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Other stories in "Paddling"

• Along for the glide
  On rivers, guided paddle trips are a one-way ticket to fun.
• Planning a paddle trip
  If you'd like to hit the waterways this summer, you'll find lots of encouragement.
• Crazy about kayaks
  At a Madison paddle sports expo, women look for a boat of their own.
• Minnesota's Boundary Waters
  For canoeists, this vast wilderness is the promised land.
• Chasing the Kickapoo
  In southwest Wisconsin, a looping river plays peekaboo.
• Wausau's liquid assets
  In this sporty town on the Wisconsin River, just go with the flow.
• Road trip: Wisconsin River
  The valleys and bluffs around Prairie du Sac draw paddlers, hikers and Sunday drivers.
• Historic boathouses of Minocqua
  In a Wisconsin resort town, the wealthy built playrooms on water.
• 15 great rivers for paddling
  On a fine day, go sightseeing in a canoe or kayak.
• Paddling the Bois Brule
  In northwest Wisconsin, this lively river is cherished by presidents, paddlers, fishermen and wildlife-watchers.
• Kayaking the Apostles
  The wild 21-island archipelago around Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula is the preserve of paddlers.
• Paddling the Chicago River
  After years of neglect, this urban waterway has become a place to play.
• Kayaking the Rossport Islands
  Off Ontario's Superior coast, a lighthouse is an irresistible destination.
• A spin on the Kinni
  From friendly River Falls, it's a wild ride on water, then roads.
• Floating Missouri
  Streams and springs beg to be explored in the down-home Ozarks.
• Whitewater 101
  On the Wolf River in northeast Wisconsin, novice kayakers learn the moves at Bear Paw resort.
• Trying kayaking
  Think the sport looks cool? It's easy to get your feet wet.

Kayak klatch

Paddling festivals on Lake Superior and Lake Michigan are good places to mingle and learn.

If you're interested in sea kayaking and ready to jump in, kayaking festivals are a good place to improve skills and meet other kayakers. Programs include classes, seminars, demos, on-water tours and, often, races.

Sign up as early as possible for the best selection of classes and tours. Youths get discounts. Below are some of the best festivals in 2013.

June 14-16, Washington Island Canoe & Kayak Event at the tip of Wisconsin's Door County. This festival includes a 22-mile race around the island, plus beginner's and intermediate races, workshops and a Sunday group expedition across the 4½-mile Death's Door to the mainland. 

June 21-24, Inland Sea Society Kayak Symposium on Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula.  This Washburn-based festival features paddle tours of the Apostles, lessons, seminars and evening presentations.

July 12-14, Door County Sea Kayak Symposium near Ellison Bay, Wis. This big festival, sponsored by Rutabaga in Madison, is based at the Rowleys Bay Resort on the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula. Passes include some meals. 

July 17-21, Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium in Grand Marais, Mich. This symposium, the oldest on the Great Lakes, will be held on the eastern edge of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Aug. 2-4, Two Harbors Kayak Festival in Two Harbors, Minn. Clinics and tours are a la carte at this family-oriented festival on Lake Superior. People who just want to watch, swim and try out kayaks pay a small fee.

Aug. 16-18, Ladies of the Lake Kayak Symposium on Drummond Island, Mich. This festival for women includes instructional courses, clinics, programs and tours. 

June 2014, Rossport Islands Kayak Symposium in Rossport, Ont. See the new Lake Superior National Marine Conservation Area, part of Parks Canada, the largest freshwater conservation area in the world. Classes are based at nearby Rainbow Falls Provincial Park. 

For more about the area, see Kayaking the Rossport Islands.

Last updated on March 15, 2013