PADDLING ITINERARY
Cohocton Street to Bottcher’s LandingThis itinerary takes you from downtown to the edge of Corning, paddling through a favorite fishing spot along the way. You can take out at River Road or paddle on to Bottcher’s Landing. Toward the end, just before Bottcher’s landing, you’ll have to navigate a braid in the river.
The Chemung River Friends organizes guided tours on these section of the river from May to October, so novice paddlers may want to check out their calendar to join in.
WATERWAY: Chemung River
DIFFICULTY: Easy
MILEAGE: 6 miles
HAZARDS: Bridges, rapids, Dam remnants
ACCESS POINTS:
Bottcher's Landing NYS DEC Fishing Access Site
River Road NYS DEC Fishing Access Site
Cohocton Street Launch
- Putting in at Cohocton Street, you will paddle to the right toward the Denison Parkway Bridge which you will see ahead of you in the distance.
- A short distance before the bridge, river left, you will see the gravel bar from the Narrows Creek inlet. Stay to the right side of the river.
- Once you pass that and just before the Bridge, the remnants of the former Gibson Dam (1870) create a standing wave of rapids. In low water, hidden rebar can damage your kayak or canoe, so be alert and be sure you wear your PFD.
- After you pass under the bridge there will be a series of wing dams, stay toward the middle of the river.
- The river will bend away from and back toward the highway.
- There will be a series of gravel bars in the river as you get closer to the River Road Access Site.
- If exiting the river, the take-out will be river right. There is a series of concrete steps leading out of the water up to the parking area.
- If continuing on, the river will be relatively straight until a sharp bend with a large island. The best channel is to the right.
- Once past the island the river makes another turn as it heads into a large braid. The main channel is river right.
- After passing through the braid, the South Corning Street Bridge will be ahead of you. The take-out at Bottcher’s Landing will be river left, just after the bridge.
ACCESS POINT 1:
Bottcher's Landing NYS DEC Fishing Access Site
WATER TRAIL MILE: 37
WATERWAY: Chemung River
Left Side
ADDRESS:
51 Old River Road
Corning, NY 14830
This is a great take-out point for previous launches on the Chemung. There is a wide concrete ramp with easy access for put in and take out. Note: After periods of heavy rain/high water, the ramp may be muddy and slippery.
Road access to launch area is well marked, following a paved road into a parking area with space for 20 vehicles, including trailers. There is a portable restroom at this sight, as well as a pavilion and picnic area. There is an Osprey Nesting Platform near this launch. Sportsman’s Warehouse is located 4.9 miles from this launch site.
While this launch offers easy river access, several strainers down river make this area better suited for experienced paddlers. The Chemung River Friends organizes guided tours from this launch to Grove Street from May to October, so novice paddlers may want to check out their calendar to paddle from this launch. chemungriverfriends.org/wp/events/
ACCESS POINT 2:
River Road NYS DEC Fishing Access Site
WATER TRAIL MILE: 40.2
WATERWAY: Chemung River
Right Side
ADDRESS:
River Road
Corning, NY 14830
Despite a rocky shoreline in low water, this is an easy launch site. When water levels are higher and the water is moving faster, concrete steps leading into the water make the launch more challenging. However, this is a popular spot to launch, so assess river conditions before getting on the water.
Access to the parling are for access site is a long a dirt road that leads to a packed earth parking area with space for 5-6 vehicles.
ACCESS POINT 3:
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.
CAUTION: Just before the Denison Parkway Bridge, the remnants of the former Gibson Dam (1870) create a standing wave. In low water, hidden rebar can damage your kayak or canoe, so be alert and wear your PFD.
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.