With glacier views, plunging waterfalls, beautiful wildlife and breathtaking vistas, it’s hard not to want to quit your day job and become a full-time kayaking or canoeing enthusiast. To achieve the utmost in work/life balance, you have to know your options and be prepared to seize every moment of freedom in the last frontier. For those of you that are seeking the ultimate weekend warrior status, these 13 unique kayaking and canoeing destinations in Alaska are perfect for a day trip.
- Seymour Canal - Admiralty Island
Flickr - Joseph Paddle upon a double waterfall and be utterly mind-blown? Yes, please!
- Aialik Bay - Kenai Fjords National Park
Flickr - NAParish Drive to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula and you will be greeted with undying natural beauty and endless outdoor activities. Kayaking is a favorite option for visitors to this unique coastal town.
- Eagle Island - Ketchikan
Flickr - Cassie Southeast exposure and tons of fun await in the adventure park. A paddle around Eagle Island from Ketchikan is convenient and filled with beautiful sights.
- Eklutna Lake - Chugach State Park
Flickr - Diana Norgaard Located just a stone throw away from Alaska’s largest city of Anchorage, kayaking in Eklutna lake is something very special. Not only is it easily accessible but it is also the largest body of water in the Chugach State Park at around seven miles long.
- Reid Glacier - Glacier Bay National Park
Flickr - Matt Zimmerman This 11-mile-long glacier located in Glacier Bay National Park is one of the largest and most breathtaking sights that you will ever behold on a kayaking trip in Alaska. Phenomenal is an understatement!
- Gull Island - Halibut Cove
Flickr - Travis Enjoy a vast bird sanctuary before paddling back to the quaint and cozy Halibut Cove area, located nearest to the road-accessible town of Homer.
- Mendenhall Glacier - Juneau
Flickr - Joseph This 13.5-mile-long glacier located in the Mendenhall Valley is only 12 short miles from downtown Juneau. In the Alaska state capital, many argue that this is the most beautiful landmark to experience.
- Portage Glacier - Kenai Peninsula
Flickr - RocksInMyHead Located in the Chugach National Forest on the Kenai Peninsula just south of Portage Lake is this stunningly beautiful glacier. Situated between the town of Girdwood and the road to Whittier is where you will access paddling opportunities to get up close and personal with what remains of this glacier.
- Shoup Glacier - Valdez
Flickr - Ronald Woan Make a day of it and spend 8-10 hours paddling around this incredible glacier, relaxing on the beach and enjoying a picnic lunch overlooking the remote Alaskan wilderness.
- Yukon Island - Kachemak Bay
Flickr - Caleb Slemmons Located just seven quick and close miles from Homer, kayaking Yukon Island is filled with marine wildlife, dense woods and heavy vegetation. Fishing for salmon is also excellent in this area.
- Sitka Sound - Baranof Island
Flickr - Andrew Malone With views of the Tongass National Forest and Mount Edgecumbe in the distance, it’s hard to catch your breath when paddling around Sitka sound by the Baranof island. Whale watching in this area is said to be incredible as well.
- Prince William Sound - Whittier
Flickr - Arctic Warrior Just two quick miles across the fjord from Whittier, kayaking throughout Prince William Sound is filled with endless vistas and incredible opportunities to see wildlife.
- Nancy Lake - Matsu Borough
Flickr - Travis For those that prefer a more flat-water approach to canoeing and kayaking, Nancy Lake is a great option to stay for the day or camp out for a while and keep the adventure going.
Have you ever paddled in any of these epic locations? We’d love to hear about your experiences on our Facebook page!
Flickr - Joseph
Paddle upon a double waterfall and be utterly mind-blown? Yes, please!
Flickr - NAParish
Drive to Seward on the Kenai Peninsula and you will be greeted with undying natural beauty and endless outdoor activities. Kayaking is a favorite option for visitors to this unique coastal town.
Flickr - Cassie
Southeast exposure and tons of fun await in the adventure park. A paddle around Eagle Island from Ketchikan is convenient and filled with beautiful sights.
Flickr - Diana Norgaard
Located just a stone throw away from Alaska’s largest city of Anchorage, kayaking in Eklutna lake is something very special. Not only is it easily accessible but it is also the largest body of water in the Chugach State Park at around seven miles long.
Flickr - Matt Zimmerman
This 11-mile-long glacier located in Glacier Bay National Park is one of the largest and most breathtaking sights that you will ever behold on a kayaking trip in Alaska. Phenomenal is an understatement!
Flickr - Travis
Enjoy a vast bird sanctuary before paddling back to the quaint and cozy Halibut Cove area, located nearest to the road-accessible town of Homer.
This 13.5-mile-long glacier located in the Mendenhall Valley is only 12 short miles from downtown Juneau. In the Alaska state capital, many argue that this is the most beautiful landmark to experience.
Flickr - RocksInMyHead
Located in the Chugach National Forest on the Kenai Peninsula just south of Portage Lake is this stunningly beautiful glacier. Situated between the town of Girdwood and the road to Whittier is where you will access paddling opportunities to get up close and personal with what remains of this glacier.
Flickr - Ronald Woan
Make a day of it and spend 8-10 hours paddling around this incredible glacier, relaxing on the beach and enjoying a picnic lunch overlooking the remote Alaskan wilderness.
Flickr - Caleb Slemmons
Located just seven quick and close miles from Homer, kayaking Yukon Island is filled with marine wildlife, dense woods and heavy vegetation. Fishing for salmon is also excellent in this area.
Flickr - Andrew Malone
With views of the Tongass National Forest and Mount Edgecumbe in the distance, it’s hard to catch your breath when paddling around Sitka sound by the Baranof island. Whale watching in this area is said to be incredible as well.
Flickr - Arctic Warrior
Just two quick miles across the fjord from Whittier, kayaking throughout Prince William Sound is filled with endless vistas and incredible opportunities to see wildlife.
For those that prefer a more flat-water approach to canoeing and kayaking, Nancy Lake is a great option to stay for the day or camp out for a while and keep the adventure going.
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