Places to Launch a Kayak or SUP in Newport Harbor - Newport Beach, California

Want to know where to launch a kayak, canoe or stand up paddle board in Newport Harbor?

Newport Harbor in Newport Beach, California has many places where it's fairly easy to launch a SUP, canoe or kayak. The parking at many spots is free, though sometimes it's hard to find an available spot so you may need to drop off your canoe or kayak and park aways from where you launch.

My favorite Newport Harbor, Newport Beach paddle is out past Arch Rock towards Cystal Cove which I describe on my NEWPORT HARBOR/CORONA DEL MAR/CRYSTAL COVE page. I describe more launch spots on that page.

Balboa Island has lots of little street ends where you can easily launch your Canoe, Kayak or SUP. Parking is free but sometimes hard to find.

Balboa Peninsula also has lots of little street ends on the bay side where you can easily launch your Canoe, Kayak or SUP. Some parking is free and some has meeters. Sometimes it's hard to find a parking spot.

On the Balboa Peninsula side of the bay there is an excellent spot to launch which is very close to the harbor mouth. Take Balboa Blvd all the way to the end which then turns into Channel Road. Over on your left side you will see a small public pier and a beach. You can launch from the beach or pier for free. Parking is free but sometimes hard to find. You take West Balboa blvd to East Balboa Blvd to Channel Road. If you can't find a place to park, you can launch a little bit farther from the harbor mouth at some small beaches at some other road ends off of Balboa Blvd. You can see these from Balboa Blvd. Jetty View Park at the end of Channel Road isn't very good for launching because it is up on top of the jetty.

Here is a link to my web page with maps for the launch spot by Channel Road - East Balboa Blvd.

H, I, J and K Streets on East Balboa Boulevard offer excellent kayak, canoe, and SUP (Standup Paddle Board) Launch Spots.

While not quite as near to the Newport Harbor mouth in Newport Beach as the Channel Road Launch, they are better for parking. Here is a link to my web page with maps for H, I, J and K Streets on East Balboa Boulevard.

NEW - VIDEO of trip to Arch Rock from Channel Road launch spot in Newport Harbor.

Lido Isle (Lido Island) has quite a few little parks around the island where you can easily launch your Canoe, Kayak or SUP. It is usually easier to find a place to park on Lido Island than on Balboa Island or Balboa Peninsula. Lido Island is a lesser know (secret) spot. Please be respectful of private property and don't trash the place. The walkways to the beach and the beach are public. The walkways cross private property but there is a public easement.

Here are my Kayak maps of NEWPORT

Upper Newport Bay which is connected to Newport Harbor (Lower Newport Bay) also has good launch spots and nice paddling. I have a separate page for Upper Newport Bay. In Upper Newport Bay, The best place to launch is North Star Beach by the Newport Aquatic Center which has free parking and free launching from the beach. You can also use the dock at the Newport Aquatic Center for a small fee and rent canoes and kayaks. Other spots to launch nearby are the Newport Dunes (fee for parking and rental kayaks available) and off of back bay drive (free parking but only good to launch at a fairly high tide). I describe the launch and paddle sites and have a map on my Upper Newport Bay page.

Newport Shores - A protected wetland area along the Santa Ana River - Newport Shores is also known as the Banning Ranch.

Newport Beach Launch Spots on the open ocean: On many days you can launch by the Newport Pier. In the summer, the north side of the pier "Blackies" often has very small surf so the launch is often easy. ( The surf area north of the Newport Pier is often called "Blackies")

In the winter, the south side of the pier is sometimes protected. The size of surf and swell direction will determine where you should launch.

Corona Del Mar Beach and Little Corona are also sometimes used to launch a SUP or Kayak. They both tend to have fairly small surf (except when a big south swell is occurring). At Corona Del Mar Beach, you can park in the pay parking lot and carry your SUP or kayak across the sand - I have done this a few times. At little Corona, it's a long way to carry your SUP or Kayak - I don't know why anyone would do this when the harbor is so close by and so much easier. In the summer, there are often many swimmers and the lifeguards may not even let you launch at either of these spots.

See our ORANGE COUNTY PLACES TO PADDLE AND LAUNCH A KAYAK AND STAND UP PADDLE BOARD (SUP) for pictures and guides of more places to paddle in Orange County California.

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This page covers in paddling Newport Beach - Kayak Launch Points in Newport Beach - Kayak Launch Points in Newport Harbor - SUP Launch Points in Newport Beach - SUP Launch Points in Newport Harbor

Paddling Pictures of NEWPORT HARBOR/CORONA DEL MAR/CRYSTAL COVE - See more Newport Beach Paddling Pictures at this link

Go to Guide Index - Guide Index for Kayak and SUP along the California Coast

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