Clinton The Center Of Kayaking Life In CT

CLINTON, CT — As winter turns to spring, a young man (or woman's) heart turns to kayaking.

In Clinton, anyway.

The town's situation on Long Island Sound may have made it best known as the "Bluefish Capital of The World," but its perfect position a-straddle the Indian River have made it the state's go-to town for kayaking.

Everything about the marriage between the Indian River and the town makes Clinton ideal for the Kayak Life. Access to the river could not be any easier: the public can hit the current right behind Town Hall, at the Clinton Landing and Gazebo.

First-timers can enjoy a half-mile winding journey southward through the lush marshland that spills over into Clinton Harbor. More experienced kayakers may opt to carry on to Cedar Island.

Kayakers hungry for more head across the harbor to the increasingly misnamed Cedar Island, now more of a peninsula, as a public works project continues to fill the strait. There you'll find good swimming, but not much in the way of electricity. Go back the way you came, or take a different river home: A short paddle westward through the harbor and you'll connect with the Hammonasset River, which runs parallel to the Indian.

Local business Indian River Marina and Kayak does a brisk trade during boating season, among both the locals and the tourists. Located within walking distance of downtown Clinton, the Marina sells just about everything even remotely kayak-related.