Kayaking

Salt River Bay carries two distinct things at once. It is a national historic park because this is the single confirmed place where a Columbus landing party came ashore on territory that is now the United States, and it holds significant Taíno archaeology. It is also a bioluminescent bay, and guided night kayak tours run out into it around the new moon, when the dinoflagellates light up under the paddle. The mangrove estuary is protected and calm. Like every bio bay the experience is entirely moon and weather dependent, so book early in a trip to leave room to try again.

Silver Springs invented the glass-bottom boat, and the tour still works exactly as advertised: you look straight down through eighty feet of clear water at the spring vents and the fish stacked over them. The other reason to come is stranger. Rhesus macaques released here in the 1930s established a wild population along the river, and paddlers see them in the trees regularly. Kayak and canoe rentals are on site. There is no swimming at Silver Springs, which surprises families expecting another spring basin - come for the boats and the paddling.

Weeki Wachee is a genuine piece of old Florida that never stopped operating: performers breathe from hidden air hoses in a theatre built into the side of the spring, and the show has run since 1947. Around it the park has added Buccaneer Bay, a small water park fed directly by the spring, which is the coldest and clearest water park water your kids will ever complain about. The paddling run downriver is separate, launches on a strict timed permit system, and books out well ahead in summer. Capacity closes the park entirely on busy days, sometimes before 10am.

Wekiwa is the closest real spring to Orlando, which is both its appeal and its problem - it regularly hits capacity and closes the gate by mid-morning on summer weekends. The swimming basin is large, has a shallow shelf for small children and a deeper end with a dock, and the water sits at 72 degrees. Canoe and kayak rentals launch onto the Wekiva River, a slow blackwater run where alligators and otters are both common sights. It makes a genuine alternative to a theme park day for families already in Orlando.

Ten acres on Offatts Bayou with a 39-boat fleet, a marina, a pool and a fully accessible waterfront building, run by a nonprofit youth maritime organization rather than a club. Campers spend a week on small-boat and large-boat sailing, kayaking, paddle sports, fishing, an introduction to scuba, oceanography and marine conservation. The Saturday Youth Sailing program is a recurring learn-to-sail track for ages 8 to 18 rather than a one-week camp, so it suits local families who want to keep at it. Formerly known as Sea Scout Base Galveston, which is still how a lot of people write it.

A nonprofit community sailing center on a small, sheltered lake where the boats stay in sight of the dock, which makes it an unusually low-anxiety place for a first sail. Both residents and non-residents can buy an annual pass, which covers unlimited sailboat, kayak and paddleboard use during operating hours, and family passes cover up to four people. Five-day camps split into a morning block for ages 8 to 12 and an afternoon block for teenagers, taught by US Sailing certified instructors covering how wind moves a boat, boat parts, wind strength and direction, flotation and sailing weather. Scenic sails take children from age 5.

Most of the sites here are reached only by paddling, which puts Forked Lake somewhere between a car campground and true wilderness camping. You park at the headquarters, load the canoe, and paddle to a site on a wooded shoreline with nothing around it. A small number of drive-in sites exist for families who want to test the water first. Facilities are deliberately minimal: pit toilets, no showers, carry your own water. For a family with kids old enough to paddle their own gear, it is a genuinely memorable step up.

A state campground on the southeastern shore of Raquette Lake with one of the best swimming beaches in the Adirondack Park: a long sandy crescent with a gradual entry that suits toddlers as well as teenagers. Sites sit back in tall pines behind the beach and a boat launch gives access to one of the largest natural lakes in the park. It is a straightforward, old-fashioned family campground where the day plan is usually just the beach. The village store at Raquette Lake covers basic supplies.

Inks Lake is a constant-level lake, which means the swimming and paddling are reliable even in a dry Texas summer when the rivers drop. The campground has a large spread of water-and-electric sites, walk-in tent sites and a handful of small limited-use cabins, many within sight of the pink granite shoreline. Devils Waterhole, the cliff-jumping cove at the north end of the park, is the thing kids will talk about afterward. It is about an hour from Austin, which makes it one of the easiest first camping trips in Central Texas.

A small state park on the west branch of Keuka Lake with campsites split between an open lakeside area and a shaded wooded loop, plus a swimming beach and a boat launch. Keuka is the quietest of the big Finger Lakes and the least crowded to swim in, and the campground has a genuinely relaxed feel. The bluff road above the park has some of the best lake views in the region, and Hammondsport at the south end has a walkable village square with ice cream and the Glenn Curtiss aviation museum.

One of the larger state campgrounds in the central Adirondacks, on a clear lake outside Inlet with a sandy swimming beach and a boat launch. Sites are scattered through pine woods and a good number sit within sight of the water. The lake is big enough to paddle for an afternoon without being so big that wind becomes a problem for kids in kayaks. Inlet and Old Forge are both close for supplies and a rainy-day plan, and the Moose River Plains wild forest road starts at the campground gate.

The largest body of water in the Catskills outside the reservoirs, and the only Catskill state campground built around a swimming pond with a real sandy beach. Sites are spread through the woods around the shoreline and motors are not allowed, so the water stays calm for kids in kayaks and rowboats. Trails from the campground connect into the Big Indian Wilderness for longer hikes. Livingston Manor and the Beaverkill fly-fishing water are close by, and it is well under three hours from New York City.

The quieter twin of Fish Creek Pond next door, and the one paddling families choose. Rollins Pond has no motorboats, so the water stays glassy and a kid in a kayak can go out without an adult trailing them nervously. Sites are wooded and spread along the shoreline, and a short carry connects to the Fish Creek chain of ponds for longer paddles. It has fewer amenities and far less noise than its neighbor. If your idea of a good campground is loons at dawn rather than a busy beach, this is it.

A beautifully maintained CCC-era state park with a spring-fed lake surrounded by towering pines and hardwoods. The swim area has a sandy beach and the park rents paddleboats and kayaks. Over 13 miles of trails loop through East Texas piney woods and the mountain bike trails are well-regarded. The historic stone and timber structures built by the Civilian Conservation Corps give the park a timeless character.

A state campground on the shore of Cranberry Lake, one of the largest and most remote lakes in the Adirondacks. The 173 sites are wooded and many have direct lake access. The swimming beach is sandy and the lake is clean and wild. Kayaking and canoeing are excellent with miles of shoreline and islands to explore. The Cranberry Lake 50 trail circles the entire lake for ambitious hikers. The campground has a quieter, more remote feel than the busier Adirondack campgrounds to the east. Loon calls echo across the lake every evening.

A beautiful state campground on the Fulton Chain of Lakes with 126 sites, many directly on the lakefront. The sandy beach is perfect for swimming and the calm lake is ideal for canoeing and kayaking with kids. The campground connects to the Fulton Chain portage trail and sits right on Route 28 for easy access to Old Forge attractions. Sites are well-spaced and shaded by tall pines. The combination of waterfront camping, good swimming, and nearby activities makes this one of the best family campgrounds in the Adirondacks.

One of the largest and most popular campgrounds in the Adirondacks with 355 sites spread along the shores of Fish Creek Pond and connecting waterways. The campground is a paddlers paradise with direct water access to a chain of ponds and lakes. The beach is sandy with a lifeguard and the water is warm by midsummer. Sites range from waterfront spots perfect for launching a canoe to wooded tent sites set back in the pines. The campground store and recreation programs make multi-day stays easy for families. Book months in advance for summer.

A network of small interconnected ponds accessible by short portages that is perfect for family paddling adventures. The ponds are motor-free and surrounded by pristine Adirondack forest. Kids love the sense of discovery paddling from one pond to the next through narrow channels and short carries. The water is calm and clear and wildlife sightings including loons, herons, and beavers are common. Several lean-tos and campsites along the ponds make overnight trips possible for adventurous families.

A crystal-clear mountain lake at the Adirondack Loj with a sandy beach, canoe rentals, and the High Peaks rising dramatically behind it. The beach is small but beautiful and the water is clean and refreshing. Kids can swim, build sandcastles, and paddle while looking up at some of the tallest mountains in New York. The Loj also offers programs for families and serves as the trailhead for numerous High Peaks hikes. Spending a morning at the beach before an afternoon hike on Mount Jo makes for a perfect Adirondack day.

Paddle to your own island campsite on Indian Lake for a family camping adventure that feels like true wilderness. The DEC maintains 55 island and shoreline campsites accessible only by boat. Kids love the excitement of paddling to their campsite and having an island all to themselves. Indian Lake is large and scenic with mountain views from the water. The campsites have fire rings and pit toilets. The town of Indian Lake is nearby for supplies. This is a more accessible alternative to the Saranac Lake Islands with similar magic.