The following are some of the most wonderful places to go kayaking, canoeing, or paddle boarding in the USA and one place in Mexico. Paddling is the way to go for slow, relaxing water trips. You see marine life and wildlife on shore much more intimately in a kayak than in a powerboat. In most of the following locations, it is unwise to kayak alone.
Many of these kayak hotspots have hit and miss or no cell phone service. Most of these locations require sea kayaks or kayaks made for the particular conditions, plus users need specific skill levels. We focus on kayaking here because the following destinations are mainly popular for kayaks, but canoes or smaller vessels may be used. Paddle boarding is more limited to certain water and weather conditions.
Prince William Sound, Alaska
Paddlers flock to Prince William Sound for waters that stay calm most of the time and allow for easy navigation in season. You can easily land your craft to gain access to its beautiful glaciers and hiking trails. It is one of the world’s most popular kayaking destinations. Paddling here is more intense, physical, and requires experience.
The intense Alaskan climate and the extreme remote region require paddlers to gain some ocean and wilderness experience. Kayakers need adequate knowledge of effective paddling techniques, such as how to enter and exit a kayak, what to do when your kayak flips, and emergency, life-saving, and rescue preparedness. It is best to plan your trip to Alaska between May and mid-June; that is kayak season in Alaska.
Rental kayaks sell out and campgrounds are crowded around Prince William Sound during kayak season. People do kayak here in August and September when it is less crowded. But dangerous weather conditions can rise up quickly, and the bears come out of hiding. No matter when you kayak at Prince William Sound, never kayak alone.
If you are new to Prince William Sound, you can take a guided tour, which is safer. You will need more gear than a bilge pump, life jacket, paddles, paddle float, rubber boots, and a sponge at Prince William Sound. Experienced kayakers usually maintain most of this crucial safety gear on all journeys. Here is an adequate, but not comprehensive, gear list for any kayak journey anywhere on earth:
- 3 to 4 season tent with tarp or footprint
- Camp clothes
- Dry bags
- Fire starting waterproof kit: Trick candles that do not blow out and a Bic lighter will work…along with other options on the market. Attach it to your body/PDF in a dry bag.
- Fleece
- Fog-resistant compass
- Gloves
- Hat
- Loads and loads of warm socks
- Sunglasses and sunscreen
- Water
The Everglades, Florida
The wildest place to kayak in Florida is at the Everglades National Park. You paddle through freshwater marshes and mangrove forests, onto Ten Thousand Islands Wildlife Refuge, and the open waters of Florida Bay. Its paddle trails take from a few hours to a few days. And, you can hire authorized guides with federal permits. The park rents kayaks, along with other kayak rental services in Everglades City.
The Everglades National Park lies on the eastern side of the southern tip of Florida. It covers 1.5 million acres and encircles 2,357-square-miles. If you are able to spend several days, tour the Ten Thousand Islands, go wilderness camping, or take the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway. You will need to plan carefully because you can only carry so much on a kayak. You can also kayak into the Big Cypress Wildlife Refuge. Contact the Park for information.
The Ozarks of Missouri & Arkansas
There are so many springs flowing from cliffs in the Ozarks that there are not enough names for them. The major springs have names, and then there are the swirling eddies and underground streams. That is how you can picture kayaking in the Ozarks. The eastern region of Missouri is best for a first-time kayaking visit to the Ozark region. Several regions across the Ozarks are as fantastic for year-round kayaking.
You can plan half-day, full-day, weekend, and week-long kayak trips in the Ozarks. Loads of riverside outfitters and rental companies offer shuttle services, maps, and any information you may need throughout the region. The region’s waters are rated as primarily class II and class II, but some runs are class III. Campgrounds abound all over the Ozark Mountain region, but you need to plan your trips well.
Acadia National Park, Maine
Acadia National Park covers 47,000 acres and is located on Mount Desert Island on the northeastern coast of Maine. Kayaking in this Park lets you take in the mountains and the sea, plus rich wildlife, like seals, porpoises, and possibly a whale. Peregrine falcons nest beginning in March. There is no camping allowed in the park, but numerous campsites and lodging options surround it. Some options await you on private islands.
Plenty of good food also awaits you, like tons of lobster and seafood dishes, belly-warming plates, and farm to table fare, and with no shortage of pubs. You can take half-day, full-day, weekend, and week-long kayak trips. On the island, are lakes and ponds surrounded by sounds and narrows. An example six-day itinerary includes some of the top sites at Acadia National Park:
- Day 1: Set out for Bar Harbor and head to Blackwoods Campground.
- Day 2: Take in some hiking and discover. You may have to carry your kayak in places.
- Day 3: The shoreline up Somes Sound to the next base camp, Seawall Campground, is a full-day paddle.
- Day 4: Paddle to Seal Cove and back to Seawall campground to discover the west side of the island.
- Day 5: Take off for Baker Island for some lunch and head to Blackwoods campground.
- Day 6: Heading back to Bar Harbor gives you time to paddle by the smaller Porcupine Islands while looking out for whales.
Isle Royale, Michigan
Isle Royale National Park is an island in Lake Superior, south of Thunder Bay, Canada, and actually closer to Canada and Minnesota than Michigan. Nature at its finest calls this region home with moose, wolves, foxes, rabbits, loons, and mergansers amid forests of maple, birch, and pine. Ferries transport canoes and kayaks for a fee. Kayak rentals are available at Windigo and Rock Harbor.
This region offers spectacular and serene kayak expeditions. There are some strict regulations for kayaking at Isle Royale. You can enter Canadian waters, but if at any point during the transit you come to port, anchor, moor, or make contact with another vessel in Canadian waters, you must report to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) immediately. This is also true for the following sections about regions on the U.S./Canadian border. From the Isle Royale National Park Service:
- Route Considerations: Lake Superior is well-known for its cold waters, fog, and sudden, wave-generating squalls. Small, open vessels are encouraged to use interior lake waterways instead.
- Safety Requirements: Every paddler must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal floatation device. Wear it; your life may depend on it.
- Weather: Consult the marine forecast at visitor centers before embarking. Be prepared to adjust your schedule. A portable marine radio is recommended for overnight trips.
- Invasive Species: Vessel owners are legally responsible for invasive species decontamination prior to entering park waters. Before moving from Lake Superior to interior waters, wipe down your boat and gear.
- Equipment: Canoes should be at least 15′ long to navigate open water. Sea kayaks should be at least 15’8″ to 19″ for open water. Recreational kayaks are not recommended.
- Check current conditions before your visit for the most up to date information.
- A backcountry permit is required to overnight at a campground or dock. Camping outside of campgrounds is allowed in designated locations, and requires an additional cross-country camping permit. Groups of 7 or more people must acquire a group camping permit, and camp at designated group campsites.
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota, is accessible only by boat. The campsites are boat-in only. Even though the park is on the Kabetogama Peninsula, and the peninsula attaches to land over 12 miles north of the park, you can only hike to the Park from that point. The Park operates three Visitor Centers, Ash River, Kabetogama Lake, and Rainy Lake. Water taxis offer service to and from the trailheads, and there are plenty of boat rental services.
Backcountry trails and areas encompass the interior lakes of the Park’s Kabetogama Peninsula. The Park Service provides canoes and rowboats for use on its interior lakes. Visitors will witness stunning northern lights, which can appear anytime of the year, bears, eagles, and moose amid forests and granite carved cliffs. Keep food, coolers, and smelly items in the bear lockers.
This is wild, rugged country, barely touched, and serenely gorgeous. The Park is well-mapped, and the waters are easy to navigate. Some backcountry lakes have rental canoes stationed at them that can be reserved with an overnight camping permit or for day use. The frontcountry is more traveled. Private and public boat launches are available outside the Park.
The Outer Banks, North Carolina
The Outer Banks’ four main islands are Northern Beaches, Roanoke Island, Dare Mainland, Hatteras Island, and are a chain of barrier islands south of Norfolk and Virginia Beach. At their widest point, the Outer Banks are 3-miles wide. They comprise a fragile sanctuary for marsh life with calm waters, crashing ocean waves, and challenging river channels. The ideal way to experience the islands is by paddling a kayak.
Countless kayak rental services are ready to outfit you here. Some of the Outer Banks beautiful paddling trails include: Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge with creeks, canals, and whirling red waters, Cape Hatteras National Seashore sporting extraordinary wildlife and bird life in its salt marshes, and Currituck Sound and Corolla Salt Marshes, arrestingly beautiful and one of the most scenic islands.
Then there is the Kitty Hawk Maritime Forest. Yes, Kitty Hawk is part of the Outer Banks community. Kitty Hawk Maritime Forest thrives with live oak and red maple canopies and a forest preserve, which continues on other Outer Banks islands. On Roanoke Island, home of the Lost Colony, where 117 English colonists had disappeared without a trace by 1590, you can view the tallest living sand dune ecosystem on the U.S. Atlantic Coast.
San Juan Islands, Washington
The San Juan Islands lie in the Strait of Georgia between Seattle, Washington, and Vancouver, BC, Canada, on the east, and Vancouver Island on the west in the Pacific Ocean. Evergreen serenity cloaks the coastlines as kayakers paddle through resident orca whale pod waters, abundant harbor seal territory, and try to spot bald eagle nests allowing for their eagle-eye view down to the waterfront campsites and charming villages.
Kayak season is June through September in the San Juan Islands. Kayaking is big business with enough outfitters to keep everyone supplied with what they need. The Perseid meteor showers peak in the second week of August. Low tide pools reveal glowing purple ochre stars, red urchins, Christmas anemones, gumboot chitons, and more intertidal shining life. During August, the skies above and the waters below put on a glowing fantasy light show only nature can produce.
Apostle Islands, Wisconsin
The Apostle Islands sit off the northwestern coast of Wisconsin on Lake Superior in the Bayfield Peninsula. Weather conditions range from calm to severe and are unstable with a consistently changing environment. The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore comprises 21 islands in an archipelago less than 20 miles south of Canadian waters.
From the island and mainland sea caves on Meyers Beach to the rustic geography and wildlife, the Apostles are one of Lake Superior’s most visited attractions. The Apostle Islands boasts nine historic lighthouse towers on six islands. Over 240 species of birds breed and/or migrate through this natural wonderland. Nineteen of the islands offer camping and visitors can hike over 50 miles of maintained trails.
The National Park Service provides a list of authorized kayak outfitters and authorized water taxis on its website. These services are important businesses because beginning and inexperienced kayakers should only paddle these waters on guided tours. Two kayak launches are located on the mainland section of the Park, Meyers Beach and Little Sand Bay Visitor Center.
Baja’s Sea of Cortez, Mexico
Imagine gliding through crystal azure waters, discovering hidden coves, private beaches, secluded bays, and lonely islands only to snorkel among bountiful marine life, and you’ll soon realize you are kayaking in Baja’s Sea of Cortez, Mexico. While breaking from kayaking in calm waters, you can hike into the Sonoran Desert, full of flora, like the giant Cardon cacti. And camping at night, you hear the bustling ocean waves under big skies near red rock canyons.
The most stunning waterways to kayak begin with the islands of Espiritu Santo and Isla Partida near La Paz, Mexico, and in and around Parque Nacional Bahía de Loreto, all on the eastern coast of Baha Del Sur, Mexico. Also, on the Pacific, the Magdalena Bay area proves exciting kayaking. Kayaking excursion services provide experienced Baja guides who will take you to the wonders of the colors of Baha California Del Sur, and the Sea of Cortez, Mexico.
Double fiberglass kayaks are the preferred models that Mexican outfitters use. Responsible outfitters require you to have a minimum of Emergency Medical Evacuation coverage in place for the dates of the trip. It can be purchased as stand-alone coverage without a comprehensive travel protection plan. In Mexico’s waters, you must obey her laws and strictly follow your guide’s instructions. Many outfitters will not allow alcohol while at sea.
