Hudson River Expeditions

Great bunch of folks who run this company. Call ahead to reserve kayaks and leave yourself 15 minutes to fill out forms and get your life vest.

In order to maintain my sanity, I decided to escape the city one day this week during the heat wave and go kayaking again before the season ended. I took the train from Grand Central to Cold Spring and Hudson River Expeditions is literally less than a mile away. You exit the train (going over the overpass) and walk up a small hill and their offices/​company is on the right. You sign a waiver, choose your kayak (recreational vs sea), and then you walk to the river which again is less than a mile away. (I’d like to also mention that they have a nice, clean bathroom which is always a plus).
Back to the kayaking — I was able to kayak around the Cove, which was beautiful. One hour was $ 25 + tax which I paid for after my ride. Neal, Frank and Joe were all very helpful, and I met one of the owners (Maki) on my way back to pay who was lovely!
I highly recommend — their equipment is great, and if you’re into a little shopping afterwards, they do have some items available for sale. I would recommend calling the day before to reserve a kayak and also double check which areas you will be able to kayak in, as sometimes low tides prohibit you from kayaking in all the areas.
Side note: Although I didn’t take advantage of it this time, there are also nearby places to eat which are conveniently located within a mile or two from HRE.
I look forward to returning!
Update: September 2015 — I decided to head up north again for some more kayaking before the season ends. A one-​hour ride from Grand Central on Metro North and I arrived in Peekskill. Maki, the owner, was kind enough to have Will pick me up at the train station. (I walked back to the station, which is a little over a mile away from the kayaking dock (but I would recommend taking a cab back to the station). I did notice some cute bars/​ice cream shop/​taco place about a block from the Peekskill Train Station too.)
But I digress… Will was super friendly and gave me some great pointers re: kayaking, paddling. Ann, his coworker, was also super friendly. I just love the vibe ‘up north’.
The kayaking was beautiful today — with the leaves starting to change, it’s not too late to give it a shot before it’s too late! I kayaked for an hour on a river and then in an area right in front of the dock where I had to bring the kayak back in. I caved and committed to a $ 99 card which is good for 10 hours of kayaking — it’s a steal!
Looking forward to heading back. I appreciate the professional at both the Cold Spring and Peekskill locations.

Booked a two hour kayak rental for a bunch of tandem kayaks + 1 solo (odd number of people in our group!). They were flexible with us running a bit late and quickly got us fitted with our life vests and after a quick rowing demo, we were on our way!
We were a group of 9 girls and they had originally asked an employee to accompany us through Foundry Cove and show us how to get back in the kayak if it overturns, but he ended up taking us to Little Stony Point as well! He was super helpful — took all our photos — and even tugged our lagger kayak all the way back! ;)
We had a great time on the water and the scenery is breathtaking! Highly recommend.

The staff at Hudson River Expeditions were helpful, friendly, and courteous. My wife and I wanted a fun outdoor experience in NYS and we found it. The staff helped us figure out what type of kayak would be good for our experience level and where we could go on our day trip on the Hudson. We picked a two person kayak that had bungee storage in front of each paddler. The life vests were comfortable and not bulky or restricting like some I have worn in the past while doing other water activities. On each life vest is an orange whistle in case you need help on the river. The paddles are very light weight because the handle is made of carbon fiber. This was my first time kayaking and the workout was great and easy on my arms due to the weight of the paddles. The staff brought the boat to the River for us and demoed how to get in and out, proper way to paddle and too turn. I have been in canoes before were one person paddles on one side while the other paddles on the opposite. For a two person kayak, you paddle on the same side together. This made our trip on the River easy and more enjoyable. There is a small beach you can stop at for a swim and lots of beautiful green mountains to look at while you paddle. I highly recommend the Hudson River Experience for a fun, romantic kayak adventure!

Great service, friendly and experienced guides who know the water, the area and are fun to be with. The location is a skip and a hop away from the train, and the people were very accommodating to beginners, making the whole experience very pleasant by looking out for us all the time. The equipment also was very clean and new so we would not hesitate to come back!

Went with the boys to Cold Spring to go kayaking on a gorgeous Friday. Rented a tandem kayak and a single. Quick and easy to get to, as well as fill out a quick form/​waiver and get suited up for launch. I would say to buy the $ 99 10-​hour punch card if you plan on going back a few times bc its one and done and worth the price.
Quick overview for those who are not familiar with kayaking, nothing too in-​depth tho so if you are a nervous Nora, better do some home research… truthfully theres not much to it except you better have some strength if the tides are strong. You are allowed to even go under the train trestle and into constitution marsh which is awesome (as long as the tides are on the ‘right’ schedule) but if you are freaked out of spiders like I am… DO NOT LOOK UP when going under that damn bridge. Or skip the marsh all together.
Great experience, down to earth staff and wonderful trip on the Hudson River.
ALSO– this group is located in Peekskill as well. The old kayak company at Annsville closed and this one took over so if you want to rent in the Peekskill location, call this same number and they will assist.

Hudson River Expeditions offers outstanding service and expertise. As a faculty member in the TELC program at Laguardia Community College, I often take my international students to Cold Spring for kayaking and hiking.
We go at least 3 to 4 times a year. Each time Hudson River Expeditions provides our students the opportunity to enjoy a magnificent outing on the Hudson.
Kudos to everyone!
Wayne K.

I did the Destination Waterfall tour with five friends and a few others who had signed up for the tour. We paddled through Constitution Marsh, to a waterfall, and then stopped by the Audubon Center before paddling back to the launch. The setting was gorgeous and the two guides were wonderful. They packed us a huge spread of gourmet snacks that we enjoyed by the waterfall. The storefront is also very close to the train station, so you can do a tour from the city without renting a car. There is a bathroom there so you can change clothing before heading back on the train. I’ll definitely be signing up for more of their tours.

Totally Worth It!
I did the Bannerman Castle Hard hat tour.
This was such a fun tour. You come thirty minutes prior to the start time where you sign forms and size up your life vest and then you walk two minutes to the launch point where you size up your kayak. After everyone has finished sizing up, everyone gets in a big circle and reviews the kayaking basics.
They have a lot of helpers. This is a well manned tour. They launch you with three guides to ten kayaks. That’s a lot of accompaniment. Also there are hands to help launch and receive you. For a princess like me? That’s awesome because nothing would make me more tired than doing all that grunt work. The guides are attentive and safety is number one. They will help escort and speed up the slower ones and entertain and watch out for the faster ones.
At Bannerman, the historical tour is fun. They also provide a delicious little packed lunch snack: cheeses, preserved meats, pita, hummus, tomatoes and nuts. So you know, if you have an allergy or need kosher or halal, they will provide.
The weather worked with us. The guide says that light rain does not stop these tours but bad tides, bad currents and cold waters will. If the temperature of the water drops below sixty eight degrees Fahrenheit, then no tour. The cold water makes sense. Imagine falling in and having to be rescued! You will be in hypothermia! BUT the water was seventy six degrees that day and they pulled the tour to stop for a moment for some more experienced kayakers to take a dip and then they helped those guys and gals get back into the kayak. That water feels so good after kayaking in the sun.
Bring Sun Screen.