12 canoe and kayak tours to not miss this summer

Philadelphia boasts a rich history of recreational boating, perfect for exploring during the warm summer months. From the Lenni Lenape navigating Lenape Sipu (now the Delaware River) and Ganshowahanna (now the Schuylkill), to modern-day Philadelphians paddling to Burlington Island’s former amusement park site, enjoying the city’s waterways is a cherished local pastime.

This guide will take you through 12 small boating companies offering canoe and kayak tours in Philadelphia, Chester and Burlington Counties, and the New Jersey’s Pine Barrens. These boating excursions are on flat water, offering easy kayaking and canoeing trips for all skill levels.

💵 Kayak only, starting at $40

Float off into the Schuylkill right from the bike trail running along Center City with Hidden River Outfitters from May to September. It’s literally on the beaten path, located on the Walnut Street Dock, which is only accessible by walking along the Schuylkill River Trail. Enter the trail anywhere along the Schuylkill Banks in Center City, including an access point on Walnut Street via the staircase at the entrance to the Walnut Street Bridge (parking available nearby).

Kayak tours start at $40 per person, accompanying guides for a paddle up the river to the Fairmount Water Works. Sunset and sunrise tours are available at $45 per person and Hidden Rivers hosts kayaking and movie screening nights for $40.

📍Walnut Street Dock, Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa., 19106, 📞 267-588-3512, 🌐 hiddenriveroutfitters.com

💵 Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards, starting at $25

Philly’s Canoe Club is a social group and training organization that focuses on lessons and trips in kayaking, canoeing, and white water rafting. While the club doesn’t have a traditional renting model to show up and rent, there are plenty of ways to explore the region’s rivers with the club.

Programming runs from May through September for nonmembers, including Thursday Night Social Paddles for $25 or a variety of full-day adventures for $109 to places like the Poconos or the Pine Barrens. On June 30, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the canoe club’s annual open house will bring free canoe and kayaking tours, discounted boat and gear sales, and antique canoe displays to the Schuylkill.

📍4900 Ridge Ave., Philadelphia, Pa., 19127, 📞 215-487-9674, 🌐 philacanoe.org

💵 Kayaks and paddle boats, starting at $25

The Delaware River Waterfront is packed with attractions, historical landmarks, and date night destinations that make it one of the more attractive weekend excursions in Philly. Penn’s Landing paddle season opens mid-July for rentals on Friday and Saturday afternoons from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the summer. For $25 per boat per half-hour, take a two- or four-seater paddle boat onto the Delaware. The Independence Seaport Museum, which oversees Paddle Penn’s Landing, also offers kayaking tours in other locations on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. For $65, kayak for two hours around the Benjamin Franklin Bridge or the Three Sisters Shipwreck. For $75, take a three-and-half tour of Petty’s Island and the U.S. lightship Barnegat. Book online at phillyseaport.org/onwater.

📍211 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia, Pa., 19106, 📞 215-413-8655, 🌐 phillyseaport.org

💵 Kayaking and paddle boarding, starting at $34.95

For the last 45 years, the outdoor lifestyle brand L.L. Bean has led immersive nature tours across the Northeast, including in the Philly suburb of Downingtown. Through the L.L. Bean Discovery School, enjoy guided kayak tours and lessons from 90 minutes to four hours. Glide across the water under moonlight or at sunset, watch meteor shows, or go birding on boats with the Discovery School. Tours start at $34.95 for a 90-minute trip and go beyond $69.95 for special tours.

📍690 Milford Rd., Downingtown, Pa., 19335, 📞 1-888-552-3261, 🌐 llbeanoutdoors.com

💵 Canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, starting at $25

Marsh Creek Water Sports has everything a seasonal boat renter might want: small-boat sailing, motored rowboats, kayaks, canoes, paddle boards, and wind surfing. Explore the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake with friends, family, or a date for $25 to $80 for kayaking, $40 to $175 for canoe trips, and small-boat sailing for under $300 for up to four hours. Special programming at Marsh Creek includes paddle board yoga, night tours, and pontoon boat rides. Rentals are provided on a first-come, first-served basis.

📍700 Park Rd., Downingtown, Pa., 19335, 📞 610-458-5040, 🌐 marshcreeklake.com

💵 Canoes, kayaks, and tubes, starting at $25

Nearing its 50th anniversary, the Northbrook Canoe Company is a family-owned business founded by Ezekiel “Zeke” Hubbard Sr. in 1977. Northbrook services the Brandywine River in West Chester with canoe and kayaking tours starting at $50 and tubing rentals for $25. Glide down the Brandywine with Northbrook from May through October. In the summer months, there is programming for kids through the all-day Northbrook Canoe Camp, running July 8-12, July 22-26, and Aug. 5-9 for $250, and evening “Canoe & Dine” trips for $80, serving BBQ ribs, grilled salmon, grilled chicken, or BBQ tofu entrées along the river until late September.

📍1810 Beagle Rd., West Chester, Pa., 19382, 📞 610-793-2279, 🌐 northbrookcanoe.com

💵 Canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, starting at $20

Outside Philadelphia is the 1,700-acre Tyler State Park, a preserved farm and forest with the Neshaminy Creek flowing through the heart of it. Driftwood Adventures, located within the park, provides paddlers with some of the most affordable rentals in the region. Rent kayaks for one to four hours, ranging from $20 to $65. Paddle boards and canoes are available for $30 to $80. A second Driftwood Adventures location is on the 75-acre Falls Lake in Levittown with kayak and paddle board rentals.

📍101 Swamp Rd., Newtown, Pa., 18940, 📞 215-260-2055, 🌐 driftwoodwateradventures.com

💵 Canoes, kayaks, rafts, and tubes, starting at $35

At 57 years old, Bucks County’s River Country is one of the oldest small boating and tubing rental operations in the region. Rent canoes, kayaks, rafts, and tubes to float down miles of open river along the Delaware in Point Pleasant. Kayak rentals start at $60 per person, while canoes go for $90 for two people, and tubes for $35 each. Right down the road from River Country is Treasure Island Outfitters, a private island campground and Boy Scout camp, for overnight camping on the Delaware.

📍2 Walters Lane, Point Pleasant, Pa., 18950, 📞 215-297-5000, 🌐 rivercountry.net

💵 Canoes, kayaks, and rowboats, Free to $5

The Glen Foerd historic estate and mansion, situated along the Delaware River in Philly’s Torresdale neighborhood, holds boat programming throughout the summer. Not only does the park provide relaxing summer boating, but the Glen Foerd mansion is free to explore. There are two types of boating programs at Glen Foerd: first-come, first-served open-boating hours and scheduled kayak excursions. Open-boating hours are free and open to all ages, providing canoes, rowboats, and kayaks on a 30-minute basis. Kayak tours are two-hour guided trips for a $5 registration fee/donation (registration opens two weeks prior to scheduled kayak events). Both programs are only available on specific dates; check Glen Foerd’s calendar for the next event at glenfoerd.org/boating.

📍5001 Grant Ave., Philadelphia, Pa., 19114, 📞 215-632-5330, 🌐 glenfoerd.org

💵 Canoes and kayaks, starting at $55

Philadelphians have been kayaking New Jersey’s Pinelands for 50 years through Mick’s Canoe & Kayak. Embedded in the state’s largest tract of wooded land, Wharton State Forest, Mick’s offers two- to five-hour canoe and kayaking tours on the Wading and Oswego Rivers. All tours provide time to paddle ashore and set up a picnic along the rivers’ beaches, perfect for a family trip or daytime date. Rent single kayaks for $55 per person or double up in a canoe or two-seater kayak for $80.

📍3107 County Rd. 563, Chatsworth, NJ, 08019, 📞 609-726-1380, 🌐 mickscanoerental.com

💵 Kayak only, starting at $25

A mere 20-minute drive to Mount Holly from Philly is Rancocas Pathways, a nonprofit advocating for the Rancocas Creek to be recognized as a National Water Trail. A part of those efforts is to get residents out on the water to appreciate the ecological history and gorgeous views of the waterway by boat. Learn about hundreds of years of history surrounding Rancocas Creek and its ties to Philadelphia’s maritime community through kayaking. It’s also cheaper than most places, with rates starting at $25 per person for self-guided tours, to $50 for guided tours (or self-guided tours longer than four hours). Call or text 609-456-9344 to schedule an outing with at least 24-hour notice.

📍30 Church St., Mount Holly, NJ, 08060, 📞 609-456-9344, 🌐 rcnwt.com

💵 Canoes and kayaks, starting at $50

New Jersey’s Pinelands is considered one of the largest forested areas on the East Coast, with 1.1 million acres of land that include water trails along the Mullica and Batso Rivers. On the shores of Atsion Lake sits Pineland Adventures. Starting at $50, take a one- to eight-hour self-guided kayak tour or go on a hike with ecologists. For a more adventurous journey, reserve a campsite at Wharton State Forest’s Mullica River Wilderness Camp and book an overnight canoe and kayak trip, which starts at $80.

📍1005 Atsion Rd., Shamong, NJ, 08088, 📞 609-268-0189, 🌐 pinelandsadventures.org