How to Choose a Family-Friendly Canoe Destination
5-minute read
When it comes time to introduce your kids to canoeing or kayaking, here are a few suggestions so your chosen destination goes toward a fun and memorable experience for everyone.
The destination goes a long way in providing fun family memories! (photo courtesy of Five2Nine)
You don’t want your paddling excursions to be memorable for the wrong reasons!
Part of your decision-making process will take into account the ages of your kids and your own canoeing experience. We’ll focus here on families beginning to make their paddling memories together.
Here are things to look for:
The Canoe Destination is in a Park
Most regional, state and national parks take advantage of our most beautiful natural resources—including lakes and rivers we can use for recreational paddling.
If you live near a park known as a canoe and kayak destination for all levels, start there. You’ll have access to maps, route suggestions, maintained landings and/or beaches. Many parks rent canoes, kayaks and paddle boards if you don’t have your own.
Parks also give you access to restrooms, picnic tables and other amenities that come in handy for a day outdoors with your family. You can get on the water as part of a full day of exploring and activity.
The Destination Has a Well-Kept Landing and Plenty of Parking
You can find many wonderful canoeing options that aren’t part of park systems if you have your own canoe(s).
We recommend looking for ones near you that have well-maintained canoe landings with parking lots. This could be boat launches frequented by the motorboat crowd or those limited to paddlecraft.
Snacks are always a great idea (photo courtesy of @damonbungard)
A good landing is a sign that the water body is popular and well-used, hence a great place to canoe.
That said, it’s also to your advantage to choose a time of day or a day of the week when there won’t be tons of motorboat traffic on the lake.
Stay away from weekends if at all possible unless you have a restricted-motor lake nearby. Otherwise, you’ll have to deal with boat wake and drivers who probably aren’t looking for canoes like yours on the water.
The Lake is Small and Protected
Time spent in your canoe with your family is so much more pleasant when you’re not battling wind and waves! This is true whether you’re a novice or an experienced paddler. Small lakes protected from the wind and large waves are a great option.
Wind isn’t as much of an issue if you’re in kayaks. Your center of balance is lower and there’s less boat for the wind to push around. Canoes aren’t much fun in the wind, though, and on large lakes, the wind has plenty of room to pick up strength.
Smaller lakes also tend to have less motorboat traffic. As we already mentioned above, that’s an advantage to canoeists and kayakers.
The River is Slow-Moving and Well-Traveled
If you have river options near you, you want a slow, mild river. Ideally, the current is slow enough that you can paddle upstream as well as float downstream.
When you choose a well-traveled, popular river, it will likely be kept free of large debris like downed trees, floating logs and other hazards. Look for designated water trails. These will have maps available that include any campsites, landings and picnic areas along the way.
Avoid river travel in the early spring or after heavy rains when there may be extra debris in the water that can cause hazards.
Kids love to help paddle (photo courtesy of Five2Nine)
Other Considerations
Beyond the destination itself, here are a few other tips that will help your family canoe outings provide fun, positive memories for everyone:
Choose Great Weather
Check the forecast before you head out so you’re not surprised by rain, strong wind, storms moving in halfway through or other weather downers. Choose a day when it looks like the weather will cooperate with your plans.
Bring Sunscreen and Sunglasses
The sun can be intense on the water—both from direct rays and bounce-back off the water. Sunscreen, sunblock, sun hats and clothing that covers arms and legs are all options to help prevent sunburn.
The sun’s reflection off the water can be super intense too, so sunglasses are a good idea to protect your eyes. This is especially true in the mornings and evenings when the sun is lower on the horizon. The light reflection can be blinding. Polarized sunglasses are best for use on the water.
Provide Lots of Beverages and Snacks
Plenty of drinks and snacks go a long way in preventing (or soothing) grumpy kids—and parents! Snack breaks in the canoe or on-shore are a fun way to stay on the water longer.
Choose a Destination with Swimming and Picnic Possibilities
Another way to make a day of it is to look for a canoeing destination where you can take breaks to swim and/or picnic along the way. Many river water trails offer these benefits. Or choose a lakeside park with a beach and picnic area where you can hang out after your paddle.
Comfy PFDs help make any canoe trip more enjoyable (photo courtesy of Five2Nine)
Invest in Comfortable PFDs for Everyone
Even if you don’t own a canoe yourself and plan to rent, we highly recommend you get each family member a comfortable PFD that fits them well.
Most states require children to wear their PFD when in a boat, and you don’t want them complaining about how uncomfortable they are through your whole canoe trip. You don’t want to be uncomfortable wearing yours, either. It’s worth the investment if you want to make canoeing or kayaking part of your family life.
There are paddling-specific PFDs on the market that allow for plenty of arm and shoulder freedom.
Time to get out and paddle—enjoy!
What paddling questions can our friendly Customer Service team help you with? Contact us here: 715-755-3405 or [email protected]
More for you...
