Kayaking in Boston, Cambridge, Newton, and the surrounding areas is one of our favorite midweek escapes into nature! Whether you are visiting Boston or a local, we think you should try kayaking on the Charles River! You’ll get sweeping city views, a chance to see beautiful animals (ducks & geese with babies in spring, turtles, and herons), and you’ll have time to slow down for a mini vacation without leaving the city! Let’s talk about kayaking Boston and kayaking Cambridge.
The Charles River
The Charles River meanders about 80 mi from Hopkinton, MA to the Atlantic Ocean in the Boston Harbor. Along the river’s path, there are many great places to paddle in the Boston area. The river passes multiple famous attractions, parks, and landmarks. These include The Charles River Esplanade (which has gorgeous flowers in the spring), the Charles River Basin with sweeping views of Boston and Cambridge, MIT, Harvard with beautiful bridges, and many beautiful parks.
While on the river, you’ll see many others out enjoying the water sailing, rowing, paddling, fishing, and more. Even though the river can get a little busy, people are generally courteous. The Charles River has been a great escape for us during the week to feel like we’re on a mini vacation!
Where to find Boston kayak rentals?
Paddle Boston is a popular outfitter providing rentals for kayaks, canoes, and paddle boards in multiple locations including the Charles River Basin, Allston/Brighton, Newton, and Medford. In the Charles River Basin, you can also find Community Boating Boston which provides paddling rentals in addition to sailboat rentals and lessons.
We’ve been happy Paddle Boston season pass holders for a couple of years, so we’ll go into detail about our experience there. From what I’ve seen, the pass is a great deal for those regularly paddling the Charles River. They offer daily rentals as well. We’ve found the gear to be in good shape and the staff to be helpful. Note: this isn’t a sponsored post, we’ve just really enjoyed paddling with Paddle Boston and want to share it with you!
Looking for things to do in Cambridge this weekend? Consider going for a paddle!
Kayaking from the Boston: Allston/Brighton location
The Allston/Brighton Paddle Boston location has been our favorite for its proximity to the city, the mix of Harvard and nature views, and the generally calm water. This location also has a fair bit of free parking to boot! If you have your own kayak, you can launch it here as well. Let’s discuss what you can expect when choosing this location for your Charles River kayak rental.
Paddling east will take you past Harvard and the beautiful Anderson Memorial Bridge and John F. Weeks footbridge. Kayaking under those is lovely! For a longer paddle, you can continue around the bend to the BU bridge and out to the Charles River basin with its sweeping views of Boston and Cambridge. The Harvard and city views are the stars heading in this direction!
Paddling west will take you towards Newton and Watertown through wooded areas that are so lovely they make us feel like we’re on vacation! When you start kayaking Brighton, you’ll kayak the Charles along the beautiful Christian A Herter Park. You’ll pass a dock where there is sometimes a busker playing music. Then you’ll head off into the nature-heavy part of your journey! We commonly encounter geese & ducks (with babies in spring!), turtles, sometimes a heron, many other birds, trees, and lily pads! Continuing up the river, you’ll pass a few boathouses for rowing teams and continue enjoying nature. This part of the river is generally pretty calm as it is shielded by trees.
When you’re done with kayaking on the Charles River, consider stopping by the Night Shift brewery beer garden that’s in the park nearby. You can grab a beverage and a snack and enjoy them outdoors with a great river view to wrap up the day!
Charles River kayak season pass
We’ve purchased the season pass at Paddle Boston for 2 seasons now. It’s been a great way for us to regularly get on the water without having to own boats which can be difficult for city dwellers. The pass is good for 1 season usually running May through October, weather permitting. An individual pass gives you unlimited access to any single boat at a time including kayaks, canoes, and stand-up paddle boards. You can bring as many guests as the boat will hold for free. Family passes include a spouse and children.
The passes also include discounts on additional boats, one-way rentals, off-site rentals, and classes. There are season pass discounts for first-time pass holders, students, and seniors as well as a discount for purchasing a pass before the peak season.
We’ve been thrilled with the ease of access of the pass and how frequently we use it.
Tips for your best day kayaking in Boston
- Many of the Paddle Boston locations provide dry bags to keep your belongings safe. Ask them for one if needed.
- If you wear glasses, I strongly suggest getting a strap to secure them to your head. A pair of glasses are on the bottom of the Charles by the boat launch because I didn’t heed this advice.
- Bring a hat! We don’t have them on just because we look good in them!
- Don’t forget to save some energy for the paddle back to the dock.
- If you’ve got some experience, the Allston and Newton locations have sea kayaks available on request for no surcharge. Those are more efficient and maneuverable than their typical recreational kayaks. Ask them for availability if you’re interested.
- The Boston Calling music festival is at the Harvard Athletic Complex right across the street from the Allston/Brighton boat launch. I love to take a boat out on the river and listen to music without tickets! It’s great! Paddling around the corner will let you hear the multiple stages. You’ll also see people sitting out in the park listening to the tunes.
- You can take a boat out for a front-row seat for the Boston Pops July 4th fireworks spectacular! We haven’t tried this, but we saw people out on the water when watching the fireworks and it looks amazing.
Other fun things to do in Boston
If you’re looking for other fun things to do in Boston consider
- Going to the Boston Ballet
- Visiting parks to see Boston flowers
Wrapping up
So there you have it. Kayaking is a great option if you’re looking for non-touristy things to do in Boston.
Are you ready to go out for a paddle on the Charles? Are there any other places where you like kayak Boston that I missed? Let us know below.
