Paddling Education

How to Choose a Family-Friendly Canoe Destination
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
A Good Read: “Gunflint Falling: Blowdown in the Boundary Waters”
Canoeists everywhere—especially wilderness canoeists—will appreciate reading Gunflint Falling: Blowdown in the Boundary Waters by Cary J. Griffith. It'll hit home, whether we’ve been anywhere near that type of event or not.
Independent Retailer Spotlight: The Complete Paddler (Ontario, Canada)
The Complete Paddler (TCP) has been North America’s largest paddlesports shop since 2005. Its Toronto headquarters is just minutes from Lake Ontario and just a couple of hours from some of Canada’s best canoeing destinations.
How to Find Canoe Trip Options Close to Home

If you’re new to canoeing, new to your area, or simply ready for a new adventure, there are several avenues you can explore to find the best canoe trip options close to you.
6 Top Canoe Destinations in North America

Naming the 6 top canoe destinations is sort of like naming the 6 best ice cream flavors. It depends who you ask!

Here’s our list of 6 top canoe destinations in North America…

Independent Retailer Spotlight: La Maison du Canoë, France
La Maison du Canoë is a canoe and kayak shop that serves paddling enthusiasts of all skill levels in beautiful southeast France.
Protecting the Boundary Waters: These Organizations Work Hard
The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in northeast Minnesota is America’s most-visited wilderness area. Several Minnesota-based organizations have arisen to help protect this important environment along with tens of thousands of concerned citizens.
Independent Retailer Spotlight: Whitewater the Canoe Centre, England
Whitewater the Canoe Centre (WWTCC) is a paddlesports specialty shop near London, England, located on the banks of the River Thames. It’s been serving canoeists and kayakers in their region since 1954.
Gear List for Kayak Camping
Ever wonder what to bring along for a kayak fishing and camping trip? Bending Branches Regional Ambassador Moo Lee shares his gear list with us from a recent trip of his.
These San Diego Girl Scouts Get Solid Canoe Experience
Kristen Elgo has been a volunteer with San Diego Girl Scouts for more than a decade. She and other adult volunteers have gotten ACA certified so they can pass on their love of canoeing and kayaking to the girls they serve.
45 Days Canoeing Canada’s Subarctic
Camp Manito-wish YMCA is one of the top wilderness camps in the country. 2023 staffer Dave Scott co-led a 45-day canoe trip in northern Canada and shared his experience with us.
Our Readers’ Favorite Paddling Content of 2023
Thousands of you read our blog! We thought it’d be fun to highlight your favorite canoeing and kayak fishing content of 2023.
Lake Superior Canoe Camping Trip
Lake Superior isn’t known as an ideal canoe camping lake because of its vast size and unpredictable weather. But Canadians Jon and Erin took 11 days in 2023 for such a trip along some of its northern shoreline.
An All-Women’s Boundary Waters Canoe Trip
A couple weeks ago a group of eight women took a week off work to head north and spend four days in the Boundary Waters together.
Hudson Bay Bound: An Interview with Natalie Warren
In 2011 Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho canoed 2,000 miles from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay. They were the first women to take on the route made famous by the book Canoeing with the Cree by the late journalist, Eric Sevareid.
Summer Playlist
Lets jam out together! We created the ultimate summer playlist with songs suggested by Bending Branches team members, employees, and you. Listen now and suggest your favorite songs below.  
Sea Kayaking Alaska’s Inside Passage: How to Choose a Campsite
Chris Whittaker and Nuka de Jocas are their own main characters in their ongoing story of For Fun’s Sake Expedition. Here we take a look at Episode 8 of their 1,600-km kayak journey: How to choose a campsite along the Alaskan coast.
We Asked Our Pro Team Where Their Favorite Local Kayak Fishing Spot Is
Since our National ProStaff and Ambassador team members are the kayak fishing experts, we wanted to find out where they love to fish in their own area.
The Role of Kayaks in Alaskan Subsistence Living
Bending Branches Ambassador Josiah Pleasant (and many of his fellow Alaskans) lives a “subsistence” life most of us think disappeared 100+ years ago. Josiah shares with us why that is, and how kayaking plays a role.
Top Kayak Fishing Spots in Europe
Bending Branches ProStaffer Dennis Kieselhorst shares his favorite kayak fishing destination in his native Germany as well as other top spots in northern Europe. If you’re one of the growing number of European kayak anglers out there, these will give you some great ideas…
The Best Canoeing in Scotland
Bending Branches ProStaffer Will Copestake has canoed all over his native Scotland. Here, he lets us in on what he believes are Scotland’s best canoe destinations.