A River with a Split Personality
About an hour and half from San Francisco sits the town of Napa, the gateway to the wine country. But a lesser known treat awaits those with a sense of adventure. The Napa River begins on the north side of the town and gently flows through downtown and winds its way to Vallejo and eventually reaches San Francisco Bay. You can enjoy this mellow river as an urban paddle close to shopping and terrific restaurants. Or, you can paddle south of town and enjoy the peace and quiet of paddling through a vast wetland full of wildlife. Either way, adventure awaits for you as you kayak the Napa River.
An Urban Adventure
The Napa River wanders through downtown but it still offers plenty of nature and wildlife. The unique feature of this paddle is that you can get out and walk to some terrific places to eat and drink. Getting onto the river is easy, if you know where to launch.
Napa Valley Yacht Club
Despite its name, you will not actually launch from the private club. Instead, you will can launch from a public concrete boat ramp that is adjacent to the club. The launch is free and there is on-street parking for about ten cars. Conveniently, you can drive right up to the boat launch to unload or load your boat. This launch is not typically very crowded, making it an ideal launch point. Paddle about one mile to reach downtown.
Location: 100 Riverside Dr., Napa, CA 94559 Park at the end of the street. Do not enter the Yacht Club.
Facilities: None
Click here for more information.
Downtown Public Dock
The public dock can be accessed between some shops and restaurants in downtown. The dock is a great option if you want to rent a kayak or standup paddle board (SUP). A great feature of this dock is that it has two kayak ramps that makes it easy to launching or taking your boat out of the water. Additionally, the dock offers free three-hour parking for boats, which is a great amenity if you begin your paddle from the Yacht Club or Kennedy Park and want to go to a restaurant or just check out downtown.
The downside of this location for launching your own boat is that it requires a bit of a walk from the street and you will have to purchase parking. Also, there is a designated loading and unloading zone but it is shared with many of the stores and restaurants, so it may not always be available.
Location: 710 Main St., Napa, CA 94559. Look for the unloading zone in front of the shop.
Best Parking Option: This is a busy area so on-street, metered parking can be tricky to find. However, the 5th Street Garage is just across the street and offers very reasonable parking rates and, sometimes, it is free.
Facilities: Multiple cafes, restaurants, and stores nearby.
More information about the public dock can be found here.
Jim Hench Memorial Kayak Launch
Located under the First Street Bridge near the Oxbow Commons is the Jim Hench kayak launch. I applaud the city of Napa for installing this launch but it is the least usable launch on this list and it is not one that I would recommend. Furthermore, it is only about one block further up river compared to the Downtown Dock. The Downtown Dock is better and easier to use.
The first problem is that the launch ramp is usually littered with driftwood and floating debris. In fact, the drift wood can be so thick, at times, that the ramp gets completely blocked.
The second issue is that, similar to the downtown dock, it is a bit of a walk to reach the ramp. And thirdly, the parking situation is far worse than the downtown dock because the only option is on-street parking and there is hardly any of it to be found.
Location: Under the First Street bridge near the intersection of 1st St & Soscol Ave.
Best Parking Option: Sparse on street parking available to those lucky enough to grab a spot.
Facilities: Multiple cafes, restaurants, and stores nearby, although not as close as the downtown dock.
Click here to see more info.
Trancas Crossing Park
At the northern end of the river—or at least the navigable section—is Trancas Crossing Park. The City of Napa deserves credit for providing kayak access here, but like the Jim Hench launch, this spot comes with a few challenges you’ll want to plan for.
The first issue is distance: the launch site is about 500 feet (152 meters) from the unloading area. That’s a long haul with a boat, so bringing a wheeled cart is highly recommended. I’ve also dragged my kayak through the grass beside the paved path, which works in a pinch. Once you reach the water, launch from the gravel beach.
The second challenge is tide. Yes, the Napa River is tidal—and Trancas Crossing feels it more than other launch points. At low tide, this stretch of river can nearly empty out. I once launched here with no issue, only to return and find just a few inches of water. I ended up dragging my kayak across the rocks to get back.
That said, Trancas Crossing is a pleasant, more natural setting compared to the downtown launches. It’s a good option if you know what to expect and come prepared. Bring a cart, check the tide chart, and avoid launching when the tide is low or on its way out.
Location: 610 Trancas St, Napa, CA 94558
Parking: The parking area is near the entrance and it only holds six cars. Drive down the access road to reach the unloading area and then return to the parking area. Additional on-street parking can be found on Old Trancas Street.
Facilities: Bathrooms
Kennedy Park
This launch at Kennedy Park is 2.5 miles from downtown Napa, making it the furthest option. But this large park has plenty of parking, drinking water, nice restrooms, picnic tables, and barbecues which makes it an attractive option for those folks that don’t mind paddling a little further to downtown.
Along this route to downtown, you will likely see more wildlife than if you begin at the other locations. This is also the starting point if you want to paddle south and explore the more wild sections of this river.
Location: 2295 Streblow Dr, Napa, CA 94558
Facilities: Bathrooms, drinking water, and plenty of free parking
Click here for more information.
Oxbow Preserve Beach
The Napa River does not have an abundance of places to stop and stretch your legs. Most of the shoreline has steep banks or is private property. The two places that are easily accessible to disembark are the downtown public dock and the small, unmarked beach at Oxbow Preserve.
Location: This beach is located directly across from the Oxbow Public Market. The coordinates are 38.302856603019066, -122.28180269395854
Facilities: None
Visit Restaurants and Shops
One of the benefits of exploring the Napa River is that there is an opportunity to enjoy some of Napa’s famous food and drinks. There are restaurants of every type, from simple burgers to high-end French cuisine. Here are our picks for the best casual lunch places:
- Downtown Joe’s – Pub food, indoor or outdoor seating overlooking the river
- Gott’s – A real throwback diner with amazingly good burgers and shakes
- Oxbow Public Market – It has multiple restaurants and something for everyone
- Napa Yard – Beer garden with outdoor seating, games, and river views
Wild Wetlands
If paddling through a more natural landscape is more to your liking, you can paddle south on the river and enjoy miles of wetlands. The river meanders slowly southward and you will likely see many species of birds along the way.
Begin at Kennedy Park and paddle south as many miles as you like. Be aware that there are no places to stop and stretch until you reach Cutting Wharf, approximately 4 miles downstream. If you go past this point, there aren’t any take-out locations until you reach Vallejo Municipal Marina, approximately 12.5 miles from Kennedy Park.
Our Recommended Route
Experiencing Napa by kayak, SUP, or canoe is a fine way to spend an afternoon and it is a unique way to see this quaint town. Hands down, the easiest launching point is the Napa Valley Yacht Club ramp. It is only one mile south of downtown. Proceed up river to the Lincoln Ave bridge, which is 2.3 miles from the launch. If you want to paddle a longer distance, you can also paddle all of the way up to the Trancas Street bridge, which is 3.5 miles from the Yacht Club.
Take time to stop and get out of the boat at Oxbow Preserve beach, either on the way up river or the way down.
Finally, if you want to experience downtown Napa on foot and want to find a bite to eat, be sure to take out at the downtown dock. You can use the two kayak ramps located on the end of the dock to make getting out very easy. There are storage racks available and you are allowed to park your boat for free for up to three hours.