How to choose good kayaking locations.

First you will need to ask yourself a few questions:

What is your kayaking experience?

What type of water do you enjoy kayaking on? Whitewater or flat water?

Do you like calm water like a lake or pond or do you like water with a little movement like a river with class I or II rapids?

In most cases you don’t have to drive very far to reach a good kayaking location. You may not realize it, but you may have more good kayaking locations near your home than you think; you just haven’t discovered them yet.

When searching for a good kayaking location you may want to look for paddling trails called Blueways.  Blueways are becoming more and more popular and you can find them in many states all over the U.S.

What to kayak on:

Lakes or Ponds

Kayaking on a lake or pond is a little easier than kayaking on a river or stream. Generally when you kayak on a lake or a pond your put in and take out point will be the same. You will park your car in the parking lot, put your kayak in at the boat access and paddle around enjoying the wildlife and scenery.  When you’re done you take your kayak out at the same access point. This is also a great place to teach a new paddler how to kayak.

With a lake or pond you can gauge your paddle time a little more accurately. If you have an hour to kayak you can paddle around and then start heading back to the boat access when you have to leave.

Rivers or Creeks

Rivers and creeks are a little more challenging to kayak on. Generally where you put in your kayak would not be where you take out.  You will also need to have two cars, one at the put in and one at the take out. Water levels can change with rainfall making the river faster or slower. If the river is too low you may have to get out and pull your kayak through the shallow areas.

Where to kayak:

State Parks

One place to look for a good kayaking location is State Parks or National Parks.  Many parks allow kayaking on their lakes, ponds, and rivers. Some have Blueways.

State and National Parks may:

Offer guided paddles

Charge a boat or car fee

Offer kayak rentals

Not allow private boats

Have boat access ramps

County

Another place to look for a good kayaking location is your county or town in which you live. Do you have a lake or river winding through your town? You can call or check your county or town’s website to see if they have boat access ramps and parking for your car.

You may also like to search our places to paddle page to find good kayaking locations all over the United States.

We all know there are tons of GREAT places to paddle in the great, natural state of Pennsylvania. But we’ve gone ahead and put together a list of the ones we think are at the top of the list. These kayak and canoe places in PA made the list mostly due to the fact that they are open to the public and readily available to all paddlers of all skill levels.

These kayaking and canoeing locations include rivers, lakes and creeks for whitewater and flatwater (or flat water, if you like ).

***PLEASE NOTE*** Some of these areas require a fee or permit or both, so check before you paddle!

Here we go with a sampling of the top places to put in your kayak or canoe and start paddling in Penn:

Pennsylvania State Parks

According to the Parks website, canoes and non-powered boats must display one of the following:

• Boat registration
• Launching permit or mooring permit from Pennsylvania State Parks (available at most state park offices)
• Launching permit from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Many parks offer canoe rentals or have lists of canoe rental companies.

***REMEMBER***  Water levels can change rapidly and paddlers should call the park office for current water conditions.

Clear Creek State Park, Jefferson County, PA – The Clarion River

Cook Forest State Park, Cooksburg, PA  - The Clarion River

Delaware Canal State Park – The Park follows the Delaware River from Easton to Bristol. Canoeing is popular in the canal, on the Delaware River and at the Giving Pond Recreation Area. Canoeists can launch from public access areas in PA and NJ to enjoy the water trail.

Ohiopyle State Park – This park is located primarily in Fayette County. Youghiogheny [yaw-ki-GAY-nee] River Gorge passes through the heart of the park. According to the website, the "Yough" [yawk] provides some of the best whitewater boating in the Eastern U. S. as well as spectacular scenery

Oil Creek State Park, Venango County, PA - This Scenic float is classified as a beginner’s creek under normal conditions.

Swatara State Park – This Park is in Lebanon and Schuylkill counties. There are several locations of easy access to the creek for put-in and take-out of boats.

Tyler State Park, Bucks County, PA - Neshaminy Creek offers calm, easy boating

Warriors Path State Park, Bedford County, PA -There is a boat ramp for canoes, rafts and small boats for floating the Raystown Branch of the Juniata River. Boating or rafting is recommended during spring or late fall. The water level of the river is usually too shallow for summer.

Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Middle Delaware National Scenic River

Canoeing, Kayaking, Rafting, and Tubing

Kayak Pittsburgh

Three kayaking locations: Downtown Pittsburgh, Lake Elizabeth and North Park.

• Downtown is walking distance of all Downtown locations and the North Side.
• North Park is located at North Park Boat House along North Park Lake, which is about 14 miles from Pittsburgh.
• Lake Elizabeth is located inside the Allegheny Commons.

Click here to go to our Places to Paddle, Kayak, Canoe in Pennsylvania page for links and more information on these great PA paddling venues.

Do you have a kayak, canoe and paddling event you’d like us to feature on BornToPaddle.com? If so, Click here to send us the info using our handy contact form.

Click here to visit our kayak, canoe races and events page to find the links to these websites and to find many other races and events that are going on all year all over the U.S.