Fletcher’s Boathouse | KidFriendly DC

Starting our adventure from Fletcher’s Cove

Before the kids left for a few weeks of sleep away camp, I made sure to get in some quality time and fun adventures with them here. It was the first week they were both on summer break from school, so I thought it would be fun to do something that felt quintessentially summer. For me, paddling is one of those activities. Not only is it outdoors and on the water, it’s an activity I automatically associate with the season because my early paddling experiences were at summer camp when I was a kid.

Thus, we decided to go kayaking and began our adventure at Fletcher’s Boathouse, where Boating in DC has one of many locations to rent kayaks, canoes, standup paddleboards, and rowboats. Located off of Canal Road, the C&O Canal and Towpath run right by, so it’s a popular stop for people enjoying outdoor recreation. Concessions are available and there are seating areas and a nice big field for hanging out.

The stretch of the Potomac River near Fletcher’s is pretty and peaceful, and if you paddle toward Georgetown, the Washington Monument eventually comes into view. Along the way, there are wildlife sightings like birds and turtles and we’ve even seen deer in the woods. On this jaunt, we saw a hawk, great blue heron, ducks, egrets, and several turtles basking in the sun (but would plop in the water as we came near).

Sasha and I shared a double kayak, and Owen paddled on his own. Their early paddling experiences were more of a relaxing boat ride for them, while Levi and I did all of rowing. But both of the kids are pretty strong paddlers now; in fact, Sasha picked canoeing as one of her activities at camp and has really been enjoying it. So next time we hit local waters (which will be soon, as they return this weekend 🤗), canoes it is!

You can read more about Fletcher’s Boathouse here. For more about going with the flow on local waters, this post has all the info you need. The photos below also offer a glimpse.

Even though it’s an activity you can enjoy during several seasons, paddling feels quintessentially “summer” to me. That’s probably because of the many years I spent at sleep away camp as a kid, where canoeing and kayaking were practically everyday pursuits. So, last weekend when we had a sunny day, and it wasn’t too hot, I suggested we go for a jaunt on the river and have some “summer” fun.

The kids were thrilled about the idea, and since Owen was getting excited to embark on a couple of weeks of bike camp the following Monday, we decided a ride to Fletcher’s Cove, where we could rent canoes at the Boathouse, would make it a perfect outing. That’s one of our go-to family bike rides — from Capitol Hill we ride down the Mall, then along the Potomac to Georgetown, where we hop on the Capital Crescent Trail along the C&O Canal. Fletcher’s is about two miles from there between the Potomac and canal.

We usually just ride to Fletcher’s and make that our turn around/hang out spot before heading back home, often stopping in Georgetown for fountain play or food. There’s a lot of open grassy space where we can chill out and cool off, maybe even toss a Frisbee; a water fountain to refill our bottles; and a snack bar to get a drink or a small bite if we’re hungry. But if one is looking for extra recreation — there are bike and boat rentals, picnic tables and grills, and a tackle shack selling bait and fishing licenses for anglers. You can really make a day of it there.

If you want to hit the water, canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and rowboats are available to rent. We had planned to get a canoe, but were told there was a max of three people, so we opted for a rowboat instead (however, a friend went this past weekend, and her family of four was allowed to take a canoe, perhaps because her youngest is smaller than Sasha).

Once we got our life jackets, we headed down to the dock and were set up with our rowboat, then made our way out of the cove to the middle of the river. It was glorious being out on the water, taking in scenic views of the Potomac and surrounding woods from the comfort of our little boat. Other paddlers glided by, and everyone seemed to be in the same relaxed, happy mood as us. The kids loved seeing a few turtles basking on rocks as well as a couple of dead fish floating in the water. We watched a group of kids having fun on a rope swing hanging from a tree on the Virginia side.

Levi did most of the rowing, since I proved to be really uncoordinated at it (so weird — I can usually pick up things pretty easily, but alas…). But the kids enjoyed pitching in on the rowing, too. Since we only rented the boat for an hour, we didn’t go too far down the river, but what we did experience was thoroughly enjoyable. Next time, though, we’ll probably opt for double kayaks and rent them for the day, so we can do even more exploring.

Fletcher’s Boathouse is open from 7am – 7pm daily mid-March through Octboer. ~~Canoe rentals are $14/hour or $28/day. Kayaks are $11/hour or $33/day for a single and $20/hour or $45/day for a double. Rowboats are $14/hour or $25/day.~~ Update: See the most recent rates for all paddling options on the website.

Fletcher’s Boathouse is located at 4940 Canal Road NW. I highly recommend the bike ride there, but if you drive, there is parking available in a large lot there.