A swamp without the possibility of alligators and water moccasins is a real treat for an ex-pat swamp-rat Louisiana native like myself. If mosquitos are the biggest threat to your adventure, you can relax. Albert Einstein advised us to “look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” A trip through The Great Swamp by kayak is just the ticket. You can see things from the point of view of a dragonfly. You don’t have to travel far to immerse yourself completely.
I have done this trip a handful of times, each in a different season. Late spring is the best when the water level is at its highest. But a recent summer jaunt through the Swamp, flush from all the recent rain, was like a trip to Bayou Country….without the scary creatures.
The Great Swamp is a watershed extending from Dover Furnace in Dutchess County to Brewster in Putnam County, formed 25,000 years ago when the last glaciers retreated. It encompasses 62,643 acres (97 square miles), with actual wetland of about 4,000 to 6,000 acres. It runs parallel to Highway 22, no coincidence as I imagine this highway was built on a thousand year old footpath well worn by hunter-gatherers and deer.
Watersheds are crucial as they provide water filtration, control flooding and recharge the aquifer beneath, which in turn provides drinking water for the area. Rainfall from a watershed area flows into its wetlands. This water cycle is all well and good, but The Great Swamp also offers habitats for wildlife, including paddlers and hikers. Birds and bugs abound, especially butterflies, dragonflies and damselflies. Beaver dams are a natural obstacle, as are felled trees, so the navigable path is constantly changing. The Swamp is not deep, but it’s best to stay in your boat as the underlying bedrock is soft and squishy. You may freak out if your shoes get sucked off your feet by the muck.
Although much of the access is on private land, there are 14 miles of navigable water, flowing north and south from the watershed’s highest point in Pawling, referred to as the North Flow and the South Flow. I’ve popped on and off where I had no business doing so, and have walked miles from the take-out back to the put-in to get my truck (mistakes have been made). But here are several accessible (and legal!) launches:
Patterson Environmental Park, Patterson
This is your best bet. Turn left (west) off 22 onto 311 and through town. Turn left after train track onto Front Street, through train station lot and towards Patterson Recreation Center. You will see a dirt road on the left after crossing back over train tracks to the Environmental Park. It dead ends in a half mile at The Swamp. Paddle downstream (south…to your right), but remember to leave some steam to come back upstream.
Green Chimneys Beach/Gage Road, Brewster
From Route 22 (heading north) turn right (east) on Doansburg Road. Park in lot right across from Green Chimneys campus, only available to the public after 5 on weekdays and on weekends as they are a school. For another spot, turn off Doansburg onto Gage Road before Green Chimneys campus and follow to first right which dead ends about a mile down in a cul-de-sac with a picnic table. Paddle upstream (north) from both launch sites.
Wheeler Road, Wingdale
From the Wingdale train station, turn left on Wheeler Road and look for a sign on the right just past the railroad tracks. You can park/ launch here, but only in high water as there are some obstructions beneath the surface. Paddle upstream (to your left) toward Pawling. You can’t very far downstream (to your left) before it’s blocked.
Be sure to check out the Friends of the Great Swamp website, https://frogs-ny.org, for history, conditions and water levels. There’s an awesome short video narrated by James Earl Jones. Ski Haus in Brewster rents kayaks but need a week’s notice (845.279.3100) as they bring in boats from their other location.
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