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  • United States

    Looking for the best kayaking in United States? We've got you covered with the top trails, trips, hiking, backpacking, camping and more around United States. The detailed guides, photos, and reviews are all submitted by the Outbound community.

    Top Kayaking Spots in and near United States

    • Free Soil, Michigan

      Camp in the Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness

      4.6
      The Nordhouse Dunes Wilderness Area is located south of Manistee along an extremely isolated shoreline. Most hikers prefer to camp two nights along the shores of Lake Michigan, but some choose to call the dunes home for weeks at a time. This is an area of backwoods camping, where sites can be est...
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    • Sarasota, Florida

      Kayak the South Lido Mangrove Tunnels

      4.8
      Before entering South Lido County Park, take a left turn on Taft Drive for the kayak launch area. Parking is available at the end of the road. Multiple companies offer kayak and stand up paddle (SUP) rentals and tours at the launch site, but feel free to bring your own. Launch your kayak or SUP b...
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    • Ventura, California

      Potato Harbor Trail

      5.0
      4.34 mi / 404 ft gain
      As California’s largest island, Santa Cruz Island of the Channel Islands is the perfect little getaway from Los Angeles. Getting to the island is possible only by a one hour boat ride through Island Packers, click here to find out more about them. Be sure to pack light since you’ll be carrying ev...
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    • Creston, Washington

      Hawk Creek Cave

      3.8
      5 mi / 900 ft gain
      The ancient rock walls, cave, and falls of Hawk Creek provide an unreal day hike experience! The best time to hike to Hawk Creek cave is early spring/summer before the water level of Lake Roosevelt is back to it's regular level by July. Any age explorer will be inspired on this adventure! Driv...
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    • Eagle Harbor Township, Michigan

      Backpack Isle Royale NP's Greenstone Ridge Trail

      5.0
      41.12 mi / 3235 ft gain
      Isle Royale National Park consists of Isle Royale, a fifty mile long and nine mile wide island in Lake Superior, and about 45 smaller islands around (and within) it. Remote and undeveloped, the shores can be visited by watercraft, but the only way to see the interior is to walk across it. Because...
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    • Cloverdale, Oregon

      Cape Lookout

      4.5
      4.74 mi / 1135 ft gain
      Cape Lookout is a two-mile long peninsula that juts into the Pacific Ocean from Oregon's rugged coastline. The park features more than 170 campsites, yurts, rustic cabins, and a day-use area, all located a short walk from the beach. There are roughly 10 miles of trails ranging from easy to mode...
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    • Vernon, Florida

      Paddle to Cypress Spring

      3.8
      1 mi
      Starting at Cotton Landing, you paddle about a quarter of a mile downstream until you encounter the spring run to the right/north. Another tenth of a mile or so up the run will take you to one of the most beautiful spring-fed swimming holes you will ever find. Fed by a 2nd magnitude spring, this ...
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    • Sisters, Oregon

      Hike around Clear Lake

      4.7
      4 mi
      Once you arrive at Clear Lake, I suggest to start the relatively flat hike around the lake. You'll walk through a beautiful forest with peek-a-boo views of the stunning lake. The hike around the full lake may take a few hours, so if you're not staying the night, make sure you have enough time to ...
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    • Apache Junction, Arizona

      Kayak Canyon Lake Reservoir

      4.5
      Canyon Lake is located in a National Recreation Area. It was created by the damming of the Salt River, in Arizona, specifically by the Morman Flat Dam. The lake sits at an elevation of 1,660' and has a mean depth of 130', and an area of 1.484 mi². We launched our kayaks from the boat launch area ...
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    • Mammoth Lakes, California

      Convict Lake

      4.9
      2.46 mi / 56 ft gain
      In 1871, a group of inmates escaped from a prison and were ambushed near the lake by a posse who had tracked them down. The inmates escaped the shoot out after killing two of the men in the posse and the lake now had a name – Convict Lake. You won’t witness a wild west shootout here, but if you ...
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    • Guild, Tennessee

      Climb Lake Nickajack

      4.0
      Lake Nickajack has an incredible stretch of 50' limestone that is only accessible by water. The beauty of this wall is that a majority is vertical to slightly overhung, so you can ascend and at any time and just drop into the deep waters below. The limestone is covered in tufas, so plenty of op...
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    • Mendocino, California

      Camp at Russian Gulch State Park

      Just two miles north of Mendocino, you'll find this beautiful, well-maintained park that features a little bit of everything. The campsite is situated between a rugged beach and a stunning 36-ft waterfall, giving you plenty of easy and fun options.This park is most well known for the heavily fore...
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    • Yosemite Valley, California

      Tenaya Lake

      4.6
      3.08 mi / 0 ft gain
      Tenaya Lake is located alongside Tioga Road in the park's Tuolumne Meadows region. There is a family-friendly trail that surrounds the lake. Though some spots along the trail on the western shore may require fording the waters, the 2.5-mile trip is an easy hike for all to enjoy. Many others pre...
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    • Taylors Falls, Minnesota

      Explore Interstate State Park

      4.3
      3 mi
      Situated on top of a series of craggy bluffs, Interstate State Park is a small park that offers amazing views of the St. Croix River gorge. With a pine forest ecosystem usually only found a hundred miles north of the park, the lichen encrusted rocks and spring wildflowers offer the Northwoods exp...
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    • Crystal River, Florida

      Kayak & Swim with Manatees at Three Sisters Spring

      4.8
      When the ocean becomes too cold for the manatees, they take refuge in the 70 degree water at Three Sisters Spring. So, the best time to see the manatees in the spring is just after a cold front has come through. We also learned that they will swim back out to the ocean before low tide to avoid be...
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    • Bayfield, Wisconsin

      Kayak to the Sand Island Sea Caves

      4.7
      Sand Island is a part of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore near Bayfield, Wisconsin. You can (and will want to) explore the sea caves of Sand Island for hours, and this adventure will leave you wanting to explore more of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.GETTING THEREYou will start your...
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