COME PADDLE WITH US!
Free Kayak Launch
A handicap accessible kayak launch is now open at the park for non-motorized vessels! Bring your kayak or canoe and explore our 11 acres of restored wetlands, opening into Paradise Creek, or join us for a guided tour! The launch is only a short walk down a shady path from our parking lot.
Once you are on the water, you are emerged in our restored salt marsh where you will find yourself surrounded by native grasses. You are likely to hear the sounds of red wing black birds and see herons, egrets and osprey. If the tide is low, you will see fiddler and blue crabs. If the tide is high, you may see a muskrat or even an otter!
If you decide to continue your trip under the pedestrian bridge, you will be in the beautiful waters of Paradise Creek. This piece of Portsmouth was once so polluted, it sustained little life. But thanks to the efforts of the Elizabeth River Project, their partners in the community, industry, and the military, it has transformed into a thriving ecosystem.
Just past the Enviva domes on the right is an oyster reef constructed by the Elizabeth River Project and their partners. Those who choose to can paddle to the Elizabeth River Park to the left, or you can turn right to where the southern branch of the Elizabeth merges with the East Coast Intercostal Waterway which ends In the Florida Keys!
Click HERE to check out our upcoming kayaking programs!
Special Thanks To:
Carroll and Gloria Creecy, Marjorie and Bob Jackson, In memory of Frank W. and Esther C. Myers by Dr. Linda Rice, Steve and Judy Perry, Lynn Cobb and Warren Richard, The Family of Wanda Russo, and The Rotary Club of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and District 7600