Looking for a place you haven’t visited before where you can spend your vacation time camping and putting some miles under your canoe or kayak — but without going too far off the beaten path?
Fire up your computer and search the Web for routes that have been designated as water trails.
Enthusiasts, state parks departments and a handful of cities have organized these trails all over the country, even in the Midwest, so this is only a sample of what you can find. Some are barely out of planning stages, but even in those cases their map and idea might be all you need to inspire an enjoyable trip.
www.ndwt.org/trails
www.ndwt.org/ndwt/index.asp
In the Pacific Northwest, the Washington Water Trails Association promotes the 140-mile Cascadia Marine Trail from south Puget Sound to the Strait of Georgia,plus inland routes including the Lower Columbia River Water Trail. Try their link to the Northwest Discovery Water Trail, where you can check out the Traveler’s Forum for advice plus tips for day trips and longer excursions.
www.bayaccess.org
There’s a program to create a San Francisco Bay Water Trail, and the Web site has a Google map for zooming in to locate water access points around the Bay area. “Trip Planning” even has links to detailed online nautical charts for the area.
tinyurl.com/5pou88
www.nps.gov/gate
On the other coast, the New York City Water Trail claims to have 160 square miles of river, ocean and smaller bodies of water that adventurers can explore by canoe or kayak. The scenery from water level isn’t all skyscrapers; Jamaica Bay on Long Island is part of the Gateway National Recreation area and includes beaches and a wildlife refuge.
www.northernforestcanoetrail.org
Looking for something more ambitious and closer to nature? The Northern Forest Canoe Trail starts at Old Forge, N.Y., in the state’s vast Adirondack Park Preserve, and meanders for more than 700 miles through parts of Vermont, New Hampshire and a piece of Quebec to Fort Kent at the northern tip of Maine. You’ll like the “Map Tool” under “Plan a Trip” where you can zoom in close-ups on the route.
www.mita.org
Take another chance on salt water along the Maine Island Trail, whose supporters boast that it was the nation’s first. Click on “Explore” for a photo gallery, and then hit “Connect” to find forums where users discuss their experiences — “It’s an answer for the search for peace and tranquility not readily found,” says one June entry.
tinyurl.com/5jfp28
tinyurl.com/59tcwr
tinyurl.com/6qsrkv
Head south from Washington, D.C., to explore Virginia’s Lower Mattaponi &Pamunkey Canoe Trail, two winding streams that join to form the York River. Look for the “map set” link for a set of detailed charts. Those waterways also are part of the York River Water Trail, which passes historic sites from colonial days. A bit farther north, landmarks along the nearly 100-mile Potomac River Water Trail include Mount Vernon and Robert E. Lee’s family home.
www.iowadnr.gov/watertrails/trails.html
Water trails in the Midwest? They might not be as long as some, but they’re conveniently located for thousands of people.
You can find several in Iowa, although you might want to call ahead to see how this year’s floods have affected routes and facilities.
tinyurl.com/5g53nu
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources has mapped out a couple on the state’s Kokosing and Muskingum rivers. You might have to share the Muskingum River trail with power boats, but it runs from the center of the state all the way to Marietta on the Ohio River. The map takes a long time to download but it shows camping spots, dams and access points. Look down the page for other trails in the state, including one in the city of Sandusky.
Roger Petterson, Associated Press
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