National parks with canoe or kayak camping
Bright dots offer canoe or kayak camping. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for canoe or kayak camping
- 1Kobuk Valley National Park7,786 visits
- 2Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve14,923 visits
- 3Lake Clark National Park & Preserve19,778 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for canoe or kayak camping
- Alaska 7
- Montana 2
- Wyoming 2
- California 1
- Florida 1
- Idaho 1
- Kentucky 1
- Michigan 1
20 parks
Where to go for canoe or kayak camping
Photo: NPSBig Bend National Park
Texas
568,104 visits in 2025Quietest: August$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Rhodes SmarttCanyonlands National Park
Utah
796,057 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Brett SeymourChannel Islands National Park
California
227,186 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPSCongaree National Park
South Carolina
287,833 visits in 2025Quietest: AugustFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo by Miguel SalasEverglades National Park
Florida
778,198 visits in 2025Quietest: October$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Sean TevebaughGates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
Alaska
14,923 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS / T. VandenBergGlacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Alaska
740,044 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoGlacier National Park
Montana
3,136,557 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/TobiasonGrand Teton National Park
Wyoming
3,800,648 visits in 2025Quietest: December$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Paul BrownIsle Royale National Park
Michigan
29,091 visits in 2025Quietest: January$7 / person
Photo: NPS/David JacobKatmai National Park & Preserve
Alaska
34,479 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo, S. RainoneKenai Fjords National Park
Alaska
425,369 visits in 2025Quietest: NovemberFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoKobuk Valley National Park
Alaska
7,786 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / James KramerLake Clark National Park & Preserve
Alaska
19,778 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / J. CooperMammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky
660,734 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlinNew River Gorge National Park & Preserve
West Virginia
1,958,440 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/D.DixonNorth Cascades National Park
Washington
46,925 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Daniel DendlerVoyageurs National Park
Minnesota
206,326 visits in 2025Quietest: AprilFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/ Neal HerbertWrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Alaska
108,840 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS / Jacob W. FrankYellowstone National Park
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
4,762,988 visits in 2025Quietest: November$35 / vehicle
Ideas from the National Park Service
Canoe or Kayak Camping ideas, park by park
- Float a Wild & Scenic RiverSummer, Fall
From wide glacial valleys to sweeping vistas in the headwaters, to rolling tundra, the wild rivers of Gates of the Arctic can take you on an adventure you’ll never forget. Rivers have been byways for wildlife and humans…
Pets OK
- Portage from Chickenbone Lake to Lake Livermore1 Day · Spring, Summer, Fall
The portage between Chickenbone Lake and Lake Livermore is a short and steep 0.2 miles.
- Portage from Lake LeSage to Lake Richie1 Day · Spring, Summer, Fall
Portage 0.6 miles from Lake LeSage to Lake Richie over a rolling trail.
- Portage from Lake Livermore to Lake LeSage1 Day · Spring, Summer, Fall
Portage from Lake Livermore to Lake LeSage and travel over the Greenstone Ridge along the Indian Portage Trail.
- Float the Kobuk River5-20 Days · Summer
Want a nice mild float on a wild river? The Kobuk River may be a great option for wilderness adventure and zen-like floating in Kobuk Valley National Park.
Pets OK
From the NPS Data API's things-to-do records, checked 2026-10-01.
FAQ
Canoe or Kayak Camping, quickly
- Which national parks offer canoe or kayak camping?
- 20 of the 63 national parks list canoe or kayak camping as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Big Bend, Canyonlands, Channel Islands, Congaree, Everglades, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Glacier, Grand Teton, Isle Royale, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Mammoth Cave, New River Gorge, North Cascades, Voyageurs, Wrangell–St. Elias, Yellowstone.
- What's the least crowded national park for canoe or kayak camping?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Kobuk Valley National Park (7,786 visits), then Gates of the Arctic (14,923). The busiest park on this list is Yellowstone, with 4,762,988.
- Which state has the most national parks for canoe or kayak camping?
- Alaska, with 7, followed by Montana (2).
Sources · 2
- 1.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
Activities are the ones each park lists in the NPS Data API. Check the park's own nps.gov page for current trail, water and permit conditions.
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