- Most Popular
- All ages
- 2.5 hours
One of the best things to do along the Hudson River is visit Pollepel Island and Bannerman Castle, a tiny jewel in the setting of the Hudson Highlands.
Quick Details
Kayak to Bannerman Castle for a tour
Get yourself to Bannerman Island with your own kayak or canoe (YOU MUST PROVIDE YOUR OWN KAYAK OR CANOE FOR THIS TRIP – WE DO NOT RENT OR PROVIDE A KAYAK OR CANOE FOR THIS TRIP) and enjoy a walking self-guided tour around the Bannerman Island historic trails.
A Bannerman Castle Trust Historian will be on hand to answer questions about Bannerman Island and will give two different 20-minute tours about the history of Bannerman Island for those who want to learn about Bannerman Island. These are exclusive tours and they are limited tickets available.
We will have bottled drinks for sale on the island as well as Bannerman books and t-shirts. Items for sale on the island require credit card purchase, no cash will be accepted.
Note, tickets are per-person, so even if you arrive in a canoe or a tandem kayak, each person must buy a ticket. Once you arrive, you will have 1.5 hours on the island. You can depart at any time up to that point.
Your chosen time slot is your ARRIVAL TIME AT THE BANNERMAN ISLAND DOCK. You are responsible for planning your paddle time to ensure an on-time arrival.
All boaters are personally responsible for the safety of themselves and their occupants, in addition to the safe operation of their craft.
What to bring:
Please dress appropriately!
Time on Bannerman Island:
- We ask that you arrive on time. You cannot come at a later time.
- We cannot accommodate dogs on the island for safety reasons.
- Bad river and weather conditions: If there is bad weather and the river is too dangerous to go out on we will allow you to reschedule one time.
Please note: In order to put on a show at Bannerman Island, we need to have 2 boat loads of 44 people. If you are on the first boat for the show at 6 pm, when you get to Bannerman Island, you will receive a guided tour of the island before the show. When the show is over, you will return to Beacon after the show is finished.
If you are on the second boat departing to Bannerman Island at 7 pm, you will be escorted to your seats for the show. After the show is over, you will be given a lecture of Bannerman Island, while you wait for the boat to return to pick you up. It takes about 50 minutes. We thank you for your cooperation.
GETTING TO BANNERMAN ISLAND ON YOUR SMALL VESSEL
It is up to you as a private boater to come to Bannerman Island’s Main dock from a departure location that you choose.
- Donohue Park in Cornwall on Hudson is a half-hour paddle across the river to Bannerman Island. You need a parking pass from The Village of Cornwall to park. There is a sign at the park with info to get a day pass online.
- Kowawese Unique Area at Plum Point is a half-hour paddle to Bannerman Island. The island is a little south of the park. You can park in the park.
- Cold Spring is about an hour and a half each way and could take more time depending on the paddler.
- Scenic Hudson’s Long Dock Park has a kayak launch. It takes an hour to an hour and a half each way to get to Bannerman Island.
Since you bring your own kayak or canoe, you are responsible for choosing where you will depart. The Bannerman Castle Tour Guides will not meet you at your departure point.
Arrival time to get to Bannerman Island is the time on your ticket confirmation. Please give yourself the time needed to arrive on time as we have a dockmaster waiting for you to arrive on the main dock on Bannerman Island. The Main Dock is located on the side of the island.
Example: If you are departing from Cold Spring it takes about an hour and a half to get to the island. You need to depart from Cold Spring at 9:30 a.m. to arrive at the island at 11 a.m.
Time on Bannerman Island: You will have one and a half hours to explore Bannerman Island and take your self-guided tour.
We ask that you arrive on time. You cannot come at a later time. If you have a problem, please call us at 845-831-6346 to let us know.
We cannot accommodate dogs on the island for safety reasons.
COVID-19: Vaccination Cards and masks are currently not required at this time but could change depending on the severity at the time. Bannerman Island follows New York State COVID-19 regulations.
Gift Shop and Concession Stand is located at the Bannerman residence. There is a 20 to 30-minute lecture for anyone who wants to learn more about Bannerman Island.