100 Things to Do
Places to canoe, kayak

Jul 16, 2007

It’s not always easy to find a place to launch a canoe or kayak hereabouts, especially when you’re looking for a quiet lake or pond. Ridgefield has two lakes with free, public, state-owned boat launches. Both the mile-long Lake Mamanasco and the smaller Pierrepont Pond ban the use of gasoline engine-powered boats, so you won’t have to worry about speed demons, wakes or noise, just the occasional swan or turtle. Lake Mamanasco’s launch is at the south end of the lake, which is almost surrounded by homes, including some fine old mansions, but at the northeast end is the town’s Richardson Park, a former estate where you can land on the wooded shore and hike up a hill to a picnic and play area, and view restored gardens. Pierrepont Pond, called Lake Naraneka on some maps, is in Pierrepont State Park, with several parking spaces next to the launch. Redding’s Huntington State Park also offers canoeing and kayaking; Lake Hopewell has about a mile of shoreline to explore.