10 Best Places to Paddle

The water is only 55 degrees and ocean travel is always tricky, but the gorgeous coastal scenery makes Acadia a top destination for adventurous paddlers.

Another expert paddle trip, Prince William Sound is worth the risks. You'll paddle among glaciers, burgs, and even the occasional whale.

Tidewater marshes, great fishing, and wind-swept beaches all make the Outer Banks immensely popular. Explore uninhabited islands and lighthouses, all while paddling through salt marshes.

With half the rain of Seattle, these islands offer the best weather for paddling in the Pacific Northwest -- and the best Orca viewing in the in the Lower 48.

The Everglades are the only sub-tropical wilderness in the United States, and its 10,000 tiny mangrove islands feature the best bird and reptile watching in America.

Just south of the US border, paddlers in the Gulf of California will find the best whale-watching in the world.

Missouri’s Jack’s Fork and the Buffalo in Northwest Arkansas are the stand-outs among the special, almost primitive lakes and rivers that abound in the Ozarks.

Along the southern shores of Lake Superior are rocky shorelines, sandy beaches, and sea caves -- and most are in protected bays and inlets, which makes the Apostle Islands an ideal locale for the beginning paddler.

Isle Royale, reached only by boat or seaplane, has phenomenal foot trails among its evergreen forests, rocky outcroppings, and northern Lake Superior scenery, and its many small surrounding islands make for ideal paddling.

The hundreds of islands among the vast waterways of Kabetogama and Rainey Lakes offer paddlers a richly unique experience.