Kayaking and Paddleboarding with Kids

We pulled these 83 paddling trips out of our full catalog of kid-friendly spots in Texas, New York, Florida, Hawaii, Oklahoma, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Every listing has the ages it suits, what it costs, how long to budget, parking notes, and what to pack.

Showing 48 of 83 adventures — pick a state above for the full list

Burnet, TX

Inks Lake State Park

Spring-fed lake swimming and cliff jumping at Devil's Waterhole. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Little Elm, TX

Little Elm Beach

Sandy lake beach on Lewisville Lake with roped swim area and free life jacket loans. Free. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Free

Arlington, TX

River Legacy Parks

1,300-acre park with paved trails and mountain biking along the Trinity River. Free. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Arlington, TX

Viridian Sailing Center

A community sailing center on a small sheltered lake in Arlington where boats stay in sight of the dock. Annual passes and camps.

  • Sailing
  • Ages 5+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Austin, TX

Lady Bird Lake

Kayaking and paddleboarding on calm water through downtown Austin. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. About two hours. Easy going.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Daingerfield, TX

Daingerfield State Park

Stunning fall foliage and family lake swimming at a hidden East Texas gem - camping, fishing, paddleboats, and easy trails through hardwood forests

  • Camping
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Humble, TX

Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center

Boardwalk trails through cypress swamp with free guided canoe trips. Free. Works from toddler age. About two hours. Stroller-friendly.

  • Nature
  • Ages 2+
  • ~2h
  • Free

Huntsville, TX

Huntsville State Park

Pine forest camping with lake paddling and a sandy swim area. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

  • Camping
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Karnack, TX

Caddo Lake State Park

Kayaking through a moss-draped cypress swamp on Texas' only natural lake. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Lumberton, TX

Village Creek State Park

Tannin-clear creek paddling through Big Thicket sandbars. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip. Dogs welcome.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Plano, TX

Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve

800-acre park with boardwalks and kayaking in Plano. Free. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly. Dogs welcome.

  • Hiking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Free

Sabine Pass, TX

Sea Rim State Park

Gulf beach meets freshwater marsh with paddling trails and boardwalks. Paid entry. Best from about age 3. A half-day trip.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 3+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Saranac Lake, NY

Saranac Lake Islands Camping

Paddle-in island camping on the Saranac Lakes with 87 primitive sites. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. Plan to stay overnight.

  • Camping
  • Ages 5+
  • Overnight
  • Paid

Bluff Point, NY

Keuka Lake State Park

Sandy beach and campground on one of the cleanest Finger Lakes. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Grafton, NY

Grafton Lakes State Park

Lifeguarded sandy beach, easy nature trails, and shore fishing at Grafton Lakes State Park near Troy NY - day use $10 per vehicle in season

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Inlet, NY

Eighth Lake Campground

Lakefront campground with beach and calm water on the Fulton Chain of Lakes. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. Plan to stay overnight.

  • Camping
  • Ages 2+
  • Overnight
  • Paid

Inlet, NY

Limekiln Lake Campground

Large pine-shaded campground on a clear lake near Inlet, with a sandy beach, boat launch and the Moose River Plains at the gate

  • Camping
  • Ages 2+
  • Overnight
  • Paid

Lake Placid, NY

Heart Lake

Sandy mountain lake beach with High Peaks backdrop and canoe rentals. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Lake Placid, NY

Mirror Lake Boat Rental

Rent a small sailboat by the hour on motor-free Mirror Lake, right on Main Street. Paid, walk-up, no reservation needed.

  • Sailing
  • Ages 5+
  • ~1h
  • Paid

Lake Placid, NY

Mirror Lake Paddle

Paddle a kayak or canoe on the calm motor-free waters of Mirror Lake. Paid entry. Best from about age 4. About two hours.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Long Lake, NY

Forked Lake Campground

Mostly paddle-in shoreline campsites on a quiet Adirondack lake, a real step up from car camping for families who can paddle gear in

  • Camping
  • Ages 6+
  • Overnight
  • Paid

Mount Tremper, NY

Kenneth L. Wilson Campground

Lakeside Catskills campground with sandy beach and boat rentals. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. Plan to stay overnight.

  • Camping
  • Ages 2+
  • Overnight
  • Paid

Saranac Lake, NY

Floodwood Pond

Motor-free interconnected ponds perfect for family kayaking and canoe adventures. Free. Best from about age 4. A half-day trip.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~4h
  • Free

Saranac Lake, NY

Rollins Pond Campground

Motor-free Adirondack pond camping next door to Fish Creek, with glassy water, loons at dawn and shoreline sites for paddlers

  • Camping
  • Ages 3+
  • Overnight
  • Paid

Sarasota, FL

Myakka River State Park

A canopy walkway suspended in the treetops, an airboat across an alligator lake, and one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks.

  • Nature
  • Ages 3+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Weeki Wachee, FL

Weeki Wachee Springs State Park

The underwater mermaid theatre has run since 1947, plus a spring-fed water park and a clear paddling run down the Weeki Wachee River.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Apopka, FL

Wekiwa Springs State Park

A big spring swimming basin twenty minutes from Orlando, with canoe rentals on the Wekiva River and thirteen miles of trail.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Big Pine Key, FL

Bahia Honda State Park

The best natural beach in the Keys - shallow, warm, clear water off Sandspur Beach, with the old railroad bridge as the backdrop.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Hobe Sound, FL

Jonathan Dickinson State Park

Paddle Florida's first Wild and Scenic River through cypress, and climb the sand pine ridge for a view over the whole coast.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 5+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Holt, FL

Blackwater River State Park

One of the purest sand-bottom rivers in the world, with a broad white sandbar on every bend for stopping to swim and eat. Gentle enough for kids.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 5+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Marathon, FL

Curry Hammock State Park

Shallow, protected flats ideal for a first family paddle, a quiet beach, and the best hawk-watching site in the Keys each October.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 4+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Santa Rosa Beach, FL

Grayton Beach State Park

Sugar-white sand and emerald Gulf water on Florida's 30A, plus a rare coastal dune lake behind the beach that kids can paddle a kayak across.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Silver Springs, FL

Juniper Springs Recreation Area

A seven-mile canoe run through narrow jungle-like creek in Ocala National Forest, plus a 1930s stone millhouse and a CCC-built spring pool.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 8+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

St. Augustine, FL

Anastasia State Park

Four miles of Atlantic beach plus a warm, shallow tidal lagoon that is close to perfect for beginner paddlers, ten minutes from St. Augustine.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 3+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Kailua, HI

Kailua Beach Park

Award-winning white sand beach with turquoise water and gentle waves. Free. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Stroller-friendly.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 1+
  • ~4h
  • Free

Kapaa, HI

Wailua River Kayaking

Kayak Hawaii's only navigable river, then hike to a 120-foot hidden waterfall you can swim under. Paid, ages 5+. No kayaking on Sundays.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 5+
  • ~5h
  • Paid

Captain Cook, HI

Kealakekua Bay State Historical Park

Kayak across a marine sanctuary to world-class snorkeling with dolphins and turtles. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. A half-day trip.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 5+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Honolulu, HI

Waikiki Beach

Iconic Hawaiian beach with calm water, surf lessons, and endless activities. Free. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 1+
  • ~4h
  • Free

Broken Bow, OK

Beavers Bend Marina

Pontoon and boat rentals on crystal-clear Broken Bow Lake. Paid entry. Works from toddler age. A half-day trip. Easy going.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 2+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Broken Bow Lake Paddleboarding

Stand-up paddleboard rentals and lessons on crystal-clear Broken Bow Lake. Paid entry. Better for ages 6 and up. About two hours.

  • Paddleboarding
  • Ages 6+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Broken Bow, OK

Mountain Fork River Kayaking

Kayak and canoe rentals on the crystal-clear Mountain Fork River near Beavers Bend. Paid entry. Best from about age 5. About two hours.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 5+
  • ~2h
  • Paid

Christiansted, VI

Salt River Bay Bioluminescent Bay

Night kayaking in a glowing bay at the only documented place where a Columbus landing party came ashore on what is now United States soil.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 6+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

St. John, VI

Honeymoon Beach

A calm crescent reached by a half-hour walk from Cruz Bay, with kayak and paddleboard rental, snorkelling gear and a beach bar on the sand.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 2+
  • ~4h
  • Free

St. Thomas, VI

Magens Bay

A mile-long horseshoe bay so sheltered that the water barely moves, which makes it the safest and calmest swimming on St. Thomas for small kids.

  • Swimming
  • Ages 1+
  • ~4h
  • Paid

Vieques, PR

Mosquito Bay

The brightest recorded bioluminescent bay in the world - on a dark night, fish leave visible glowing trails under the kayak.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 6+
  • ~3h
  • Paid

Fajardo, PR

Laguna Grande Bioluminescent Bay

Paddle a mangrove channel after dark into a Fajardo lagoon where every stroke of the blade lights up blue-green with living microorganisms.

  • Kayaking
  • Ages 6+
  • ~3h
  • Paid