Paddling Your National Forests

Humans aren’t born with webbed feet or gills, so it seems pretty obvious that we weren’t meant to live in water. But that hasn’t stopped some of us from spending as much time on it as possible. Our National Forests provide opportunities too numerous to ever list for those drawn to water, or those interested in learning more about what they can do with a little blue.

Although many of the larger bodies of water on our National Forests allow motorized boats, smaller, human powered crafts can go just about anywhere they have enough water to safely float and navigate. Paddle crafts, including canoes, whitewater kayaks, sea kayaks, paddle rafts and oared boats, are perhaps the most popular. None bigger than an economy car, their watery domain includes coastline, rivers, creeks, lakes, wetlands and estuaries, all of which can be found within our National Forest System.

What you choose to do depends on your interests, your experience and your skill level. Beginners may prefer to head out for the afternoon on a calm lake, just to learn what it feels like to be in a canoe. More advanced paddlers might seek challenging whitewater rivers that test their abilities. For those looking for adventure, the handful of overnight, wilderness paddling trips within our National Forest System offer unparalleled experiences. It’s worth taking the time to get to know your craft and the type of water you want to float before you go, as a mishap can switch from a folly to a serious situation rather quickly.

Some options

Day trip options abound throughout the National Forest System, from the whitewater rivers in the Southeast to the lakes of the upper Midwest. Go with a guide on the exciting Nantahala River in the Nantahala National Forest in North Carolina. Or take your canoe on one of the lakes in Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest. Canoes are allowed on most bodies of still water, including flat-water rivers, so check specific National Forests to learn about options.

One of the most popular multi-day canoe trips in the country is in the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness Area (BWCWA), in Minnesota’s Superior National Forest. “There are 80 different access points into the Boundary Waters,” said Christina Boston, Wilderness
Specialist for the Superior National Forest. “But where you go is up to you. We don’t make recommendations—people need to do their homework and choose their own route,” she added. Boston’s reticence to divulging specific routes helps keep visitors spread out through the vast system of lakes and forests, ensuring everyone has a quiet and secluded experience. Because of the area’s popularity, visitors must acquire a permit before they are allowed to begin their trip.

Like the Boundary Waters trip, many of the more popular multi-day trips on our National Forests require permits, including the 100-mile trip on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River in central Idaho’s Salmon-Challis National Forest. This trip is for more advanced and adventurous paddlers, even for those going on a guided trip. The 5-7 day excursion starts on a small mountain river outside Stanley, Idaho, and ends up on the main stem of the large Salmon River after dropping 3,000 feet. The river cuts through an alpine landscape, through mid-elevation forests and down into a desert ecosystem. Better equipment, which is more forgiving in the technical whitewater, has brought more people to this river, but Sheri Hughes, the Forest Service River Manager for this stretch, says that isn’t always the best situation.

“It’s a good thing that we now have better equipment,” Hughes said. “It opens up an opportunity to a larger group of people. I just wish they’d go ahead and spend the time and get the skill levels they need.” That applies not just to this difficult stretch of whitewater, but to all paddling trips, be they flat water day trips or overnight trips into wild landscapes. Besides boating skills, camping and backcountry skills are essential. (See sidebar.)

Another of the backcountry gems is the sea kayaking opportunities in Misty Fjords in southeastern Alaska’s Tongass National Forest.
“Most of our opportunities,” said Karen Brand, Recreation and Wilderness Staff Officer for the Tongass National Forest, “are about 50 miles from town and you have to be transported out there. But the area is part of the Inside Passage, so it’s relatively protected water and fairly easy sea kayaking. There are some steep slopes, so you have to be prepared and know where you are going to stop for the night.” Paddlers can reserve campsites or cabins when exploring Misty Fjords.

Ecological awareness

One of the aspects of paddling that draws so many people is the opportunity to visit pristine landscapes and see some of nature’s wildlife bounty. The experience, though, is not without its ecological risks. These risks, like safety risks, can be dramatically minimized by being prepared.

“Ecological effects in the Boundary Waters,” said Boston, “can range from direct impacts, including erosion on portages and campsites to impacts on wildlife if people get too close or occupy sensitive areas for wildlife.” Similar issues crop up in Alaska, on the Middle Fork of the Salmon, and other areas as well.

“Most of the river corridors in Idaho are narrow, with a limited amount of space in them,” said Hughes, “so there are a limited number of places where people can camp and where people can actually be for lengths of time. Our biggest ecological issues are people beating down vegetation and compacting soils. We also have to deal with preserving cultural resources, as well. Most of the places we camp, Native Americans or folks who have lived in these areas have also camped, because they are the obvious spots.”

Like the Boundary Waters, permits are given out to limit and control the numbers of people on the river. In Alaska, where visitation is much less, the ecological issues resulting from visitors are a bit different. Brand said her biggest concern is keeping human food away from bears. Brand, Hughes and Boston all preach the “Leave No Trace” ethic, which asks that visitors leave with everything they came in with, including food scraps and human waste.

Paddling is a lifelong passion. It takes you from the roadside to the backcountry in a way your feet and car never can. And even as some paddlers constantly pursue more challenging opportunities, many would agree that the single most important aspect for them is being on the water, no matter the craft or water type.

“You have to turn over a certain amount of who you are when you get in that boat,” said Hughes, who has been working on the Middle Fork of the Salmon for the past 25 years. “There are people who are attracted to that sort of thing, where the activity isn’t all soft and cushy and easy. Even with great new equipment, there is still that factor of turning some sense of your control over to something else and trying to manage that risk, be it with good equipment or really good skills. For me, it’s an incredible place to be.”

Top 5 paddling safety tips:
1 Know before you go—have maps, weather information, and water conditions
2 Always paddle with someone else
3 Make sure your skill level meets the type of boating you’ll be doing
4 Always have enough life jackets, a first aid kit and any other important safety gear
5 Follow Leave No Trace guidelines

Principles of Leave No Trace
* Plan Ahead and Prepare
* Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
* Dispose of Waste Properly
* Leave What You Find
* Minimize Campfire Impacts
* Respect Wildlife
* Be Considerate of Other Visitors
(From www.lnt.org)