Planning a paddle trip
If you'd like to hit the waterways this summer, you'll find lots of encouragement.
© Beth Gauper
Early spring is not too soon to start planning a summer on the water.
Outdoors and paddle clubs are happy to show the ropes to new members.
Outdoors stores offer boat demos and free classes on trip planning. Rangers at federal wildlife reserves offer guided trips.
Paddling guides offer lots of ideas, and many water trails are being developed, some right in cities.
Here are some of the best ways to get your feet wet.
Planning a trip
Outdoors stores offer many trip-planning classes, especially on Boundary Waters trips. If you're interested, get on the email list of your local store.
Paddling classes
In Madison, Rutabaga Paddlesports offers canoeing classes and kayaking classes. It also offers group paddles and trips and outings.
In the western suburbs of Minneapolis, Three Rivers Parks District offers many paddling classes, boat demos and day trips.
Minnesota state parks offer an I Can Paddle! program on lakes and rivers, $25 per canoe or $20 per person in a kayak; on Lake Superior from Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, $45 per person in a sea kayak. All equipment is provided.
On lakes Superior and Michigan, sea-kayaking symposiums offer lots of classes. For more, see Kayak klatch.
Guided paddle trips
For a list of some of the best river trips guided by naturalists and park rangers, see Along for the glide.
Guidebooks and maps
Mike Svob's "Paddling Northern Wisconsin" includes 82 routes, and his "Paddling Southern Wisconsin" describes 83 routes.
© Ron Heck
The Wisconsin DNR describes water trails in state parks, rivers and flowages.
Lynne Diebel's book "Paddling Northern Minnesota" includes 86 routes, and her book "Paddling Southern Minnesota," which she wrote with her husband, Bob, includes 85 routes.
The Minnesota DNR sends out free canoe-river guides that include maps and descriptions of public access points, campsites and navigational features, and its website describes 30 designated water trails.
Nate Hoogeveen's book "Paddling Iowa" includes 96 routes.
At the Iowa DNR website, you can download maps and brochures for nearly 900 miles of water trails.
For more, see 15 great rivers for paddling.
Paddling with a club
Outdoors clubs are filled with experienced people who are happy to help new members. Often, they have extra boats to lend.
In Minnesota, the Minnesota Canoe Association promotes kayaking as well as canoeing, flat and whitewater.
From the Twin Cities, the River Ramblers offer leisurely paced day and weekend trips in Minnesota and Wisconsin from April through September.
The Minneapolis-based Inland Sea Kayakers offer day and overnight trips for paddlers of all skill levels on Lake Superior and Voyageurs National Park as well as the Mississippi and St. Croix rivers.
The Twin Cities-based Rapids Riders is a whitewater paddling group and sponsors Canoe U whitewater classes on the St. Croix River in spring.
The Twin Cities-based Superior Kayak and Outdoor Adventure Club offers kayaking trips to Lake Superior as well as hiking on the North Shore and winter camping in the Boundary Waters.
In Madison, the MadCity Paddlers hold day and weekend trips around Wisconsin.
© Beth Gauper
The North East Wisconsin Paddlers offer Heritage Paddles on the Fox and Wisconsin rivers, some with shuttles, as well as classes and other events.
The Chicago Area Sea Kayakers Association holds day and weekend trips on Lake Michigan and on waterways in Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan.
Also in the Chicago area, Prairie State Canoeists offers dozens of day and weekend trips on rivers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, plus northern Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Indiana.
City paddling
In Chicago, the Friends of the Chicago River offer Urban Canoe Expeditions. For more, see Paddling the Chicago River.
In Milwaukee, Milwaukee Riverkeeper offers events on the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail. One of the most popular is the Milky Moonlight Paddle on the Milwaukee River; reserve early.
In the Twin Cities, Wilderness Inquiry offers day trips on the Mississippi River through Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Trying a boat
Many outdoors stores hold free demos on lakes throughout the summer, starting in late April. Just show up and take some boats out for a spin. The more you try, the better sense you'll get of what you want.
Then, take a low-key class from a parks district or environmental center. Many outfitters and outdoors stores also offer inexpensive day paddles.
Next, rent a boat for a weekend. It's always cheaper to rent for a weekend or week. Rates include life vests, paddles, spray skirts and vehicle pads and straps.
In the Twin Cities, Midwest Mountaineering holds kayak demos all summer, many on Lake Nokomis. It sells and rents a wide variety of kayaks. It often offers a Kayaking 101 class at the Minneapolis store.
© Beth Gauper
The University of Minnesota's Outdoor Gear Rental Center rents canoes for $45, $90 for two or three days, including accessories.
In the east Madison suburb of Monona, Rutabaga Paddlesport Shop rents kayaks and offers classes, youth and family programs, group paddles and day trips. It's on an inlet of the Yahara River, between Lake Monona and Lake Waubesa, so prospective buyers can try out boats right from the store.
In the Rockford, Ill., suburb of Loves Park, Paddle and Trail offers classes, day trips and tours. Both stores are on lakes, so customers can try boats any time.
In Marquette and Houghton on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Downwind Sports holds many kayak demos.
In the Driftless Area of northeast Iowa, Crawdaddy Outdoors in Waverly holds Demo Days on Thursday evenings and Saturdays through the summer, beginning in mid-April.
It rents boats for use on many good kayaking rivers — the Upper Iowa, Cedar, Shell Rock, Turkey, Volga, Wapsipinicon and Macquoketa.
REI requires reservations and a fee to attend its demos; the fee is waived for people who buy a boat. The policy does allow potential buyers to request specific boats to try, and REI staff are able to work more closely with customers.