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For a non-coastal state, Idaho would be the winner by far.
The state has the most miles of whitewater rivers in the entire continental USA, and the largest concentration of freshwater/natural lakes of any state in the West. Kayak Idaho
Nail on the head. For whitewater, it's Idaho. Or so the reputation is in the community.
But since you said not just whitewater I think WA and OR should be considered.
Massachusetts has some decent white water in the west (and over the VT border), plus has lots of marshes and bays along the coast. VT, NH, and ME all have a good variety of lakes and rivers.
Sea kayaking in Alaska is also unreal although I didn't do any whitewater there.
(for the record I have only white water kayaked in MA, VT, and Maine. I have kayaked flat water in MA, VT, NH, ME, AK, CA and I thiiiink Florida. As well as in Nova Scotia. I've also done some ww rafting in Idaho and Colorado.)
I know I might be moving to OKC and if I so this Chesapeake Boathouse looks amazing:
Welcome to ChesapeakeBoathouse.org (http://www.chesapeakeboathouse.org/index2.html - broken link)
OKC has some major canoe tournaments there. I believe they have the olympic trials there also.
I know I might be moving to OKC and if I so this Chesapeake Boathouse looks amazing:
Welcome to ChesapeakeBoathouse.org (http://www.chesapeakeboathouse.org/index2.html - broken link)
Newport Aquatic Center for Kayaking / Rowing
Long Beach Rowing Association for Rowing
best water in the country to do some serious training
I would assume anywhere really; I loved kayaking on the Brazos River in Texas.
I agree, every state has somewhere you can kayack or canoe. Your state of Texas for instance has a pretty long coastline, including shelted bays like Laguna Madre.
Florida, Alaska, Michigan and North Carolina also have long interesting coasts with large areas of calm water.
Other examples:
Louisana with its bayous.
Minnesota with its Boundary Waters canoe area.
New York with its Thousand Islands
Maryland with the Chesepeake Bay
Maine with its wild rivers
West Virginia with the New River
Florida in winter for slow meandering rivers, everglades, intracoastal. Beatiful mangrove tunnels. Rhode Island ins summer for diversity of kayaking. Rivers, inlets, tributaries, ocean.
Washington State with so many waterways and islands.
Florida in winter for slow meandering rivers, everglades, intracoastal. Beatiful mangrove tunnels. Rhode Island ins summer for diversity of kayaking. Rivers, inlets, tributaries, ocean.
Washington State with so many waterways and islands.
If you're into more white water style kayaking I'd say mountainous states in the West take the cake.
IMO, Northern Minnesota, from the Lake Superior coastline to Lake of the Woods, is the best area to kayak in the country. That area is, arguably, one of the best-kept secrets in North America.
I've been white water rafting in Maine and New York Maine was better.
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