A group of about 15 people standing on a beach next to brightly colored kayaks. They are happy and waving because they just kayaked from Brooklyn Bridge Park to Red Hook! — Volunteer trips

Free trips in and around the New York Harbor available exclusively for our volunteers

Become a volunteer

Some of the trips we offer our volunteers

Red Hook

This trip is great for beginners and fun for all! We paddle south through Buttermilk Channel and along the Brooklyn waterfront to Valentino Pier in Red Hook. We may pass a massive cruise ship or other large vessel, and we’ll definitely see a ferry or two. Once we land, there’s often time to get a frozen treat at Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pies before we head back to Pier 4 Beach.

Kayakers looking tiny in front of a huge cruise ship — © Noah Hussain Diary

Three kayakers with an industrial building and large concrete blocks reading "RED HOOK" behind them — © Andrea Balinson

Kayakers at sunset with the Manhattan skyline behind them — © Vander Carter

Governors Island

This trip comes in two main versions (with tweaks depending on conditions and currents). The easier version involves crossing Buttermilk Channel as a tight group, bringing the kayaks up onto a dock, and spending a bit of time on Governors Island before paddling back to Pier 4 Beach; this trip is sometimes scheduled around sunset, which requires lights to be attached to the kayaks for visibility in the dark. The “beginner-plus” version is a full circumnavigation of Governors Island (which may not include landing); things can get a bit bouncy on the west side of the island, especially toward the northern section, but paddlers get to enjoy expansive views of the New York Harbor, as well as exclusive looks at the “back side” of the island.

Kayakers in front of an island with a white building on the right — © Noah Hussain Diary

Kayakers on a dock next to their kayaks, with a larger boat and some Brooklyn buildings behind them — © Tami Sheheri

Kayakers with the lower Manhattan skyline in the background — © Bill Orme

Hunter’s Point South

This is an intermediate trip paddling up the East River. We pass under the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges, taking in waterfront sights like Jane's Carousel, the Navy Yard Basin, and Domino Park and dealing with numerous ferries along the way. At Hunter’s Point South Park, we bring our boats up a ramp and then take a walk to the snack bar for refreshments (and restrooms!) before catching the current back to Pier 4 Beach.

Kayakers under the Williamsburg Bridge — © Leonardo March

Two people standing on a ramp moving a kayak, with kayakers in the water behind them — © Leonardo March

Three people walking away in the distance, with green vegetation on the right and left and the Manhattan skyline in the background — © Andrea Balinson

Hudson Valley

This intermediate trip involves a huge amount of work and planning, so we don’t do it very often! After loading kayaks onto volunteers’ cars and driving about 70 miles, we launch from a public park on the Hudson River. To allow the maximum number of volunteers to participate, we’ve been known to split this trip in two (and sometimes include stand-up paddleboards), with one shift paddling from Cold Spring to Beacon and the other doing the return journey. Highlights include Bannerman Castle and Constitution Marsh.