Rivers and lakes
WHETHER travelling along the mighty Mississippi in a traditional sternwheel paddle steamer, lazily exploring hidden inland coves in a houseboat, shooting white-water rapids in a raft, paddling through mangroves in a kayak, sailing the Great Lakes or cruising historic canals, there’s so many ways to enjoy the U.S.’s watery wonders. The country is filled with rivers, countless lakes,
canals and coastal waterways.
RAFTING FOR ALL
From gentle family excursions to whitewater adventures, rafting the nation’s rivers suits all. Raft the Colorado River below the Grand Canyon rim, from half-day beginner trips to multi-day expeditions – even in an electric raft. Other rivers suiting both adrenalin junkies and young kids include Colorado’s Arkansas River, Idaho’s Salmon River and West Virginia’s Gauley River.
STEAM AWAY
Cruise the country’s greatest rivers on traditional paddlewheelers. The American Queen Steamboat Company’s new 166suite American Duchess operates trips including Mississippi River tributaries the Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois and Cumberland Rivers, besides Old Man River itself.
KAYAK THE KEYS
Take an eco-kayaking tour around Florida’s Lower Keys, navigating the waters around the mangrove islands of the Great White Heron National Wildlife Refuge and National Key Deer Refuge. Nature tours on sit-ontop kayaks through sponge and grass flats and mangrove forests are led by Captain Bill Keogh of Big Pine Kayak Adventures.
CRUISE NEW YORK’S CANALS
Rent a cruiser to explore New York State’s canals. Spanning 524 miles, the system’s four canals – the Erie, Champlain, Oswego and Cayuga-Seneca – form the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor linking the Hudson
River to the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes and Lake Champlain.
GET YOUR WETSUIT ON
North Carolina’s U.S. National White Water Center is set across 1,300 acres on the Catawba River, near Charlotte. Visitors can don their wetsuits and enjoy paddle boarding, kayaking and rafting, as well as land-based activities including mountain biking and rock climbing, plus a series of festivals throughout the year.