Nissequogue River Canoe & Kayak Rentals

the river is the star and the staff gets the oscar for best supporting cast. so welcoming and friendly and helpful. it was really a pleasure from the minute we arrived til the end of our day. thanks for all the help and such a wonderful day. cant wait to come back.

I don’t know about the Kayak Rentals, this review is about that sewer they call a «river». I brought my own kayak and decided to be outdoorsy and kayak on a tidal river in Long Island. I realize this isn’t some natural wonderland like Hawaii but I thought it wouldn’t be the hellish nightmare that I experienced two days ago. Firstly, there was the putrid small of death all along the swamp I was paddling through. I realized the water wan’t very liquid, only some slimy and the small brown logs were not logs. No, they were not logs. I was also bit by every insect on earth. The sky was black with swarms of every blood sucking creature imaginable. I felt like I was in a feed the hungry in Africa commercial where the fly lands on the kids eyeball. Now, I’m recovering. I have so many bites on my body, blind people can read me like Braille. They’ll probably read, «don’t go to this river Styx». I’m sure the rental place is fine though.

Very nice, hard working staff. Great activity for young families. This was our third year going down the river. We prefer starting the day by the bull and canoeing north toward the sound. Bring a cooler full of water and beer. Bag full of snacks and sandwiches. This year we tried fishing with no luck. Kids love it. Great to do with family and friends. Not a huge commitment, only about 2.5−3 hours.
Great job Nissequogue River Canoe Rentals!

The company itself is a really great group of people. The kayaks are in good shape, and you’re given pretty much the freedom to go at whatever pace you prefer. The beginning of the river, where they drop you off, is beautiful – a wide, open expanse of water. Toward the end of the course, the river narrows to a teeny area and we weren’t certain if we were going the right way. (Which is dumb of me… it only goes one way, after all.) The stagnant parts of the river were a little polluted, but that’s not these guy’s fault, of course. It was, all in all, a lot of fun! I recommend it for everyone, especially city dwellers like myself who need some outdoor activities every once in a while.

I went kayaking with a friend yesterday and we rented from this business. We both had been kayaking before but we are by no way experts.
The whole experience — from making the reservation, to getting instructions when we got there to actually kayaking the river was AWESOME. We plan to bring a group of friends and return — often! I also plan to go solo even a few times.
The staff were so pleasant — and their dog was too cute! :)
I highly recommend them.

One of the most underrated places in Smithtown and activities on the Island!
Call ahead to find out the tide which affects the launch location and latest time you can start paddling. Growing up you would start near the bull and end right near the Kings Park bluff but as of last year or so the town has cut off paddlers from going to the bluff so you end .25 to .40 miles earlier, still not a bad trip. This past summer my friends and i paid $ 60 for a canoe (3 people) and $ 60 for a 2 person kayak. We left around 12 and got done around 3:30 pm. It was easy to get in and start canoeing/​kayaking surprisingly for my friends who had no prior experience. It takes a while to get used to it but once you go with the tide its a piece of cakeeeee.
I’d highly recommend bringing some type of food or snack since its easily a 2 – 3 hour trip with points to get off at along the river. The only way you will tip over is if you screw around and purposely try to run into something. I wish they had this in Northport and at Caumsett State park.

The staff was clearly working hard, especially the guys managing/​distributing the boats. I had a great time, too. My main issues are: nowhere on the website does it tell you the price, nor does it tell you that it’s cash only, to be paid to random people in a parking lot. No one mentioned it in emails to make reservations and confirm, and I assumed they functioned like a normal business/​other places I have gone kayaking; not so. Also, the shuttles they use to run people up to the park are being filled with more people than they can legally seat, which I found disconcerting, and they did not seem well-​equipped to handle or manage the long line 1) waiting for the shuttles and 2) waiting for boats. They weren’t prepared with the boats that people had reserved ahead of time, screwing up people’s plans (e.g., they had canoes but not double kayaks for a group with kids). The website is useful in showing you what the park is like, where to go, map of the river, tide charts, etc., but not other information such as how long to allow for kayaking the 5.5 miles (not everyone is experienced with river kayaking/​kayaking in general) and the $ 50 «cash only». By no means would I suggest that someone not go kayaking with them (though the illegal seating on the shuttle gives me pause), but these are all things I wish I had known in advance.

Definitely a great time.
My only «major» complaint is they were a little disorganized when we showed up and seemed to cater more to large groups vs. small families or couples out for the day.
As a result we needed to stand around for about an hour. This is hard with a little one and their lack of patience.
I wish they also had larger busses (even old school busses) available which would make transport back and forth a lot quicker/​smoother.
This is about my 3^rd trip, first with my son and I would do it again.
There’s only one portapotty too and there was a big line so also keep this in mind ;)

This is definitely a hidden gem. 60 bucks for a two person kayak for a few hours on the river. The staff is super and takes excellent care of you. The trip is easy enough for novice kayakers.

I rented a double kayak with a friend and had a great time. We spent the whole day on the water, a good deal for the money. The pick up point was easily located and the whole process of getting transported to the drop off point and then returning the kayaks and finishing was nice and quick.
This is an easy activity for people with low thresholds to roughing it and toting stuff around!
The 5 and a ½ mile ride was challenging but not too much so.
It can be done at a very leisurely pace for people not into heavy activity.
There are lots of inlets to explore for the more active.
I highly recommend this as a day getaway. You will feel like you are miles away from NY, and its completely rural on the river!

AWESOME DAY IN THE SUN! If you are thinking about i definitely reccommend that you check it out. Bring a cooler and stop on a beach along the way for lunch.

Best summer activity. Its a Beautiful scenic ride down the river so much fun with a group of friends. Staff is great also! Definitely a summer most do on long island!

Not too long ago, my younger brother, my boyfriend and another friend of ours went kayaking. For my boyfriend and I, it was our first time, and boy– was kayaking more difficult than I had anticipated! It was a lot of fun though, and totally worth it. Some things to note if you are a first-​timer:
–BRING FOOD!
–Wear Sunscreen & bring/​wear a hat
–Have a waterproof bag to store valuables (ie. digital camera, etc.)
–Bring cash
When we went, it cost $ 50/​person which included the kayak rental. We had our own life vests, so I’m not sure if this price would have included the vests as well. Also, if you are going, plan to spend around 2 hours or so on the river. I’ve heard that they sometimes allow you go go out and back, but when we went, it was a little over 5 miles of kayaking on the water to get from start to finish.
There are a few places along the river where you can pull in and rest your arms for a bit– though you are not able to get out and walk around (or at least, we weren’t able to).
Overall, it was really safe, very picturesque and a great workout. Also, if you don’t want to kayak alone, 2-​seater kayaks are also available :) The staff was really sweet and very professional. Once we arrived at the other end, they helped us out of our kayaks. We then boarded the van, and we were driven back to the starting point where our cars were.