National parks with paddling
Bright dots offer paddling. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for paddling
- 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 paddling
- Alaska 7
- California 4
- Florida 3
- Montana 2
- Washington 2
- Wyoming 2
- Arizona 1
- Colorado 1
32 parks
Where to go for paddling
Photo: NPS Photo by Kent MillerAcadia National Park
Maine
4,079,318 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPSBig Bend National Park
Texas
568,104 visits in 2025Quietest: August$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photoBiscayne National Park
Florida
486,567 visits in 2025Quietest: OctoberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/LynchBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Colorado
250,086 visits in 2025Quietest: February$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 / D.J. ReiserCuyahoga Valley National Park
Ohio
3,025,325 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Brett SeymourDry Tortugas National Park
Florida
89,355 visits in 2025Quietest: October$15 / person
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/M. QuinnGrand Canyon National Park
Arizona
4,430,653 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/TobiasonGrand Teton National Park
Wyoming
3,800,648 visits in 2025Quietest: December$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoIndiana Dunes National Park
Indiana
2,629,497 visits in 2025Quietest: January$25 / 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 / Scott ArnazLassen Volcanic National Park
California
504,777 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
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/Jon PrestonOlympic National Park
Washington
3,584,187 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Steve OlsonRedwood National and State Parks
California
1,202,480 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoVirgin Islands National Park
US Virgin Islands
471,074 visits in 2025Quietest: SeptemberFree 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
Photo: NPS PhotoYosemite National Park
California
4,278,413 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Ideas from the National Park Service
Paddling ideas, park by park
Explore Eagle Lake by canoe or kayak.
Pets OKLaunch at Ikes Point to explore Echo Lake by boat.
Pets OKPaddle Jordan Pond in the center of Mount Desert Island.
Pets OK
Take a Big Bend float trip on the Rio Grande. Experience the beauty of one of Big Bend's spectacular limestone canyons.
Paddle to Loggerhead Key
Kayaking is increasingly popular on Lake Michigan since the inception of the Lake Michigan Water Trail and in area waterways like the Little Calumet River and Burns Waterway. Try a new challenge by kayaking or canoeing…
Reservation/permitFeePets OK
- Paddle Washington Creek1-3 Hours · Spring, Summer, Fall
Paddle Washington Creek, located on the west end of Isle Royale National Park. Washington Creek is an excellent spot for wildlife viewing.
- Paddle Tobin Harbor3-6 Hours · Spring, Summer, Fall
Embark on a serene paddle in Tobin Harbor, on the east end of Isle Royale National Park. Wildlife sightings, especially aquatic birds, are abound in this scenic harbor.
- Houchin Ferry to Brownsville90-120 Minutes · Summer
This short trip travels along the Green River from Houchin Ferry inside Mammoth Cave National Park to the former site of Lock and Dam #6 or the Brownsville boat ramp.
Pets OK - Dennison Ferry to Green River Ferry150-240 Minutes · Summer
This popular river trip takes paddlers from the Dennison Ferry Day Use Area to the Green River Ferry.
Pets OK - Green River Ferry to Houchin Ferry4-6 Hours · Summer
This longer section of the Green River is less traveled then the popular Dennison Ferry to Green River Ferry trip.
Pets OK
- Paddle through Blind Ash Bay1-2 Hours · Spring, Summer, Fall
Explore the rocky shoreline and a calm bay with your canoe or kayak. From the paddle launch head west one mile between the rocky shore and small islands before turning south to explore Blind Ash Bay. Your total trip…
Pets OK
From the NPS Data API's things-to-do records, checked 2026-10-01.
FAQ
Paddling, quickly
- Which national parks offer paddling?
- 32 of the 63 national parks list paddling as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Acadia, Big Bend, Biscayne, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Canyonlands, Channel Islands, Congaree, Cuyahoga Valley, Dry Tortugas, Everglades, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Indiana Dunes, Isle Royale, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Lassen Volcanic, Mammoth Cave, New River Gorge, North Cascades, Olympic, Redwood, Virgin Islands, Voyageurs, Wrangell–St. Elias, Yellowstone, Yosemite.
- What's the least crowded national park for paddling?
- 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 paddling?
- Alaska, with 7, followed by California (4).
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.
Park'd · free on iPhone & Android
Done some paddling? Log the trip.
Park'd for iPhone and Android: check off every national park on a map, log trips with photos, notes and a favorite memory, and watch your stats and badges grow.
