Lots of irregular shoreline and coves with a variety of habitat along the edges.
Spruce Run is a large reservoir with a very twisty and irregular shape that’s not far from Round Valley Reservoir.
Miles: 9.9. Most of the perimeter, but you could extend by going in more of the coves. About 5.0 hrs at a slow pace. Lake Size: 1290 acres. Average Depth: 73′
| Miles 9.9 | Detailed instructions and photos follow below. |
| Park info | Spruce Run Reservoir |
| Nearby kayak | Round Valley Reservoir |
| Nearby hikes | Round Valley Reservoir; Columbia Trail; Voorhees State Park. |
Our two cents:
Busy, popular area; some slightly larger boats. Like Round Valley, there are a lot of open areas and the winds can become high.
Often has issues with algae blooms – be sure to check the current status on the park web site linked above before heading out. There is a swimming beach but that is often closed.
When we kayaked this in Aug. 2017, we had planned on picnicking at one of the sandy beaches we thought were on the west side of the reservoir but everything was under water – pretty sure that was unusual.
We ended up doing the majority of the perimeter but it’s probably better to split the area into several trips.
Updated: 7/2024 – Page refreshed, not re-kayaked.
Parking: N40.66077° W74.92509°
Spruce Run Boat Launch, 12 Van Syckles Rd, Clinton, NJ 08809. Large paved lot.
If approaching via Rt 78 West… Exit 17 for Rt 31 N. L on Van Syckles Rd. L into park entrance. Turn L after toll booth and follow signs to the boat launch.
Once inside the park, pass a big area of boat storage to get the large parking lot. A boat ramp is straight ahead and the gradual dirt kayak put-in area is to the right, closer to the bathroom building.
Fees: From Memorial Day through Labor Day, see the NJ State Park Pass.
Restrooms:
Building in the parking lot.
Kayak Rentals:
Flatwater Paddle Co. rents kayaks and SUP (stand-up paddle boards) from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. See their site for info and to reserve.
Book:
Appears in Quiet Water New Jersey (2010) and Quiet Water Mid-Atlantic (2018).
Note: Our go-to kayaking book is Quiet Water New Jersey (2010), available as an e-book or a used printed book.
The newer version is “Quiet Water Mid-Atlantic (2018)”. This contains 13 of the 52 locations in the New Jersey-only book and is available both in printed and online formats.
Related: Kayaking NJ overview page.
Launch:
Gradual dirt kayak put-in or a boat launch area with docks.
The Route:
From the launch, we turned left and hugged the shoreline. We spotted Osprey almost immediately and then a few deer peeked out at us from the shore.
We continued around past the roped-off restricted area, where cormorants were sitting, and kept going clockwise around the reservoir.
We took our time paddling our way over to the western shores to stop to bust out our picnic lunch… and then realized the beaches we expected to find were submerged due to high water levels. Hunh.
After exploring the nooks and crannies in the area a bit we headed back, still on the lookout for a place for a break.
The one tiny potential already had a boat in it and since our sandwiches and chips were whispering our names we made a beeline back to the lot.
We were still far out and the winds had picked up so this was a tiring, sloggy way to end an otherwise pleasant day.
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Kayaked 8/26/17. 9.9 miles. Wildlife: Osprey, cormorants, deer.