Direct Contact Matters!

This is the Gowanus Dredgers original and most popular program. By canoeing Gowanus, you are joining a crew of advocates who are promoting awareness of harbor contamination issues. Reconnecting with nature is beneficial to your health, even on a waterway that has historical contaminated sediment the EPA plans to remove.  

Due to active cleanup of the canal under the EPA Superfund program, recreational boating is limited within the Gowanus Canal, and the EPA has closed the public dock at the end of 2nd St. We have a new launch site at the end of 19th Street. Unless otherwise noted, ALL canoe trips depart from our Bunker Launch site at 19th. Be sure to Subscribe to our e-list for updates and view our calendar for information about other activities we have scheduled.

Participants utilize club canoes for a short paddle inside the protected Canal and the Gowanus Bay area near our dock at 19th St. We may ask you to limit your trip to 20 min. if others are waiting to canoe.  After being fitted with a life jacket (which must be worn at all times) at the dock, we give instruction on how to paddle, safety tips on how to use a canoe and we help with boarding and supervise your departure. Participants explore the estuary at their own pace and enjoy discovering the canal’s unique mix of wildlife and urban waterway infrastructure.  All participants must sign a waiver, participants under 18 require a guardian signature. 

Please check our Calendar to confirm scheduled walk-up canoeing dates.  Programs may be canceled if there’s rain 30 min. prior to start time.