Island, New York. A long trip but fun in the proper weather conditions. The ramp itself is more of dock which makes launching a bit tricky for novices. I have seen many people go over trying to get in their yaks from the higher dock. Seems a simply ramp would have been a better choice for a small boat. Still, it's not really difficult with a little practice. One of the best things about the launch site is the location. It's right behind the town hall which means there is always plenty of parking and it's a safe place to leave your vehicle. So many parking areas for boating are prime targets for degenerates, perverts and thieves. The launch area has beautiful views of the Indian River and has a little gazebo for people to relax and enjoy the scenery even if they don't want to actually go on the river. A great idea to give people access to the wonderful water that Clinton has. Hopefully this site is just the first of many more.

This is a nice little park, but pretty small - 61 acres per the DEEP site. The main entrance for…read morethis park is on Short Beach Road in East Haven, where there's a small lot right next to a house - it can be easy to miss. This park is surrounded by houses, so it doesn't really feel all that private. It feels almost like it should be a municipal park or preserve. It seems to be a favorite of locals walking their dogs, which is what we were doing as well. Once you get past the fire road, there's a lot of meandering trail in the marsh area. The views are pretty, and it's a nice little place, but it seems to need some blazing and trail maintenance. There's also a picnic area marked on the map, but it's just a meadow area - no picnic tables.

Great little nature preserve nestled in East Haven. Some beautiful views and osprey nests. Yes,…read morethere are houses around but it's pretty sweet for basically being right in town.

A place to go…read moresomewhere else Smith Neck boat launch area is frequently called the Great Island boat launch. It has a huge parking area and a pretty decent ramp but it can get pretty shallow in very low tides. Very large boats can be a bit of a problem but it's a great place for canoes and kayaks. Once off the ramp you have many options. You can go north up the huge Connecticut River or south down into Long Island Sound. Or if you have a canoe or yak you can explore the area around Great Island. You can't actually go on the island because it is so marshy with little solid land. Just as well because a huge number of large birds nest there. Better just to look and not disturb. It's a very easy area to get lost in a yak. Lots of small rivers and inlets and some very tall grass and reeds, so at times you can't see where you are going. No problem, you'll end up somewhere. The Black Hall River, the Duck River, the Back River and the Lieutenant River are all accessible from the ramp. However, if you decide to go up some of these you better make sure you have enough tide to get back out or you might end up carrying your boat back. Also a good idea to bring strong bug repellent if you decide to go into any of these small inlets. The flies can be fierce and want your blood. A extremely nice place to launch your boat, especially if you have a small one. I've been here a zillions times and never had my truck broken in to. Even though it can get a bit crowded during the summer everyone has always been pleasant and people here seem to enjoy helping and socialize with other boaters. Smith Neck is definitely one of the nicest and most pleasant launch sites on the Connecticut coast.

I have launched my kayak off of here often. Once you get to the where black hall meets the sound…read morethere is a very secluded beach only accessible by kayak or very small boat. Directly behind it is a bird sanctuary. It is perfect. The sanctuary is fenced off so you wont be disrupting any habitats but some of the birds (depending on time of year) will get very "curious" of you and check you out. I have never had a real problem with it, though. The fishing is great up the Black Hall river as well and as a previous commenter mentioned just be sure to check tides because you could get stuck.