07/11/2019
Public kick-off celebration to be held Thursday, July 18 at Kershaw Park Small Craft Launch Site
The Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council, Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, along with a host of other partners, have announced the official launching of the Canandaigua Lake Water Trail website, brochure and full Water Trail Plan. The kick-off celebration will be held Thursday, July 18 at 3 p.m. at the Kershaw Park Small Marine Craft Launch, 155 Lakeshore Drive, Canandaigua (right next door to Twisted Rail Brewing Company). The public is invited.
The Water Trail project has organized a comprehensive list of the 20 launching and destination sites and emergency access sites across Canandaigua Lake, creating a cohesive network of public access sites for paddlers to explore and enjoy, thus providing the public a high-quality paddling experience.
“Paddling enthusiasts have long utilized Canandaigua Lake as a paddling destination,” said Canandaigua Mayor Ellen Polimini. “The Canandaigua Lake Water Trail website is the central location for paddlers to plan a trip, including information on restrooms, paddling distances, itineraries, nearby amenities, parking and more.”
“One of the top questions we hear from visitors to Ontario County is how to access our beautiful Finger Lakes,” said Valerie Knoblauch, president and CEO of Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, the official tourism promotion agency for Ontario County. “The Canandaigua Lake Water Trail gives visitors and locals accessible year-round access to enjoy paddling routes for a diverse set of paddlers, ranging from a novice paddler who would like to get out on the water for a couple of hours to very experienced long-distance paddlers.”
“Having all this information in one convenient place, along with maps, suggested itineraries, and paddling guidelines is a fantastic resource to offer our visitors,” said Fred Lightfoote, town of Gorham supervisor.
The Canandaigua Lake Water Trail Action Plan is the trail organization’s guiding document, developed through a partnership of the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council, the National Parks Service, Finger Lakes Visitors Connection, NYS Dept of State (grant funding), the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Association, Finger Lakes Land Trust, multiple municipalities and numerous stakeholders.
For more information on the Canandaigua Lake Water Trail, your paddling guide to Canandaigua Lake, visit CanandaiguaLakeWaterTrail.com for interactive maps, detailed access and destination site information and itineraries. You may order a detailed brochure by calling Finger Lakes Visitors Connection at 585-394-3915.
