PADDLING ITINERARY
Kinsella Park to Cohocton StreetThrough the City of Corning
This itinerary takes you through the confluence of the Cohocton, Tioga and Chemung Rivers and the City of Corning. A brief area of rapids with a deep V and the swift currents at the confluence of the three rivers makes this paddle better suited to more experienced paddlers.
WATERWAY: Chemung River
DIFFICULTY: Experienced
MILEAGE: 4.25 miles
HAZARDS: Bridges, rapids
ACCESS POINTS:
Kinsella Park Boat Launch
Cohocton Street Launch
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After launching on the Cohocton River at Kinsella Park, there will be a stretch of water where the current is gentle and the river has a little bit of depth.
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About .5 mile from the launch, there is a narrow channel with a strong current. Stay to the middle and paddle straight through the V.
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Once through that channel, paddle toward the right side of the river. The river in this area can be shallow in times of low water, and you may need to carry your boat across the rocky river bed.
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Next, you’ll pass under several roadways and then a railroad bridge, before approaching the confluence of the rivers, approximately 1.5 miles from the launch. The current here will be swift, and in times of low water, you may have to carry your boat again.
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Past the confluence, it is a fairly easy paddle under a series of two bridges before reaching the city of Corning. The Corning Incorporated World Headquarters complex will be on the right side of the river.
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The Centerway Pedestrian Bridge, with its low arches that straddle the river, will be just ahead of you. Connecting Corning’s north and south sides, its maze and landscaping are not visible from the water, but are worth visiting if you are staying in town. A narrow island lies just beyond the bridge. The main channel is river left.
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A larger island starts under the Brisco Bridge just beyond Centerway Bridge. The main channel is still river left. Once you are pass that area, stay toward the center of the river.
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There will be large factory on the bend in the river. The Cohocton Street launch will be river right a short distance beyond the factory.
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If you decide to paddle on, you can follow Itinerary 10 from here.
ACCESS POINT 1:
Kinsella Park Boat Launch
WATER TRAIL MILE: 1.5
WATERWAY: Cohocton River
Right Side
ADDRESS:
Canada Road
Painted Post, NY 14870
The access point is located on the Cohocton River about 1.5 miles from the confluence of the Cohocton and Tioga Rivers, where they become the Chemung River. The launch area is located down a road that is a short distance from the parking area, so drop off your boat before parking.
There is parking for 20 cars and several ball fields at the park. There are portable toilet on site during the spring and summer. When games are played, parking may be limited, but concession stands may be open.
The launch is about 1.25 miles from Painted Post where there is ample shopping, restaurants, and lodging.
ACCESS POINT 2:
Cohocton Street Launch
WATER TRAIL MILE: 43.06
WATERWAY: Chemung River
Right Side
ADDRESS:
Cohocton Street
Corning, NY 14830
This launch site is walking distance to downtown Corning’s “Gaffer District” with its shopping, restaurants, and lodging. It is also close to Denison Park, which has a pool, lockers and showers, disc golf, tennis and basketball.
Located at the end of Cohocton Street, you will stay right at the fork, and drive up over the levee to access the dirt parking and the riverbank launch area. There is space for about 10 vehicles.
The launch is packed dirt and can be very muddy after periods of rain/high water. Always assess conditions before planning to launch.
POINTS OF INTEREST:
Corning Museum of Glass
Established in 1951 by Corning Glass Works (now Corning Incorporated) as a gift to the nation for the company’s 100th anniversary, the Corning Museum of Glass is a not-for-profit museum dedicated to exploring glass. The Museum's campus is home to the world’s most comprehensive collection of glass, with over 50,000 objects representing more than 3,500 years of history. It is also the world’s foremost library on glass and one of the top glassworking schools in the world. For those who want to learn how, the Museum offers narrated glassworking demonstrations and Make Your Own Glass sessions for beginners. Its internationally-renowned glassworking school, The Studio, also offers more intensive courses in all levels of glassworking.
Corning Incorporated World Headquarters
For nearly 175 years, Corning has applied their unrivaled expertise in specialty glass, ceramics, and optical physics to develop ground breaking products. Established by the Houghton family in 1851, they saw research and development as a way to stand out among a crowded field of glassmakers. In 1879, Corning developed the glass encasement for Thomas Edison’s lightbulb. In the early 1900s, Corning’s non expansion glass was used in railroad signal lanterns. In 1947 revolutionized TV with mass-produced Cathode Ray tubes and television glass. In 1970 developed fiber optic cables capable of transmitting laser light signals over significant distances. And today to current LCD screens and optical lenses used to etch silicon chips, fiber optics and gorilla glass for today’s electronics.
The Gaffer District
Experience Corning’s Gaffer’s District’s unique shops, award-winning restaurants, world-renowned museums, or our vibrant art scene. Its roots trace back to 1974 when the Market Street Restoration Agency was formed to restore the historic downtown after the flood of 1972. By the 1980s, other local agencies joined together to continue to revitalize the downtown and create what the Gaffer District is today. Now over 30 years later, downtown Corning is home to over 250 businesses, multiple galleries and museums, and a full schedule of annual events and live music held throughout the year, there is never a dull moment in this vibrant, historic, and charming downtown.