Paddling Education

Day Canoe Trip to Stairway Portage & Rose Falls
One of the best and most popular day canoe trips in the Boundary Waters (BWCAW) is the trip to Stairway Portage and Rose Falls.
Kayak Fishing South Florida’s Exotic Species
Bending Branches Ambassador, Bill Sikora, has been a South Florida resident for several years and loves to kayak fish some of its exotic species. Here, he shares his experience and expertise with other anglers who also want to fish those waters.
Kayak Fishing the Amazon River
Bending Branches’ ProStaffer Jason Schall and his wife, Jennifer, kayak fish together regularly. In the fall of 2022 they took a dream fishing trip together to the Amazon River in Colombia, South America.
Use Paddle Planner for Your Next Canoe Trip
Paddle Planner is a unique online toolkit that makes planning your canoe and kayak trips easy and fun. “It’s Google directions for the Boundary Waters,” says founder Ben Strege.
Wilderness Canoe Tripping: Minnesota vs. Maine
While canoeing in Minnesota and Maine are very similar in many ways—both have plenty of forests, lakes and rivers—the wilderness canoe cultures in these two US states are quite distinct from one another.
Canoeing the Wilds of Scotland’s Lochs
Ian Finch and Jamie Barnes, both UK natives, partnered with two others for a winter canoe trip in the wilds of Scotland’s lochs. As often happens, their trip didn’t go quite as planned, but the changes brought them to a magical “hidden glen” they wouldn’t have wanted to miss.
Best Canoe Camping Spots in America’s Upper Midwest
Backcountry canoe camping is a pretty amazing way to spend a few days. You always have a lakeside campsite. You can fish, swim, relax. You can paddle from site to site or stay in one spot.
14 Amazing Canoe Trips in Canada
Few things go together as perfectly as Canada and canoeing. In this post, I’d like to introduce you to some of the best canoe trips in Canada. This isn’t an exhaustive list - with so many lakes and rivers, it would be impossible to include all of the amazing places to canoe. I hope you find inspiration for your next trip!
Rural Tennessee: Home of the Musky
The Musky. Fish of ten thousand casts so they say. I either cast a lot more than I think I do, or I must be one of the luckiest anglers ever as I have now landed three of these absolute beasts.
Kayaking on Great Salt Lake, Utah
Great Salt Lake in Utah isn’t one of those destinations that’s on anyone’s list of best kayaking spots in America! But kayaker, Scott Baxter, has been paddling the lake for 30 years. Here’s his story of his circumnavigation of Great Salt Lake.
Fishing Bartrams Bass on the Chattooga River
Head out on the water in this video with Hooked on Wild Water’s Drew Gregory for some big adventures with Bartrams bass.
Solo Canoeing Yellowstone’s Backcountry
“The novelty of paddling within an active volcano on a high elevation lake made my trip into Shoshone a unique paddling experience.” ~ Jim Gallagher, wilderness canoeist
Canovélo: A Canoe & Bike Trip Through France
Paul Villecourt and Christian Barbier took a month for their le voyage en canoë + vélo—their canoe and bike trip—in May, 2021 in their native France. They dubbed their trip their Canovélo Tour.
Killarney Provincial Park Canoe Trip [Videos]
Ken Whiting of Paddle Tales takes us along with him and his buddy on a 5-day canoe trip deep into Canada’s gorgeous Killarney Provincial Park.
New to the Boundary Waters? Here’s What You Need to Know
If you’re new to canoe tripping in the Boundary Waters, here’s an overview of some important keys you need to know as you plan your trip.
“Can I Use a Kayak?” and Other FAQs about the Boundary Waters
We’ve collected a few of the most common questions about canoe tripping in the Boundary Waters, along with some of the recommendations given by the others. We also added a few comments ourselves, as well as links you’ll find helpful…
Solo Canoe Trip in Kawartha Highlands, Canada
Jason Eke of Trailguide Pictures spent several days on a solo canoe trip in Kawartha Highlands, a provincial park just north of Toronto, Canada.
A Canoe Trip in the Heart of the Scottish Highlands
Photographer Ian Finch and his buddy, Jamie Barnes, recently embarked on a canoe trip into the heart of the Scottish Highlands. Upon their return, Ian told us about their trip and shared with us some of his gorgeous pictures.
Fall Bass Fishing in Tennessee
Fall fishing in Tennessee is not only beautiful, but it's exciting! Early October in the south means cooler mornings, and leaves that are just starting to turn beautiful hues of gold and crimson. Early autumn also signals the time when...
73-Day Family Canoe Trip in the Northwest Territories
In the summer of 2019, Dwane Roberg and Sarah Carty, along with their two young children and two dogs, embarked on a wilderness canoe trip that would total 73 days.
Kayaking at Rock Island State Park in Tennessee
Rock Island State Park, located in Warren County in Tennessee, is an 883-acre park located on the headwaters of Center Hill Lake at the confluence of the Caney Fork, Collins and Rocky Rivers. The immense beauty of the park includes the Caney Fork Gorge that sits stoically below the Great Falls Dam.