This is a list of water trails which make it easy to arrange a self-guided vacation, plus some commercial operators who provide sea kayak tours and training. For activities outside Canada and the US see next page.
Elsewhere we list some courses on building traditional kayaks; some tours, treks, races & raids; some sea kayak meetings & symposia, and national and regional sea kayaking associations.
Alaska trails, guides & rental
Shuyak Island State Park Trails. Link here
Tongass National Forest Water Trails. Link here
California trails, guides & rental
Lake Tahoe Water Trail. www.laketahoewatertrail.org
San Francisco Bay Water Trail. www.bayaccess.org/
Carolinas trails
Beaufort Blueways. www.beaufortblueways.info
Berkeley County Blueways. www.berkeleyblueways.com
North Carolina Coastal Plain Paddle Trails. www.ncsu.edu/paddletrails
Connecticut trails, guides & rental
Connecticut Water Trails Association. www.connecticutwatertrails.com
Florida trails, guides & rental
Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail. Link here
Florida Trails Paddling Association. www.floridapaddlingtrails.com
Suwanee River Wilderness Trail. www.floridastateparks.org
Georgia guides & rental
Illinois trails, guides & rental
Calumet Area Water Trails. www.openlands.org
Chicago Lake Front Water Trail. www.openlands.org
Chicago River Water Trails. www.openlands.org
Lake Michigan Water Trails. www.openlands.org
Nippersink Creek Water Trails. www.openlands.org
Northeastern Illinois Regional Water Trails. www.openlands.org
Salt Creek Water Trails. www.openlands.org
Maine trails, guides & rental
Maine Island Trail Association.
www.mita.org
Maryland trails, guides & rental
Potomac River Water Trail. www.potomactrail.org
Michigan trails & guides
Hiawatha Water Trail. www.hiawathawatertrail.org
Minnesota trails & equipment
Lake Superior Water Trail. www.lswta.org
Minnesota Canoe Trails. Link here
Missouri trails
Lewis & Clark Water Trail. Link here
New York trails, guides & rental
Hudson River Water Trail Association. www.hrwa.org
Kayak & Canoe Guide to Long Island State Parks. Link here
Oregon trails, guides & rental
Coos Bay Estuary Water Trails. www.coostrails.com
Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership. www.columbiawatertrail.org
Siuslaw Water Trail. www.siuslawwatertrail.com
Tillamook County Water Trail. www.tbnep.org
Vermont trails & guides
Lake Champlain Paddlers' Trail. www.lakechamplaincommittee.org
Washington trails, guides & rental
Cascadia Marine Trail. www.wwta.org/trails/CMT
Lakes-to-Locks Water Trail. www.wwta.org/trails/L2L/
Northwest Discovery Water Trail. Link here
Willapa Bay Water Trail. www.wwta.org/trails/willapa_bay
Wisconsin trails & guides
Lake Michigan Water Trail. www.wildernessconnection.com/watertrail
Lake Superior Water Trail. www.nps.gov/apis/index.htm
Building traditional kayaks
The following organisations offer courses at which you can build your own skin-on-frame kayak. Click here for a list of SOF building courses in Europe.
- Brewery Creek Small Boat Shop, Vancouver (Robert Morris). www.brewerycreek.ca
- Cape Falcon Kayak, Manzanita, Oregon (Brian Schulz). www.capefalconkayak.com
- Handcrafted Kayaks, (Randall Monge). www.handcraftedkayaks.com
- Skin Boat School, Anacortes, Washington (Corey Freedman). www.skinboats.org
- Superior Kayaks, Whitelaw, Wisconsin (Mark Rogers). www.superiorkayaks.com
- Willow Kayaks, W Dennis, Maine (Bill Low). www.kayakshops.com/willow_kayaks/willow.htm
- Wolfgang Brinck, Alameda, California. www.wolfgangbrinck.com