Experiencing the Gowanus Canal – From a Canoe

The Gowanus Canal is much more than a polluted waterway – it is a natural habitat, an industrial passageway, and, as we found out, a great way to escape the city.

And the best way to see all of this? From a canoe.

Our guides were Owen Foote and Ray Howell of the Gowanus Dredgers Canoe Club, a member organization run by volunteers that leads canoe rides along the waterway. The Dredgers have a permanent trailer on the Canal, at 2nd Street just past Bond, which is filled with canoes and paddles.

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, head to the Gowanus and take a boat out, for free!