Launch type 
Water type 
Parking 
Beginner friendliness Quick Verdict
Rip Van Winkle Lake is a different kind of Paddle Greene page. Less remote launch guide, more easy mountaintop paddle day. The draw is Tanners Boathouse, a rental operation that lets visitors skip the gear logistics and get on a small lake with minimal friction. If you are staying near Tannersville or Hunter and want a calm-water afternoon without loading a kayak onto the car, this is worth a look - but call ahead. Rental availability is seasonal and details change, and personal-boat access rules have not been confirmed.
Best For / Not Ideal For
Best for:
- No-gear paddle days using rented equipment
- Visitors staying near Tannersville, Hunter, Haines Falls, or Windham
- Casual lake outings without a full gear setup
- Families or groups new to paddling who want a low-logistics introduction
Not ideal for:
- Anyone needing confirmed personal-boat launch access (rules unverified)
- Paddlers expecting a remote or backcountry experience
- Anyone building a trip around specific rental prices or hours without confirming first
Rental and No-Gear Notes
Tanners Boathouse is the rental anchor for this page. It appears to offer kayak and paddle craft rentals on the lake, which is what makes Rip Van Winkle Lake a legitimate no-gear option for Paddle Greene. For the county-wide picture of where to paddle without owning a boat, see Kayak Rentals and No-Gear Paddles.
Rental verification questions to ask before you go:
- Is the rental operation open for the current season, and what are the hours?
- What craft are available - kayaks, canoes, paddleboards - and what sizes?
- Are life jackets (PFDs) included with the rental?
- What does it cost? (We do not quote pricing here because it changes without notice - confirm directly.)
- Do you take reservations, and do you sell out on warm weekends?
- Is there any minimum age, experience, or supervision requirement?
Contact Tanners Boathouse directly. Do not rely on a screenshot or a third-party listing; confirm with the operator for the current season.
Park Amenities
Great Northern Catskills describes the site as a lake park with amenities, and food or dining nearby. Paddle Greene has not independently verified what is actually open and available. Treat reports of facilities as unconfirmed until you check for the current season.
Still to verify:
- Restrooms on site
- Parking location and capacity
- Picnic or day-use areas
- Swimming areas that might affect paddling zones
Launch and Access Notes
The access model here is different from a standard Greene County boat launch. This is a lake associated with a rental operation, and the relationship between personal-boat access and the rental business is not yet clear to Paddle Greene.
If you plan to bring your own boat:
- Personal-boat launch access has not been confirmed
- Motor rules are unknown
- Do not assume a public carry-in spot exists separate from the rental operation until this is field-verified
If you are renting:
- Follow the operator's launch and return process
- Wear the provided or your own properly fitted PFD at all times
- Ask about lake rules and any restricted zones when you pick up the boat
Would I Bring a Beginner Here?
Short answer: Likely yes for the rental option, with one important caveat.
A small mountaintop lake with a rental operation is one of the more beginner-friendly setups you can find - no gear, calm water, likely a contained lake with limited boat traffic. That said, Paddle Greene has not been on site, so we cannot confirm the rental process, the lake boundaries, whether any activity zones complicate paddling routes, or how the experience actually feels.
If the goal is a genuine first paddle for someone new to the sport, this is a reasonable candidate - but confirm rental availability and that it fits the group before driving up.
Paddle and Food Pairing
One of the appeals of the Tannersville-area location is that the paddle does not have to be the whole day. The mountaintop towns - Tannersville, Hunter, Haines Falls - have dining, ice cream, and the kinds of stops that turn a lake outing into a fuller afternoon.
For a Paddle Greene suggestion of where to eat or stop afterward, check local listings in Tannersville and Hunter. We do not publish specific restaurant recommendations here; those are a moving target. But a quick search of the Tannersville dining scene will give you current options.
What to Confirm Before You Go
- Call or check Tanners Boathouse for current season, hours, and availability
- If you are bringing your own boat, confirm personal-boat access rules and parking
- Check the weather - even a small mountaintop lake is exposed to afternoon wind
- Confirm restroom and facility situation for your group
- Understand the lake's activity zones and any restricted areas
See Before You Paddle and Conditions for the full pre-trip checklist.
Nearby Alternatives
If Tanners Boathouse is closed or full, the Mountaintop area has other lake paddle options:
- North-South Lake - a larger mountaintop lake near Haines Falls with day-use facilities, camping, and rentals reported; another strong no-gear and family candidate
- C.D. Lane Park - a small no-motor town-park lake near Maplecrest with a beach launch and seasonal on-site rentals; one of the easiest no-gear, family-friendly options in the county
- Colgate Lake - a small, no-motor lake near Jewett with car-top access; no rentals, so bring your own boat
- For the full cluster, see the Mountaintop Lake Paddles guide - it ties together North-South Lake, C.D. Lane Park, Colgate Lake, and Rip Van Winkle Lake
- Renting instead of hauling a boat up the mountain? Kayak Rentals and No-Gear Paddles rounds up the county's no-gear options
Submit an Update
Have you paddled Rip Van Winkle Lake recently? Know the current rental situation, personal-boat rules, or parking? Submit a launch update and help the next visitor plan better.
How to use this guide: How to use these guides safely · Before you paddle · Conditions · Map · Field review status · Where to Paddle
