Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse

parkrun 🤝 kayaking We thought our parkrun community might be interested to hear about our park neighbours, the @bbpboathouse . They are an all-volunteer organization that has been bringing free, human-powered boating to the Brooklyn waterfront since 2010. They run public kayaking, family programs, and kayak polo out of Pier 2 and Pier 4, welcoming thousands of New Yorkers and visitors to the water every season. They’ll be doing new volunteer orientations all throughout May and you can find them on their website. There’s even one after our parkrun this Saturday at 10am!

Could this be your best summer ever? Increase the odds by becoming a volunteer with Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse! No kayaking experience needed. Our season starts the Wednesday after Memorial Day, and we have orientation sessions starting this week. See link in bio to sign up!

If we had run more night trips last season, there’s a non-zero chance we would’ve stumbled across @daredevil dramatically washing up at Pier 4 mid-filming for episode 1. Missed opportunity. We’ll do better this year. If you haven’t watched yet, catch up while we wait for kayaking to start post Memorial Day! Our volunteers run the entire program, and in return get free trainings, trips around NYC, and a very solid excuse to say “I kayak here now” when making new friends. /volunteer

As the sun sets on another year, we want to say thank you. Running our free public program is a labor of love, but the East River is tough on our gear. To keep our mission afloat in 2026, we need your help to replace worn-out life vests, paddles, and kayaks that have reached the end of their journey. Please consider a year-end gift to help us refresh our fleet! Every gift makes a difference, and all donations made by midnight on December 31 are tax-deductible for 2025. 🔗 Link in bio to donate.

Today is Giving Tuesday, and we want to extend our deepest thanks for your past support of Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse. Whether you’ve joined us on the water, dedicated your time as a volunteer, or simply share our passion for connecting people with the incredible views and waters of New York Harbor, you’re part of our community and have been an important part of our success. This past season, with the help of more than 250 volunteers, we welcomed over 7,600 paddlers (including about 1,900 children) to our free public kayaking sessions. Although we get visitors from around the world, most of our paddlers live right here in New York City, and we love having the opportunity to give so many people their first-ever experience in a kayak. To keep our program strong, we need new life vests, paddles, kayaks, and other essential gear. By making a donation today, you can help ensure that the joy of paddling remains accessible and absolutely free for all members of our community. We look forward to seeing you on the water next summer! #brooklynbridgeparkboathouse PS We also have merch! All proceeds go back into our boathouse. Designed by our volunteer Alicia. Pick one up for gifts this holiday season and know that you’re supporting a good cause! We look forward to seeing you on the water next summer!

Volunteering with Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse isn’t just about helping others get on the water—it’s about you getting out there too. 🚣‍♀️ Our volunteers get access to exclusive paddling trips throughout the NYC Harbor—from skyline sunsets to hidden coves you’d never know existed. Plus, you’ll sharpen your skills with free Monday night trainings at Pier 4, led by experienced paddlers who love sharing their know-how. Whether you’re new to kayaking or already hooked, joining BBPB is your ticket to adventure, community, and making a real impact on public access to the water. 📹 [Video: A glimpse of one of our recent volunteer trips] Come paddle with us—sign up to volunteer and see where the current takes you! 🌊

Powered by paddles…and cookies 🍪💙 Our amazing Brooklyn Bridge Park Boathouse (BBPB) volunteers keep this whole program afloat—from getting boats ready to helping hundreds of paddlers enjoy the water. This summer, they’ve gotten a little extra love in the form of @otscookies new single-serve packs. A sweet pick-me-up for a crew that never stops giving their time and energy to make free kayaking possible for our community. Thank you to every volunteer who shows up rain or shine—and to @otscookies for making their day just a bit sweeter! 🚣‍♀️✨ #BBPB #VolunteerAppreciation #CookiesAndKayaks #BrooklynBridgeParkBoathouse #WaterfrontHeroes

⚠️ Program Canceled Today ⚠️ Unfortunately, today’s free public kayaking session is canceled due to unsafe weather conditions. The forecast calls for thunderstorms and unstable winds this afternoon, with storms likely to roll in between 4–6 PM. Lightning, gusty winds, and choppy waters make it unsafe to have paddlers on the water during our scheduled hours. We hate to miss a day on the river, but safety always comes first. 💛 Volunteers – We Need You This Weekend! While we can’t paddle today, we’re counting on our amazing volunteers to help out this Saturday and Sunday to keep our free programs running. Come lend a hand and help us get ready for more safe paddling days ahead!

Monday night means skills night! 💪🌊 Our volunteers get hands-on instruction and a chance to level up on the water each week. Tonight, Alicia and Noah led a deck boat session (no skirts!) focused on core skills—forward and backward strokes, stopping, sweeps and reverse sweeps, draw turns (catch and release style), and a few figure 8 drills to tie it all together. Whether you’re brand new or brushing up, there’s always something to learn. Come volunteer with us and get in on the action!

Sunday Smile day! Today I taught 7 year olds how to kayak and spent half the afternoon equating paddles to spoons and the river to ice-cream. 😂 Sunday @bbpboathouse family program is my favorite!

Just 2 more days till our season opens on Pier 4 Beach! We love giving people the amazing experience of kayaking in full view of the Manhattan skyline. You can help make this possible (and have fun while you're at it) by joining us as a volunteer—no experience necessary! We're holding orientations this week on Tuesday evening and Saturday morning, so visit the link in our bio to learn more.

Spring is here, which means free public Kayaking will be back @bbpboathouse . But we need your help! We are a 100% volunteer run organization. We are holding new volunteer orientations starting this Saturday, May 10th, through the end of the month in front of our Boatkeep near Pier 4 at Brooklyn Bridge Park. If you are available, please sign up using the link below and in our stories. /events/d8e7ef64d/brooklyn-bridge-park-boathouse-kayak-volunteer-orientation If you aren’t available on any of these days, no worries, no experience is required. Just be willing to work, have fun and meet people. You can get on our mailing list at this address by visiting the link in our profile: /volunteer Thanks and hope to see you down at the park this spring and summer.