Have you ever gone deep into the night with a canoe to look up in the sky and see the ... fireworks? How about stand-up paddle boarding a couple miles just to eat sushi? Or maybe you’re the type who loves to go on an architecture tour—in a kayak. If you haven’t had the pleasure, then you might want to check out urban paddling.
Brew City Paddling
My wife and I pushed off from shore from the shade along the riverbanks, scraping just a bit over a couple of larger rocks to get into the gentle current of the river, where it was still not even knee deep. On the other bank, a few buildings stood up from a bike path, but as we slipped along, there were moments when we could only see a green corridor.We came upon a bridge and could see a couple cars passing high above the water. But as I looked ahead, I could see a horizon line in the river. What’s this? Rocks and strategically laid concrete squeezed the flowing water to a narrow pass and that shimmering line could only mean a drop in the river. Sure enough, the water kicked up and suddenly we were shooting through a channel with waves as high as the gunwales. In a blink, we were out on the other side of the bridge, still swirling ever so slowly in an eddy. We looked up at a pedestrian bridge where a woman and child peered down and waved.
Not having scoped out the river ahead of time—not the best practice!—the little rush had taken us by surprise. But with no obstructions and a wide enough pass, this was a beginner-friendly little chute. And we were in the middle of Milwaukee.
From there, we passed a popular brewery, more bridges, the stately turn of the 20th-century architecture of downtown, and a riverwalk statue of the Fonz (a character from the 1970s and 1980s sitcom “Happy Days,” set in Milwaukee). We took off near where the Milwaukee River meets both the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Rivers before they jointly flow out into Milwaukee Bay on Lake Michigan. Milwaukee Kayak Company rents crafts from three locations in this area.
Pittsburgh
Though a city of three rivers, Pittsburgh has an industrial history that often didn’t treat those riverways well. In the late 1800s, when Pennsylvania boomed with crude oil, drillers would actually float their production down the Allegheny River, where it could be skimmed off when it arrived at a refinery. Today, however, years of pushing to clean it up and protect it have left the river teeming with wildlife—birds, fish, beavers, and muskrats.
The steep slopes of the river valley rise above, as does the city skyline, granting amazing views from a kayak. Kayak Pittsburgh offers rental kayaks and SUPs near where the Allegheny and the Monongahela join to become the Ohio River.
Los Angeles
You may recognize part of the Los Angeles River, but maybe not as a river. It is a popular set for various Hollywood movies. “Drive,” “Terminator 2,” and “Grease” see cars racing through the sloping concrete channel that seemed more storm sewer than river. In fact, that’s basically what it had become after the Army Corps of Engineers redeveloped the floodplain in the 1930s to protect the city from rainstorms.Back in 2008, George Wolfe, founder of LA River Expeditions, paddled the entire 51 miles of this river that descends into the city from the mountains to where it meets the Pacific at Long Beach. He did this to draw attention to the river’s plight and help create a groundswell of support for its protection. Wolfe earned the Green Paddle Award for Waterway Conservation from the American Canoe Association, and three years after his initial adventure, he began taking other paddlers into certain sections.
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It’s not all concrete. There are cattails, little islands, and taller trees, such as willows and cottonwoods, that prefer the water’s edge. At one point, where the river is closer to its original self, there are even rapids to paddle. Whether you are tucked into an impossible green space or enjoying some city views, the LA River doesn’t disappoint.
Chicago
Brothers Aaron and Asher Gershenzon and James Morro were working as kayak guides when they decided they could run such an operation better. In 2011, they opened Urban Kayaks in Chicago. With two locations—one along the Chicago Riverwalk and a second a short walk away along Lake Michigan at Columbia Yacht Club—the outfitter takes paddlers out along the Chicago River and its Riverwalk, what Aaron calls a “duck’s-eye view” of the Windy City. Paddlers look up at the Tribune Building, Merchandise Mart, and Wrigley Building—the unique skyline of Chicago.Visitors can rent kayaks and just go it alone or sign up for group tours that range from one to two hours. Options include twilight and sunset paddles, a Happy Hour tour that includes a stop for tacos, and a longer guided route that includes a lot of historical and architectural detail from your guide.
New York City
Eric Stiller learned to kayak from his father, Dieter, who ran a shop in Union Square in the ‘70s, which was the first place in the United States to import and sell the folding kayak. Fast forward to 1983, when Eric Stiller took one, slipped into the Hudson River off a decrepit pier, and discovered a whole new paddling world. He speaks of a network of unexpected channels and passages and a history that dates back to the namesake explorer himself.Today, his Manhattan Kayak Co. maintains a fleet of kayaks and a solid troop of professional guides that take clients out in kayaks and on stand-up paddle boards (SUPs) to the Hudson and East Rivers and the Upper Bay. Trips are scheduled on a seasonal calendar and range from beginner to advanced levels. They offer two-to-three-hour instruction courses for kayaks and SUPs.
One beginner-friendly outing is a paddle along the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum at Pier 86 on the Hudson. An hour-long paddle from George Washington Bridge to the double-decked Verrazano-Narrows Bridge gets you a Manhattan skyline view: Think Empire State Building, Freedom Tower, the Chrysler Building. You can even make the 28-mile circuit of Manhattan Island if you are ambitious enough. Warning: about 8 hours by kayak.
Feeling a bit peckish? Paddle to Jersey for some sushi. Kayak under the Brooklyn Bridge and go ashore for some legendary pizza at Grimaldi’s.
