19th Annual Paddles Up Niagara: Saturday, July 26, 2025
Paddles Up Niagara is a family friendly and safe way to experience the natural areas and unique habitats of the Niagara River. Whether you are a novice or an experienced paddler, you will enjoy spending the morning with an enthusiastic paddling community. Guides and safety paddlers will be on hand to assist and answer your paddling questions. Continue the celebration by visiting with the many exhibitors and vendors to learn more about our waterways and green spaces. Stick around for some refreshments and free prize drawings!
Where: Beaver Island State Park (Shelter 2B) unless otherwise indicated on receipt.
When: Saturday, July 26, 2025 (Inclement Weather Guidelines - (Rain date July 27)
Day Time Festivities: 7am to 1pm
*Park Admission $7 Beaver Island Park Entrance fee -- effective after 9 AM.
**All youth participants 16 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
***If you need a kayak: Kayak rentals available from Blue Water Marina: Phone: 716-773-7884. 330 East River Rd. Grand Island, NY. website: https://www.bluewatermarinagi.com
Registration closes at 12noon on Thursday July 24, 2025.
In-person registration: call to schedule 716-773-9680 with Recreation Office M-Th 9am to 3pm. Day of the event registration open 7am to 10am.
!! If you need to cancel, please call 716-773-9680 or email Gr. Is. Recreation Dept. before 3pm Friday, July 25. We can cancel your spot and transfer someone from the waiting list.
About ECO TOURS: All Eco-tours are designed to be smaller in size, so everyone can hear the guide interpret plants and animal life as they guide the group through habitats around Beaver Island. The eco-tours #2 and #3 begin at Beaver Island beach and are a bit longer and more strenuous than the Eco-tour Lite. They are meant for more intermediate to advanced paddlers. These tours can take up to 2 hours.
Spaces are limited so please register early and only if you know you can attend. Please be ready to depart from the launch site 10 minutes prior to start time.
Eco-tours 1 to 3 are limited to 15 participants each.
7:00 AM - Eco-tour Lite #1 (Check in and launch from East River Marsh)
Tour Guide: Paul Leuchner - This tour will have all the wildlife viewing but with less paddling. It is meant for beginners or those who are more interested in learning about the habitat. This tour will take up to 1 hour.
7:00 AM - Eco-tour #2 - Check in at Shelter 2B and launch from beach. Tour Guide: Joe Menter. 2 hour
7:30 AM - Eco-tour #3 - Check in at Shelter 2B and launch from beach. Tour Guide: Erin Redding. 2 hour
8:00 AM - Eco-tour Hike - Check in at shelter 2B. Tour Guides: Edward Fuchs
This hike is limited to 16 participants. The Eco-tour Hike will be lead by members of the Niagara Frontier Botanical Society, it will begin at shelter 2B and walk to River Lea and the Allenton Farm. From there it will continue on down the East River Trail, to the Kayak launch and then return to shelter 2B. The expert guides will identify and discuss trees, shrubs and flowering plants along the way. It is an easy walk on level ground.
8:00 AM & 8:30 AM - Kayak Trial Sessions (One timeslot per participant)
Instructors: Liz Nelson & Holly Henderson
These sessions are offered to anyone age 10 and up and are limited to 10 participants at a time. These sessions are offered by NY State Parks staff, who perform regular learn to Kayak sessions throughout the summer. If you have ever wondered what it would feel like to sit in a kayak in the water, now is your chance to experience just that! Our expert trainers will walk you through how to get into a kayak and how to paddle correctly. Kayaks and PDFs will be provided. The sessions will be taking place at the Beaver Island Beach launch site, near shelter 2B.
NEW THIS YEAR!! 8:00 AM & 9:00 AM - Sport Fishing Sessions – (One timeslot per participant)
Ladders to the Outdoors- Check in At the Sledding Hill
This fishing clinic is limited to 20 participants for each session. Experienced fishermen will be on hand to answer questions and show you how to fish, all equipment is provided and NO fishing permit is required.
10:30 AM - Fun Paddle!!
The large Fun Paddle leaves from Beaver Island beach goes past the Marina, around Little Beaver Island, and then back to the launch site. This is session is unique because it is a very large group, possibly the largest in NY State all launching at the same time! We have safety paddlers to help guide the group along the route and the Park Police and GI Fire Department on motor boats to keep motor boats away from the paddlers.
9:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Environmental Exhibitors
Make sure to visit the many organizational partners that will be exhibiting important water safety equipment & information, sharing environmental resources and other interesting facts about our unique and precious natural resource that surrounds WNY, our Great Lakes and the Niagara River! Participating organizations include; Citizen Coalition for Wildlife & Environment, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, WNY Land Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Army Corps of Engineers, Black Rock Riverside Alliance, WNY PRISM, Department of Environmental Conservation, Niagara Region Parks Interpretive, Niagara Frontier Surfrider, Ladders to the Outdoors, Buffalo Museum of Science, Erie County Climate Action, PureSky Energy, CW Native Botanicals and Buffalo Maritime Center.
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM - Live Canoe Paddle Carving by Buffalo Maritime Center -
A longtime member of the BMC & skilled craftsman, Jonathan Thornton, will show off his hand tools that are used to shape wooden canoe paddles, as he does a live carving demonstration. You will have an opportunity to sit on a shavehorse and try out the tools yourself. View a wooden strip canoe and learn how they are made.
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM - Free admission to Grand Island Historical Museum at River Lea!
Paddles Up participants will have the opportunity to step back in time and see what it was like living on Grand Island during the 1800's, when Grover Cleveland's uncle, Lewis Allen, built the mansion, that is now called River Lea. If you have been inside River Lea in the past, you may want to make another visit because it has gone through some changes with new displays. To follow recent developments with the museum and historical society visit: http://www.isledegrande.com/historicalsociety/historicalsociety.php
For more information on this event visit:
https://www.niagararivergreenway.com/paddles-up