By Doug Hall ~
Over the last two weeks, I took advantage of the warm September and October weather and did a kayaking trip in the Navesink River near Red Bank.
From the marina, you can travel in one of two directions: either head west down the river towards the parkway or head east towards the ocean. The Navesink is so immense that I had to take two separate trips on two different weekends to explore the full extent of it.
On the first week, I took the ocean route. After going under the train track bridge, you’ll be placed right outside the Oyster Point Hotel.
Further down you’ll see the Riverview Medical Center, along with fascinating pieces of real estate.
I managed to reach the Oceanic Bridge in Rumson before deciding it was time to turn around. The ride out there was easy because I was going with the current but the ride back proved to be twice as difficult. For that reason, I wouldn’t advise going in that section of the Navesink without a motorboat.
On the second weekend, I took the western parkway route from the marina, which turned out to be far more kayak-friendly. It benefits to go this way during high tide however, since the marshlands you enter become mud patches when it’s low.
There were all kinds of birds in this area: seagulls, geese, swans, herons, and even blue jays. Problem is, they kept flying further away whenever I tried to get a good snapshot. They probably didn’t know what to make of a ten-foot orange object floating in their direction.
Eventually, I approached a bridge for the Garden State Parkway. As someone who is on that road almost every day, it was nice being able to see it from this angle. After passing it, you’re unfortunately stuck at a dead-end within a half-mile. There’s a large pipe stretching across the surface of the river.
Overall, I couldn’t recommend this trip (or series of trips) enough. It’s $20 an hour to rent a kayak or a paddleboard at the Red Bank Marina and $120 to rent a small motorboat for the day with no boating license required. Their hours are 9 AM to 4 PM and they stay open till mid-November.