Serene little spot in the Catskills of upstate New York. Perfect place to enjoy nature on the…read moretrails or on their surprisingly large lake. My girlfriend and I spent a few hours here on a Sunday afternoon in May. If you rent a boat you can keep it out as long as you want, and you have access to the whole property for the entire day. We spent awhile in kayaks and had the whole lake to ourselves for the entire time. We then spent some time down at the swimming hole and had that to ourselves as well. Everyone who works there was incredibly friendly and helpful. Beautiful day overall and the perfect end to a perfect weekend getaway.

Oh what a magical experience. My boyfriend Tom and I kayaked the lake that the owner Jim so kindly…read moreadvised us of all the animal population. Birds, turtles, fish, beaver dams. It was so wonderful we came back a second day, and took use of the grounds by the swimming hole. You truly felt like you were on another planet. It was amazing and will revisit!

Beautiful late August day, with a crisp chill in the breeze, but as the sun gained more space then…read morethe clouds we were back to summer. I've paddle Big Pond in the past and thought this central Mass lake, just North of Otis Reservoir, deserves to be shared with other Active Life Water Yelpers. Then public launch is small and at first glance you think, "Where's the Lake?" Located in a quiet end of a naturally scenic waterway leading from the lake to its overflow point. Frankly, this is my favorite portion of the Yak adventure. The bog stream is about a half mile from the lake; deep enough for motorized craft to enter the lake (my less favorite component). The stream is lined with Lilly Pads and Aquatic Grasses with a wooded shore. Home to fish, turtle, bugs zipping along the surfaces, and beaver along with the occasional Heron waiting for a delicacy. Very peaceful. Then the waterway opens up to the wide lake. Cottages of all ages and upkeep, and not overly crowded on this day. The lake has a heavier iron content and is a bit murky, just the same, very pleasant to swim and enjoy water craft. Yes, powerboats do zip to and fro, however, they tend to be courteous in passing at a safe distance. In the center of the lake an island large enough to host roughly 15 to 25 quaint cottages who have figured out how to transport humans and their contents from the shore. Potable water and sewage disposal baffles this curious Tom Sawyer. Just the same, it's worth a spin around or paddle around, just beware or other shallow glacial rubble poking out above or just below the surface.

my daughter and I were visiting from California and searched for a calm, beautiful kayak ride,…read morefinally discovering I Paddle New York. We enjoyed a gorgeous two hour ride in a tandem kayak together on a still Monday morning, the only ones on the river for a couple hours! We stopped for a stroll on the nature preserve and some rope swinging. Our adventure was was lovely, still, and nourishing. thanks for a wonderful day!

Great time and Gaile was super nice to work with. I would definitely do this again!!!read more

Just an excellent place to get in a kayak for a leisurely paddling on Roundout Creek…read more The people were very friendly and helpful. It was easy to get started, with plenty of room to row a little upstream to the small dam or down to the islands in the small river.

Fantastic experience. Owner was responsive, helpful and friendly and the spot is accessible and…read moresweet.

This sports shop is just top notch. They came highly recommended by my dad and once I walked in,…read moretheir customer service totally proved his glowing review right. I came in to drop off my snowboard for repair and after looking it over the next day, they told me the honest truth that it was a bit too of a complex repair for them to trust that it was stick long term. They suggested for the price it would cost to make it perfect, given the year of the board (2017), I'd be better off getting a new board and pocketing the difference. I appreciated how up front they were and headed their advice! I'll be running the board through it's final paces this season and getting a new one come spring. Even beyond repairs, this shop has it all. From kayaks to climbing gear, skis to paddle boards, they've got everything you need to enjoy the outdoors for all four seasons.

Really pleased I remembers this shop, so I could order a baseball cap unavailable elsewhere. (It…read morewill replace a favored cap.) And it's on the way!

Love this place. Best lobster rolls on the planet and I have had them from Rhode Island up to…read moreMaine. They're not afraid to load the rolls up with lobster! Nice job!

This family-owned business is wonderful. The boats are excellent, the staff is professional and the…read moreservice is top notch. I will always come back to them for boating. I highly recommend them. We've always had exceptional experiences!

Charlie Kerr Tours is the best tour around! Charlie was the most doofamungus, fun, smart,…read moreentertaining, sweet and caring tour guide and was easy on the eyes to boost! I had the most wonderful experience having Charlie as my guide as he took me through Twin Lakes, Connecticut after a long day of work and despite the not so ideal weather conditions, we still managed to make the most of our time out on the lake paddle boarding and kayaking. He was, as he always proves to be, entirely selfless and made sure I was having a wonderful time and was comfortable from start to finish. Charlie always makes every moment a memorable one and my trip to Connecticut and my tour to Twin Lakes was one for the books! Thank you Charlie for everything that day and every other day, but mostly for being YOU. 10/10 would highly recommend!

Charlie is the type of man who makes an eagle purr. His tours are so overly hospitable, you should…read morewink at him for a extra secret part of the tour. As a Sherpa, A+, as company? A+. As a bear wrestling wolf scratching sun of a gun? A+. Worst part of the tour was the rash I got, unrelatedly to Charlie. Highly recommend the tour, just make sure your wife doesn't have a wandering eye.

If you're looking for a high-quality kayak and someone who truly knows what they're talking about,…read morego see Marshall. This guy is the real deal. His knowledge of kayaks is unreal -- from materials and stability to what works best for beginners vs. experienced paddlers, he breaks everything down in a way that actually makes sense. On top of that, Marshall's just a genuinely good soul. No pressure, no sales tactics -- he really just wants to help you find the right kayak for what you need. You can tell he takes pride in what he does and cares about the people he's helping. I walked away with an amazing kayak and the confidence that I made the right choice thanks to his guidance. If you want quality gear and honest expertise, Marshall is your guy. Highly recommend! ‍

I was in the market to purchase a new sea kayak. Since they are pretty pricey, I wanted to make…read morethe right choice. I decided to check out, The River Connection, where I purchased my last kayak from. They only sell sea kayaks. No recreational or fishing kayaks here. Walking in, you will be greeted and helped by the owner, Marshall. He is extremely knowledgeable, so any questions you have about kayaks or kayaking, Marshall will have the answer. Marshall goes above and beyond to earn your business. He also offers free demos, sells top-quality gear, and has instructional programs.

Being new to the hobby of paddle boarding I was very intimated at first however after coming across…read moreValley paddle board, I decided to give it a shot. There were numerous packages available in the planning phase and I ultimately went with the 2 hour group paddle board session with instructor guidance and equipment rental. Not to mention included in the cost was a (2) drink voucher for refreshments at a local brewery post paddle board session (which was a welcomed bonus). The location Christine chose for this session was perfect especially for someone just starting off like myself. We started off in a small shallow beach just sitting on our boards and getting a feel for the water. With Christine's concise, easy to follow direction, I upgraded to a kneeled position and finally to a standing, balancing and confident position within a half a hour. When the sun started to go down Christine advised that the group paddle out to a small island in the middle of the lake that was full of wild flowers, to relax and enjoyed the rest of the sunset. At this time we well exceeded the 2 hour mark but Christine was happy to do so for a wonderful experience. Once the weather gets a bit warmer I will definitely be reaching out to Christine for another session!!

We had the best time! Christine at Valley Paddleboard took our family on a trip down the Farmington…read moreRiver. it was so beautiful. She made sure the kids in our group were safe and having fun. She even taught us some paddleboard yoga moves. Can't wait to go back next summer!