Search Results for sea kayaking
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I stood on Sand Dollar Island, just out of Beaufort, exhilarated by the constant music of crashing waves and wind. Everywhere I looked I saw blue and white— blue sky, deeper blue waves, white sand, white foam, white clouds racing across the sky. It w…
Sea kayak getaways on the mid-coast of Maine. Sea kayaking is not a sport you start on a casual basis. Waves, tides, paddling techniques, and thoughts of chilling self-rescue combine with issues of liability to prevent people from renting a kayak and…
Broadly speaking, kayaking can be divided into three types. First there is kayaking on whitewater, using skill and power to successfully negotiate a river full of rapids. Second comes calm-water, recreational kayaking for gentle pleasure, for short o…
Even among the islands of the inner bay, sea kayaking in the Bay of Exploits is ocean paddling. Winds from the north can whip the deep water between islands into whitecaps and create choppy paddling conditions in moments. Potentially dangerous open w…
Half Moon Bay is on Route 1, between San Francisco and Santa Cruz, and there are several good kayaking reasons for checking in here. The neighboring town of Princeton, with as safe a body of salt water as you can find, in its Pillar Point Harbor, is …
The Cape Race light was the long awaited cue for vessels to alter course northward, rejoicing at being almost within reach of St. John’s harbour. However, a short distance to the southwest, Mistaken Point waited, luring unwary ships onto jagged shoal…
Sandy beaches, imposing cliffs, historic lighthouses, and scenic harbors all adorn the shoreline of the Upper Peninsula’s largest city. Marquette is our kind of town. Attractive and robust in a distinctly “northcountry” sort of way, the city perches …
This section of Prince Edward Island’s hospitable coastline combines the rolling sand dunes and low sandstone cliffs so typical of the Island’s shores. It is home to the world-famous Malpeque oysters, the immortal Anne of Green Gables, and the Island…
A sea kayaking kaleidoscope of rock gardens, sea caves, and open ocean. Marine Mammal Protection Act applies. Weather and sea conditions permitting, this is a spectacular area to paddle. Spring has wildflowers. Summer gives a cool respite from inland…
Muscongus Bay is the perfect getaway for two reasons: it is well protected and is not on the way to anywhere else. What this means for sea kayakers is a handsome bay that sees little use from many craft other than lobster boats. The pretty 2-acre Cro…
Tucked in the substantial lee of Point San Luis, the sheltered arc of San Luis Obispo Bay provides the most protected coastal touring for a hundred miles in either direction. To augment the bay’s excellent natural shelter, a 0.5-mile breakwater was c…
There are two main types of sea kayaking trips. One is about touring, traveling along a predetermined route to explore a coastline, poking in and out of inlets, and playing in currents as only a kayak can. The other is about being in a particular pla…
Santa Cruz offers a wide variety of kayaking opportunities. There are several companies in town offering rentals, instruction, and tours, but it is a great place for independent kayaking, too. Among the many trips the Kayak Connection offers from San…
“I have traveled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian Rockies, the American Rockies, the Andes and the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland; but for simple beauty, Cape Breton outrivals them all.” So said Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of th…
Located at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, the Tusket River basin measures a mere 32 km (20 mi) from Chebogue Point to Lower East Pubnico. However, between those two headlands lie 500 km (310 mi) of indented coastline with 365 islands and countl…
Berners Bay can be considered a destination or a place to kayak. There are several places along Lynn Canal to put in or take out on the way to or from Berners Bay. Take Glacier Highway the 39 miles from downtown Juneau to Berners Bay or to one of the…
A paddler’s paradise of sheltered bays, forested islands, and limestone-studded shorelines in northern Lake Huron. Drummond Island and its many satellite islands combine to form a marvelous playground for seasoned kayakers. Of course, Drummond’s quie…
This venerable resort area in northern Lake Huron boasts a maze of forested islands, sheltered channels, and limestone-girded coves that are ideal for exploration by kayak. A longtime playground for sailboats, cabin cruisers, and mahogany runabouts, …
Tahoe needs no introduction as a destination for land-based pursuits, but as a sea-kayaking waterway it’s another matter. Nowhere in the western U.S. can you paddle in waters seeming more pristine than at Lake Tahoe (unless you portage your boat down…
A moderate paddle along the rocky, rugged west side of San Juan Island past a historic lighthouse, with the chance to spot orca whales and other wildlife. The west side of San Juan Island has become a popular destination for kayakers, particularly gu…
A spectacular shoreline of rugged cliffs, remote beaches, and towering dunes that is best explored via sea kayak. Imagine dipping your paddle in clear, emerald-green water, and peering upward at the overhanging face of a 200-foot sandstone cliff. Min…
The Great Island area provides paddling in the secluded back channels, side rivers, and coves that parallel the lower Connecticut River near the mouth on the east side. You wind through 10-foot-tall marsh reeds and generally avoid the voluminous summ…
This 1,700-acre saltwater pond is just steps away from Block Island Sound. Ninigret Pond, at 1,700 acres, is the largest saltwater pond in Rhode Island. Just steps from the beaches of Block Island Sound, it offers many of the benefits of sea kayakin…
Bright orange garibaldi, purple sea urchins, lavender algae, golden sea stars, and red abalone are all included on this colorful kayak adventure at Santa Cruz Island. This trip is a perfect introduction to kayaking the Channel Islands.…
Monterey Bay, named in 1602 for the Count of Monte Rey, was sighted 60 years earlier by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. The Monterey Peninsula, with Pacific Grove - famous for its wintering monarch butterflies - on its northern shore, shields the southern c…
A beginning kayaker’s delight offering seaside views of Cannery Row while paddling among sea otters, seals, whales, and sea lions. Marine Mammal Protection Act applies. As you paddle along the scenic Monterey peninsula, try to envision the coastline …
The North Shore of the Olympic Peninsula has become a mecca for sea kayakers. When the wind is still, the fog has lifted, and the sun is out, paddling the protected waters along the Strait of Juan de Fuca can be exhilarating. Canoe and kayak shops an…
At the northeasterly tip of New Brunswick between the Bay of Chaleur and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, lies Miscou Island, 8 km (5 mi) wide by 13 km (8 mi) long. The island is rimmed by sandy beaches that enclose one main road and many peat bogs and lago…
From vantage points around this hilly peninsula, San Francisco Bay shimmers in grand prominence. As spectacular as the city is, sooner or later you’ll be tempted to leave its shores. You don’t have to be an Aquarius to have an affinity for water nor …
Dramatic vistas of steep cliffs plunging to the sea from a 2,000-foot ridgeline make the Lost Coast among the most scenic paddling areas on the West Coast. Here Cap Mendocino—the westernmost point of land in the “Lower 48”—plows into the Pacific, awa…
Winding some 7 miles from the sea into rolling coastal hills, Elkhorn Slough is California’s second-largest marine wetland after San Francisco Bay and one of only twenty National Estuarine Reserves in the country. In addition to being one of the best…
As you drive onto this immense peninsula in the sunshine, California landscape seems worthy of the Biblical grandeur given it by early-twentieth-century painters. The long stretches of beach, the high central ridge, the pockets of pine forest, are al…
This guide contains information on paddling St. Peters Harbour & St. Peters Bay Ramp, St. Peters Village. St. Peters Harbour: This launching spot is on the western end of St. Peters Bay, which extends for several miles to the east. The expansive bay …
Here is an easy, enjoyable paddle through mangroves and along the beach. Development has spoiled some of the natural look of the area, but it still offers some beautiful paddling. The beaches on the Gulf face west here and often provide good surfing…
When you leave the Cedar Island ferry from Ocracoke, you will get the feeling that you are entering another world yet again. So different from the sleepiness of Ocracoke Island, Cedar Island greets you with a ferry dock and a few homes and businesses…
There are plans in the works for a water trail around the whole of Lake Superior, and currently two sections are in existence: the Minnesota trail and the Keewenaw waterway in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Over the last fifteen years, the Minnesota sho…
The protected park lands of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore include two large islands and approximately 30 miles of mainland lakeshore. Lovely sand beaches and huge coastal sand dunes make this a great area for sea kayakers. Some of the du…
A wonderful kayaking alternative to Pictured Rocks, Grand Island offers sandy beaches, protected bays, historic lighthouses, and breathtaking sandstone palisades. Grand Island is one of Michigan’s top sea-kayaking destinations. Formerly the home of O…
A beautiful wilderness paradise of clear bays, rocky shores, and windswept islands. Isle Royale National Park is one of Michigan’s premier wilderness kayaking destinations. The park, which includes the main island of Isle Royale as well as hundreds o…
Vinalhaven and the surrounding Fox Islands are more remote than some other paddling areas on the Maine coast. Pristine islands far out in Penobscot Bay, a strong fishing culture, and a view of Isle au Haut 7 miles across East Penobscot Bay are the re…
The possibilities for sea kayaking and tidewater canoeing are limitless from Knubble Bay, literally a turntable of rivers giving access to commanding bays, lonely islands, secluded coves, and busy coastal towns. Knubble Bay Camp, located near Georget…
The Isles of Shoals, 10 miles off the New Hampshire coast, is one of New England’s more ambitious sea kayak trips. It’s a 7.5-mile open-water paddle from Rye Harbor; 10 miles from Portsmouth. Logistics and timing are key. One way to enjoy the isles w…
Sea kayaking or canoeing at Monomoy usually turns into hiking, said AMC Cape Cod paddler Chuck Wright—if, that is, you’re paddling on the west side at low tide. Within an hour after launch from Harding Beach, you may find yourself splashing through a…
This shallow saltwater estuary draws large groups of sea kayakers on summer weekends. Paddling here on a Sunday in late August, we saw more kayaks than we have seen anywhere else in the Northeast. You can get away from the crowds, however, by paddlin…
This trip is best on weekdays or during the off-season due to the chronic shortage of nonresident parking in Manchester. Manchester-by-the-Sea sits on a lovely stretch of coastline, but the town does its best to reserve this treasure for those lucky …
Riding the Westport is a relaxing and delightful trip where boat traffic is light and the scenery inviting. Given favorable tidal currents and light wind, kayakers can enjoy an easy paddle through a beautiful rural landscape. Pleasant in summer and e…
Part of a rich and varied ecosystem, the Damariscotta River is a wonderful place to explore by sea kayak. On one trip we observed a pair of bald eagles, a nesting pair of ospreys, several species of gulls, harbor seals, and blue herons, along with hu…
Muscongus Bay has become a very popular sea kayaking area over the last ten years. The cluster of public islands on the western side of the bay is almost always full of campers during the summer months. The eastern side of Muscongus Bay is every bit …
This world class sea kayak tour visits some really expensive real estate and the largest island in San Francisco Bay. Marine Mammal Protection Act applies. The largest island in San Francisco Bay, Angel Island State Park has a rich history that inclu…
Paddling in the Columbia Gorge is more like ocean kayaking than river paddling. The waters are open, windy, tidal, often rough, and often populated by large commercial craft, particularly tugs and barges. As a result, they are more suited to sea kaya…
