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Other stories in "Paddling"

• Chasing the Kickapoo
  In southwest Wisconsin, a looping river plays peekaboo.
• Historic boathouses of Minocqua
  In a Wisconsin resort town, the wealthy built playrooms on water.
• Kayaking the Apostles
  The wild 21-island archipelago around Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula is the preserve of paddlers.
• A spin on the Kinni
  From friendly River Falls, it's a wild ride on water, then roads.
• 15 great rivers for paddling
  On a fine day, go sightseeing in a canoe or kayak.
• 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.
• Crazy about kayaks
  At a Madison paddle sports expo, women look for a boat of their own.
• Trying kayaking
  Think the sport looks cool? It's easy to get your feet wet.
• Minnesota's Boundary Waters
  For canoeists, this vast wilderness is the promised land.
• Paddling the Bois Brule
  In northwest Wisconsin, a cherished stream is no lazy float.
• 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.

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 the best festivals in 2012.

June 15-17, 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 22-24, 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.

July 12-15, 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 18-22, 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. 3-5, 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. There's a Saturday night dinner catered by Betty's Pies.

Aug. 17-19, Ladies of the Lake Kayak Symposium in Grand Marais, Mich. This festival for women includes instructional courses, clinics, programs and tours.

June 16-19, 2013, 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.

Last updated on January 6, 2012