Kayak Launch Sites
 

Please tell me good "legal" sites to launch my Kayak on Winnipesaukee

launch sites
 

you can start with those listed here....
http://www.bizer.com/w2launch.htm

You can use a public launch like Merideth.

In Meredith, at the town docks, about a hundred yards from the big intersection of Route 3 and Route 25, the town has about 40 parking spots, three large docks, and a motorboat launch ramp with a height adjusted loading dock.

No matter how busy this area gets, and it can get very crowded it's an easy and FREE unload into the water for a kayak. Parking your car is limited to three hours. There's sometimes a town dock, parking attendant collecting ten dollars for a put-in or take-out for a boat on a trailer, but no charge for hand carried boats like kayaks. From the roof rack of your car, to the boat launch ramp is just a minute's walk. Expect to launch alongside, or between motor boats.

Out on the water, that area of Meredith Bay is a large 6mph no-wake zone, and home to a sailing program that uses small' sailing prams and teaches sailing to youngsters.

Despite the big-boat reputation for a crowded Meredith Bay, it's a good spot for kayaks with some slow moving motorboat activity. Good place to get an up close look at a lot of motorboats, and up the bay about 500yards out beyond the no wake marker buoys, the motorboats stay away from the shoreline areas.

Paddling the shoreline areas is kayak country, as most kayakers know.
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On Route 104 in Meredith, on quiet and scenic Lake Wicwas, the state built a parking and put-in ramp for hand carried boats like kayaks & canoes. The launching ramp is a walkway about six feet wide, so there's no room for trailer launching.

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Close to Centre Harbor, Meredith has Leavitt Shore Park and kayak carry-in, located a short 1/2 mile from Route 25. It's easy to miss the Veasey Shore Rd - Leavitt Shore Park, green & white signs on Route 25 in Meredith, 6/10 mile from Centre Harbor.

Leavitt Shore Park
 

Leavitt Shore Park, on Lake Winnipesaukee in Meredith is a kayak friendly beach area. An excellent spot for kayaking on Lake Winnipesaukee. Leavitt Shore Park is a 310 acre, beach and woods natural waterfront area owned and run by the Town of Meredith.

Where is it? Located on the northern side of Lake Winnipesaukee, it is 1/2 mile off Route 25. Watch for the small green & white signs that say Veasey Shore Rd & Leavitt Shore Park on Route 25, approximately 6/10 mile before the Meredith-Center Harbor town line. Take the first LEFT fork and proceed 4/10 mile to Leavitt Shore park.

What's there? A large sandy public beach, lifeguard(s) in attendance, large roped
swim area, views across to the Beaver Islands and beyond to Mount Wonalansett & Mt Chocurua, a large unpaved parking lot, bathrooms, picnic tables, bar-b-q area, swings, walking trails thru the woods, kayak & canoe launch spot and unpaved 1/8mile access road to get to the kayak put-in.

Price: no charge & open to the public (that's right!), Thankyou Town of Meredith. Note - No longer free according to yesterday's July 2 newspaper article.

Hours: 10am-dusk in the summer, when they lock the big gate.

Launching a kayak or canoe: A 1/8 mile dirt road winds through the woods from the back of the parking lot to the water for use by cartop loaded kayaks & canoes. Not suitable for trailers.

Two kayak & canoe signs identify the small dirt access road and put-in spot.

Kayak rentals: three miles away in Moultonboro at Wild Meadow Kayak & Canoe on Route 25.

Might be more helpful if you told us in what general area you would like to launch. ;)

Cattle Landing town dock
 

Another Meredith kayak launch spot is the Cattle Landing town dock and parking lot. Kayaks can access the lake for free, no charge, for either parking or for launching.

July 4 and Labor Day crowding usually fills the parking lot to overflowing onto nearby roads but at other times a parking spot can almost always be found on the dirt parking lot.

Located way down Meredith Neck: Turn off Route 25 onto Pleasant St, opposite the BarnZ movie cinema and Clough waterfront park, and proceed about seven miles down Pleasant St and Meredith Neck Rd to Cattle Landing Rd. It's all one windy drive with three different road names that just keeps going. About one mile beyond the large Shep Brown marina sign, the Cattle Landing town dock & parking accesses the lake close to the south end of Bear Island.

The Town of Meredith recently replaced the wood fence and included a kayak entry so no more lugging the kayak over or around the wood fence to get to the water. :)

While the old fence had a red sign, saying Cattle Landing, the new fence does not, so there is no Cattle Landing sign at this time. Located at the corner of Cattle Landing Rd and Patricia Rd, look for cars parked in a dirt parking lot on the right, a pay phone attached to a telephone utility building, and the long, concrete, Cattle Landing town dock on the left.

Best bet: rent a kayak from Wild Meadow Kayak in Center Harbor and put in at the Cattle Landing dock where you can make a day of paddling from Bear Isl to Mark Isl to Mink Isl to Timber Isl to Governor's Isl to Eagle Isl to Stondam Isl conservation area to Pine Tree Point, and back to Cattle Landing in one big circle. In a motorboat, this circle trip could take about 25 minute, and in a kayak....it's hard to say.....maybe five hours?

Lee's Mills
 

Lee's Mills,off route 25 in Moultonborough.Launch ramp and beach.Free parking and launch.Turn at the Moultonborough school onto Blake rd,go 1 mile to the end.Nice quite area to paddle in.

Gilford's Lincoln Park
 

Parking for about 10 cars, a steep hillside town park with long distance views across the lake and to the Ossipee Mountains. Expect a somewhat difficult launch and retrieval across a steep rocky embankment, and dragg'n your kayaks up and down a steep grassy park area slope....but definately doable for the motivated kayaker. It's not too difficult!

What this location offers is immediate access to a 'big water' area of the lake. This area is used for scheduled sailboat races by the www.lwsa.org.

Lincoln Park is located on Scenic Drive in Gilford, about one mile's drive from the Glendale Town docks and parking. Unlike Glendale, it appears that no parking sticker is required by the town to park at Lincoln Park for up to two hours.

Extremely scenic spot! In two hours, one may be able to paddle across to the islands, and return.

Should a kayaker have the bad fortune to overturn, the summer lake is full of helpfull boaters and jetskiers who are always happy to assist.:)