Recreational Activities

Whether you use your own boat, or ours, we invite you to come to the river!

Riverfront Recapture’s Boat Docking Policy
Collinsville Canoe and Kayak at the Riverfront

Boaters may launch boats in three of our four parks, and may drop off or pick up passengers at all four.

Charter Oak Landing

This park is located in the southernmost section of the park system on the Hartford side, just north of the Regional Market on Reserve Road. Six-tenths of a mile long, it offers great City of Hartford skyline and river views with a lower section that features a tall ship dock and a paved boat launch for boats up to 24 feet. Portable restrooms are available. To get there, take Exit 27 off I-91 and follow signs to the boat launch.

Great River Park

This park and boat launch is located on the East Hartford bank of the river, off Great River Drive, just south of Pitkin Street. The park offers a continuous paved and lighted walkway of over 1.5 miles from the Charter Oak Bridge to the Bulkeley Bridge and is directly connected to the downtown Hartford Plaza by the Founders Bridge promenade. The boat launch is paved with some docking for boats up to 20 feet long. Portable restrooms are available.

Riverside Park

Located minutes from downtown, the northernmost section of the park system on the Hartford side of the river is a multi-faceted recreational park and the largest with 61 acres of natural beauty. A newly renovated boat launch that is handicapped-accessible will become available May 2007 for boats up to 24 feet. The park offers two new paved parking lots and portable restrooms are available. To get there, take Exit 33 off I-91 and follow the signs to Riverside Park.

Mortensen Riverfront Plaza

These docks are home to two commercial excursion boats, the Lady Katharine and the Hartford Belle. Recreational boaters dropping off and picking up passengers can tie up only in the areas designated for recreational use and shall not dock in the commercial boat docking areas. In addition, Riverfront Recapture reserves the right to close access to the docks during certain public events that require use of the facility.

Boating Facility	End of ramp water depth @ mean low water	Boat ramp docks	Boat Passenger Drop Off/Pick UP	Overnight docking	Dockside power
Riverside Park in Hartford	7’	Yes	Yes	No	No
Charter Oak Landing in Hartford	3.5’	No	Yes	No	No
Great River Park in East Hartford	2’	Yes	Yes	No	No
Mortensen Riverfront Plaza in Hartford	N/A	Yes	Yes	No	No

Boating Facility	Daily / Seasonal launch fees	Hazards	Handicap accessible	Boat trailer parking spaces
Riverside Park in Hartford	$5/10 / $50/100 *	Sand bar **	Yes	52
Charter Oak Landing in Hartford	$5/10 / $50/100 *	Channel current	No	17
Great River Park in East Hartford	$15/40 ***	Low water	Yes	19
Mortensen Riverfront Plaza in Hartford	N/A	Excursion Boat docking	Yes	N/A

Notes:
* Boat launch fees are collected by Riverfront Park Rangers from Memorial Day Weekend to Labor Day.
* East Hartford residents must get their pass from the Park and Rec Office.
* Resident/Non-Resident
The Connecticut River navigation channel is not maintained or marked by the United States Coast Guard upstream of the Bulkeley Bridge - boaters are cautioned to travel at steerage speed only in this area. * East Hartford seasonal pass can be purchased for $40.00 at the East Hartford Park and Rec Office.

Riverfront Recapture’s Boat Docking Policy

Riverfront Recapture offers opportunities for recreational boaters to pick up and drop off passengers at all four parks. To prevent congestion with our public docks, there is no long term boat docking or overnight docking allowed. If you have any questions about docking your boat in any of our four parks, call Craig Mergins at 860-713-3131 x 325.

Collinsville Canoe and Kayak at the Riverfront

In partnership with Riverfront Recapture we are pleased to be offering Intro to Kayak and Kayak Touring Techniques classes as well as Guided Evening Paddles on the Connecticut River. Classes and tours are based out of Riverside Park, home to the Greater Jaycees Community Boathouse, just north of downtown Hartford. Click here to access our website for more information. A list of our course offerings, pricing and dates can be found by clicking here.