Paddle a marked canoe trail
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
A paddling trail is a planned route along a river, canal, lake or coast, which takes the guesswork out of where to launch and where to stop. Paddle UK publishes a searchable set of trails graded by difficulty, and in the United States the National Park Service supports a National Water Trails System.
ModerateUnder £100 / $130An afternoonOutdoorsWith othersUK and US
How to start
- Search Paddle UK's Go Paddling trail finder by town or postcode, or read about the National Water Trails System on the National Park Service site.
- Choose a trail graded very easy and check whether the waterway needs a licence.
- Hire a canoe and buoyancy aids from a centre on the route, and paddle with someone experienced.
Where to go
- Go Paddling (Paddle UK): find paddling trails UK
- US National Park Service: National Water Trails System US
We opened these links on 8 October 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. The hard part of a day out is the timing: the right season, tickets and getting there. The plan watches the calendar for you.
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