Storm King Adventure Tours

This company organizes some of the best outdoor tours and adventures in the Hudson Valley. Very friendly staff. Do your research, of course, to make sure you are up for the challenge.

Great first hike for me challenging enough to feel legit. Better to be in the middle of the foliage than to drive by.

*Bannerman’s Castle Tour*
Went here with my girlfriend on Labor Day for the Bannermans tour. It was our first time kayaking and the people at Storm King really made it the best possible experience. The drive there is scenic and breathtaking and its quite easy. They give you a quick 15 min instruction and rules session and then out on the water. Cold water bottles were provided and def needed because it was super hot out that day. Make sure to bring a sun hat and some sunglasses (cheap stuff) especially on Bannermans since it is out in open sun and can get quite hot. The tour was great, the views were awesome, and the guides super informative and helpful. Definitely coming back here again.

Our guides Cara and Austin were very knowledgeable and provided very clear instructions before we set off on the Plum Point Kayak Tour. The day was perfect, the river was calm and we had approx 9 people in our group.
We kayaked at a nice pace to Plum Point and walked along the beach. We then toured a marsh area and our guides pointed out the bald eagle and it’s nest. Tour was perfect and enjoyed by all. Highly recommend and will definitely come again. Very reasonable pricing too.

This was a fantastic kayak tour! We are beginners and were a little nervous about our first time out on the Hudson, but it was not too difficult. This was a 3 hour tour, so maybe the last hour we were getting a bit tired of paddling. There are 3 guides that go out with the group, feels very comfortable knowing someone is nearby just in case. We had a beautiful night, the sunset and supermoon really made it all worthwhile. Definitely recommend it!

Totally fantastic. We did a sunset to nighttime kayak tour of the gorgeous «Constellation» art installation. Kayaking back at night with glowsticks and stars and the lit outlines of the former castle, our guides using an app to steer us clear of darkened barges… it was sublime.

Can’t say enough about the owner and the guides. Very friendly, emphasis on safety and very knowledgable. Terrific tour of Bannermans Island. A great, fun afternoon. Thumbs up and a high five :)

Fantastic tours! I really can’t wait to go on another. The tour guides and owner are fantastic. The Bannerman tour was great.

What a perfect way to spend an absolutely perfect September day (in all fairness the staff shouldn’t get credit for the perfect weather). We did the Bannerman’s island tour (non-​hardhat) which lasts a solid 3 hours.
I booked a few weeks ahead of time, but upon walking in the owner Kris knew exactly who I was and made sure I was accommodated with everything I needed (parking pass, waiver, driving directions, bathroom, payment method…).
They added another stop (to the base of breakneck ridge) to the tour which was great because 1 loop around the castle’s island would have been a bit too quick. The kayaking itself was fairly relaxing until the final cross of the Hudson, which was a bit of a grind going against the current. The lead guide Kara really knew her stuff and was very approachable and friendly during the tour (via kayak of course). Not sure if I’ll do another trip with them but I will highly recommend this to friends.

Storm King is so chill. Planned a trip round Bannerman’s Castle. Booked with Kris, who is super energetic, knowledgeable and helpful. Signed our waivers and met our guides Kara, Austin and Gabe. Again super chill and helpful. Hit the water and enjoyed a very relaxing beautiful day out on the Hudson.
Learned a lot about Bannerman’s castle. Heck we even learned why Storm King uses Red/​Orange Kayaks… Safety. Easier for boats to see vs blue or green ones. Who knew. The guides were very patient allowing my slow wife to take her time and allowing folks to take photos. It was a great experience.
When we got back, we hung out a bit at the lodge and chatted with the staff. I def recommend if you like a relaxed time.

Kris (the owner) was very accommodating for our party of 14. I didn’t set up the tour, but i was sure able to enjoy it. Kayaking the Hudson was something that i didn’t know that i needed to do, but after our trip i’d say it’s something you definitely need to do at least once.
Our group varied widely by age and skill set, some of the adults were very hesitant because they have never done it before. When we arrive to the launch site our guides were more than helpful. I cant remember the girls name with the big biceps and Mike were awesome. They had to tow two of the adults the whole way because they couldn’t get the grasp of kayaking. By the time we were on our way back, we lost a third adult, but luckily they radio’ed one of their other guides who had a later group and he towed our last adult back. We tipped them for their amazing service. Don’t forget to tip! After our trip we made our way over to Woodys for an amazing burger experience.

Storm King Adventure Tours is awesome. I have been out with them a few times, first in their boats and then I subsequently bought my own boat and have paddled with them when my paddling friends were unavailable. I use a wheelchair and the staff has been great at helping me out, in addition to educating me about the region, the water and the tides. Reasonable prices, great guides and great scenery.

I did the Bannerman’s Island kayak and walking tour this past weekend. I had been curious about the old crumbling castle in the Hudson River for years, and I love to kayak, so I was super excited about this trip. Unfortunately it was a bit disappointing. Our group was pretty large (about 25 people), so it took a long time to get going, and we had to wait for slower paddlers. When we arrived on the island there were several other groups already there and it was surprisingly crowded. Also, this was billed by SKAT as a «hard hat tour», but there were no hard hats, and we could only view the buildings from a distance. It was still pretty cool, but a bit misleading.
Our kayak guides got everyone safely and efficiently to the island and back, but they were not terribly helpful or engaging — perhaps this was due to the large size of the group. Our guide on the island, on the other hand, was very enthusiastic and clearly passionate about the Bannermans (and other topics, such as education and the Socratic method!).
The trip took about 4 hours total, including an easy paddle, a walking tour, and a lunch break. While it was nice to be out on the water on a beautiful day, and interesting to learn about the history of the island and finally see the castle up close, overall this did not live up to my expectations. There are other tour operators that do this trip — not sure if they would be any better, or if it’s pretty much the same thing. If you’re adventurous and have your own kayak, I would recommend going independently and setting up a private tour (I saw some other people there who seemed to have done this).

We did a sunset kayak and it was wonderful. Super-​choppy, but still really fun. Our guide, Cara, was wonderful – charming, helpful, and knowledgeable (about kayaking, as well as the area history).
We’ll book again!

I booked a trip with a few friends and the staff was extremely kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. The places they took us to were safe and beautiful. I will book with them again.

Great place. They do a great job with there tours. It is also a prefect location