Evening paddle from Hopatcong State Park

August 03, 2023| Community, Recreation

By: Donna Macalle-Holly

For our second guided paddle of 2023, we are partnering with Hopatcong State Park for an early evening guided paddle to learn about the history, wildlife, and lake restoration efforts at the southern end of Lake Hopatcong. 

The group paddle is scheduled for Thursday, August 31, starting at 4:30 pm. LHF Grants and Program Director Donna Macalle-Holly and author, photographer, and avid paddler Jeremy Travers will lead you on this paddle to the lake’s southernmost tip in Landing and then back up to King Cove toward Bertrand Island in Mount Arlington.

Discover efforts underway to improve the tranquil area of Landing Channel as we paddle past Floating Island, a land mass that was first mapped in 1882 and raises and lowers with the water table, and around the Floating Wetlands Islands, which were installed last year to improve water quality. Prior to launching, we will review some paddling safety tips and educate paddlers on how to identify the invasive species of water chestnut.

We hope you can join us for this group paddle as we explore and learn about New Jersey’s largest lake!

PADDLE DETAILS

• Space is limited. Registration is required.
• Bring your own kayak or canoe of any kind (no Stand-Up Paddleboards (SUPs))
• Life jackets must be worn.
• Restrooms are available.
• The launch site is from a beach area.
• Paddlers should be able to get in and out of their kayaks/canoes without assistance or have another paddler with them to help.
• More logistical details will be shared after registration. 

Cost: $25 donation per person 

Duration: Approximately 2.5 hours

This paddle has reached capacity and registration is now closed. 

YOUR GUIDES 

Donna Macalle-Holly has been boating and living on Lake Hopatcong for over three decades.  As the grants and program director for the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, she is responsible for environmental, educational, and recreational programming at the Foundation.  She is an avid paddler and oversees the Foundation’s Water Scouts program, which educates volunteers on how to identify and remove aquatic invasive species such as Water Chestnut. Donna and her husband Bruce live on Lake Hopatcong across from Liffy Island, which is preserved open space.      

"Flatwater Kayaker" author and award-winning photographer Jeremy Travers began paddling on Lake Hopatcong 35 years ago from his childhood home on Bertrand Island.  Since then, Jeremy has been exploring and documenting through video and photography all his paddling trips around NJ and around the country.  Over the last nine years, he has spent time on the waters within the upper Musconetcong Watershed and surrounding lakes and sharing his outdoor experiences through social and digital media. Jeremy volunteers for the Lake Hopatcong Foundation and the Musconetcong Watershed Association and is a founding board member for the newly formed non-profit PEACENJ (People Enjoying Active Conservation of the Environment in NJ) in Hackettstown.