Kayaking Sterling Creek - The Moat 2024

I took two kayak trips while camping at Fair Haven Beach State Park last week. This was the first kayak trip, and pretty-much identical to a kayak trip I took while camping in 2023. I launched my kayak from the cabin area within Fair Haven, and followed a creek that run north and parallel to Sterling Creek. I have seen this marshy area referred to as “The Moat” on a map…not sure if that is the official name, but I’m going with it.

The trip starts off with some thick vegetation that is a bit of pain to push through. This lasts for 50 to 75 yards, before things open up. It was passable, but definitely required some work to get through. I walked the area the night before, so I knew it ended….but, it was still work which made me second-guess my decision to not portage around it. It would be quite possible take your kayak out at the start of this section, and drag or carry it the 75 yards, and re-launch to go around it. I promised myself I would do that next time….

Once you get passed the thick vegetation at the start, it is a very easy and peaceful paddle – which is why I do this trip each year. There are still a few logs and vegetation areas, but nothing you can’t simply paddle around.

I encountered this great blue heron, and flock of wood ducks several times along my trip. Each time, I tried to calmly approach for some pictures, and each time, the heron got spooked, flew off, and the wood ducks followed.

Fun fact: Wood Ducks owe their common name to the fact that they are one of the few waterfowl species that perch and nest in trees. Sharp nails on their webbed feet allow them to balance on branches and maneuver into tree cavities that they use for nesting. Source: 10 Fun Facts About the Wood Duck

Painted turtles can also be a little skittish, but less so than the heron and wood ducks. Painted turtles are the most common turtle in New York State. They are omnivores, meaning that its menu includes both plants and animals. Source: Amphibians & Reptiles of the Adirondacks

I saw a lot of beaver signs, but no beaver. I was probably too late this morning to have a real shot at seeing any.

After a mile and 1/2 or so through the marshy area, the creek connects to Sterling Creek. At this point, it is an easy paddle, with the current, back to Sterling Pond, and the Fair Haven campground.

All told, the trip was a little over 3 miles, and took me 2 hours and 46 minutes – however, I stopped a lot to take pictures.

The second kayak trip from Sterling Pond was into the marshy area south of the pond and river. During this trip, we had to pass close to a couple of solo swans swimming through the marsh – but, we finally turned around when we encountered a nesting pair of swans in a narrow passage way.