Echo Canoe Launch

The park today

The launch is a simple put-in on the lower Croton River estuary, open to canoes, kayaks and small motorized boats with no permit required. Unlike most village parks it carries no residential restriction — anyone may launch. From the water, paddlers can head up the tidal Croton River toward Paradise Island and the river's islands, or out onto the Hudson.

Croton Recreation offers seasonal storage racks at the launch (and at Croton Landing) so residents can keep kayaks and canoes by the water; rack season runs spring through fall, with separate paid winter storage (November–April) at the launch. Village and school-district residents get first priority when registration opens in early spring, with non-residents eligible afterward as space allows.

History

The Echo Canoe Launch sits where the Croton River meets the Hudson, at the south end of the vast Croton-Harmon rail complex. The village's 2003 Comprehensive Plan records a Croton River boat launch built "south of the Municipal garage" as a village capital project completed in 2002, part of the same era of waterfront investment that produced the Croton Landing improvements. No published account of the "Echo" name's origin was found.

Since then the launch has become the base of the village's paddling programs: Croton Recreation runs seasonal kayak and canoe rack rentals here, and community paddles on the lower Croton River — including guided history flotillas with the village historian — meet at the launch.

Safety on the Croton River

Swimming is prohibited — village rules allow swimming only at Silver Lake when a lifeguard is on duty. Dam releases from the New Croton Dam can raise the river quickly; paddlers on the lower river should be alert to changing water levels and currents, and the river below the train trestle is tidal.

Visiting

Hours

No posted hours were found for the launch itself.

Fees

Free to launch; no permit required. Seasonal rack storage and winter storage are paid programs through Croton Recreation (914-271-3006).

Parking

In the Croton-Harmon station parking areas next to the launch; station lots are permit/fee parking on weekdays — see the village's parking information for the launch.

Getting there

20 Veterans Plaza, at the south end of the Croton-Harmon train station. Follow Veterans Plaza south along the station to its end.

Rules

Open to canoes, kayaks and small motorized boats; no permit required and no residential restrictions. Swimming in the river is prohibited. Rack storage is by registration with Croton Recreation.

Accessibility

In this park

Links

• Village Parks, Trails & Open Space — Echo Canoe Launch
• Kayak & Canoe Racks / Boat Basin Information