These Trails Aren’t For Hikers, They’re For Kayakers
Source: National Geographic, Robin Catalano
Photo: Kayakers and canoeists with camping gear strapped to their boats ply the Black Canyon Water Trail on the Colorado River in Nevada. The route is part of the National Water Trails system, a group of 35 paddling paths along rivers, oceans, and canals across the United States. (JAMES FORTE, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION)
Lesser known than other National Parks programs, the U.S. National Water Trail system links paddlers to splashy adventures.
Hikers know to visit U.S. National Parks for scenic trails, and cyclists are wise to bike paths across the country. But many of the record number of Americans who have taken up paddle sports (kayaking, stand-up paddle-boarding, canoeing) in recent years don’t know about an innovative national program that can help them explore the country by boat.
Founded in 2012, the National Water Trails (NWT) system consists of 35 riverways and canals in 25 U.S. states. They range from the 4.2-mile Chippewa River Water Trail, which flows through the urban landscape of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to the 631-mile Alabama Scenic River Trail, which runs from the tip of the Coosa River to the Gulf of Mexico.
Many waterways are repurposed, rehabbed industrial trade routes. “Over the past 20 years, as rivers became cleaner and more accessible, there’s been increasing interest in being out on the water,” says Corita Waters, river partnerships specialist for the National Park Service (NPS), which oversees the NWT as part of its National Recreation Trail program.
The rivers, canals, and other channels of the NWT must have guaranteed public access, regularly located boat launches, educational activities, and a commitment to environmental stewardship. “One impetus for this was to work with communities that didn’t have great access to their waters,” says Lelia Mellen, a NPS outdoor recreation planner. “We now have trails across the country.”
All the trails are easy to dip into for an afternoon or a few days of paddling. Here are some of the best places to float your own boat—or one you rent.
Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor, New York State
One of the most innovative—and newest—paddling programs in the U.S. happens on the storied Erie Canal. Spanning nearly the entirety of upstate New York, from Buffalo in the west to Albany in the east, the Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor transforms the circa-1825 manmade trade and immigration route into a paddling and boating trail flanked by waterside pedestrian paths.
In 2021, New York State launched the On the Canals program to increase recreation on and off the water. It includes free use of kayaks and stand-up paddle boards from local rental businesses when participants sign up via the website. “You don’t have to own a kayak or be a tugboat captain to be out on the waterway,” says Shane Mahar, a spokesperson for the New York State Canal Corporation. “People come for kayaking, then go into small towns for lunch or ice cream.”
What to know: The Erie Canalway Heritage Corridor map can help you plan a trip. From the launch in Waterford, near Albany, row out to scenic, 190-acre Peebles Island State Park. In the Finger Lakes, paddle through the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, where you might spot bald eagles or rare cerulean warblers. The Erie Canalway connects to three other historic canals—the Oswego, Champlain, and Cayuga-Seneca—or the Hudson River Greenway Water Trail, which runs north from Battery Park in Manhattan to the Adirondacks.
Black Canyon Water Trail, Arizona and Nevada
This 30-mile route travels a lesser-used portion of the Colorado River through Arizona and Nevada. It is accessible via guided tours that launch from the base of the Hoover Dam in Willow Beach, Arizona, or near an old mining town in Eldorado Canyon, Nevada.
Highlights of the trail include desert landscapes and Emerald Cave, a shimmering green grotto only reachable by boat. The route ends amid the towering sandstone cliffs of Eldorado Canyon on Lake Mohave.
What to know: There’s camping at historic Willow Beach and natural hot springs for soaking in several of the river’s side canyons. You can take a guided trip or rent canoes, kayaks, or SUP equipment from multiple outfitters.
Great Miami Riverway, Ohio
In addition to 99 miles of paddling, the Great Miami Riverway, which run from the town of Sidney to Hamilton County, Ohio, offers a robust website with links to activities, attractions, and lodging for multi-day trips.
Near Dayton, glide through the manmade whitewater feature at Eastwood MetroPark, or cool off under the Five Rivers Fountain of Lights, which has jets shooting water 200 feet high and 400 feet across the confluence of the Mad and Great Miami Rivers.
What to know: Join a tour or use the interactive map to find launches for self-guided paddling. Hop out along the route to explore an 1805 log cabin post office in Franklin, go geocaching at Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum, or sip bourbon at the Century Bar, a clubby, wood-paneled watering hole open since 1945.
Kitsap Peninsula Water Trail, Washington State
This 271-mile, coastline-hugging system of water trails on Washington State’s Puget Sound slips into coves and flows past bird- and seal-filled inlets around Seattle and Tacoma. The trail website offers interactive maps and guides and links to multiple companies along the route which offer kayak tours.
What to know: Travelers can join a six-mile Ride the Tide group kayak trip launching from Bremerton or take a scenic multi-day tour of the Hood Canal. In Port Gamble, Olympic Outdoor Center runs popular tours of the bioluminescent bay just offshore. They’re particularly popular during the full moon, when every stroke of your paddle produces blue or green sparkles in the water, caused by light hitting tiny dinoflagellates.