Taking in the Philadelphia skyline from a kayak is just as exciting as exploring this wonderful city on foot.
A convenient kayak launch is available at Bartram's Garden Dock & Community Boathouse. It's about a mile to the beginning of downtown (I'll assume this is the University Avenue Bridge). To reach the Fairmount Weir/Dam near the Art Museum, you'll have to travel 3.4 miles.
I saw only a few other places along the route where you could launch a kayak. There were some shallows visible near Fairmount Water Works, but otherwise, the banks were mostly impenetrable concrete walls or equally impenetrable rocks and thickets. The only downside to this trip is the near-impossibility of landing along the route.
My second attempt to reach Fairmount Water Works was successful. A year ago, on my first attempt, I was paddling a slower kayak in strong winds. Halfway there, I was forced to turn back. This time, I was hoping for calm weather. Plus, the kayak was a whole new level.
But even in light wind, when sailing in the corridors of high embankments, this draft is quite noticeable. If it's at your back, you fly as if under sail. But sailing against it requires much more effort. In open, wide areas, this draft disappears.
This trip took place in 2024. The next too photos show the construction stage of the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk extension. Construction was completed in 2025.
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