Guided paddle to Liffy Island and through the Jefferson canals

May 11, 2022| Recreation

By: Donna Macalle-Holly

The Lake Hopatcong Foundation, in cooperation with NJ Paddle, is hosting a narrated paddle on Lake Hopatcong on Saturday, June 11, starting at 10 am.  Bring your own kayak or canoe and join Donna Macalle-Holly and Jeremy Travers as they lead you on a paddle towards Liffy Island and into the calm and serene canals in Jefferson Township. Maybe we’ll spot some bryozoans along the shoreline in the canals!  Most of the paddle will be in a no-wake zone on the lake. Along the way, Jeremy will share his knowledge of wildlife and birds while Donna will discuss lake history and lake ecology.

We hope you can join us for this group paddle as we explore and learn about New Jersey’s largest lake!

Paddle Details 

• Space is limited. Registration is required.
• Bring your own kayak or canoe.
• Life jackets must be worn.
• Restroom facilities are not available at the launch site or during the paddle.
• The launch site is from a grassy area.
• Paddlers should be able to get in and out of their kayaks/canoes without assistance or have another paddler with them to help.
• More details on meeting time and place will be shared with you after you register. 

Cost: $25 donation per person 

Duration: Approximately 2 hours

Paddle registration

Your guides

Donna Macalle-Holly has been boating and living on Lake Hopatcong for over three decades.  As the grants and program director for the Lake Hopatcong Foundation, she is responsible for environmental, educational, and recreational programming at the Foundation.  She is an avid paddler and oversees the Foundation’s Water Scouts program, which educates volunteers on how to identify and remove aquatic invasive species such as Water Chestnut. Donna and her husband Bruce live on Lake Hopatcong across from Liffy Island, which is preserved open space.     

Jeremy Travers began paddling on Lake Hopatcong 35 years ago from his childhood home on Bertrand Island.  Since then, Jeremy has been exploring and documenting through video and photography all his paddling trips around NJ and around the country.  Over the last nine years, he has spent time on the waters within the upper Musconetcong Watershed and surrounding lakes and sharing his outdoor experiences through social and digital media.  Jeremy volunteers for the Lake Hopatcong Foundation and the Musconetcong Watershed Association and is a founding board member for the newly formed non-profit PEACENJ (People Enjoying Active Conservation of the Environment in NJ) in Hackettstown.

Our partner

NJ Paddle was founded by Brian Garcia. Their website, NJPaddle.org, provides detailed maps of over 50 different paddle locations in New Jersey. They also have a large Facebook group of over 4k members, called the NJ Paddlers. They work by connecting the paddle community with local water-based, non-profit organizations.