Best Urban Kayaking Spot Winners (2022) | USA TODAY 10Best – USA Today 10Best

You don’t have to leave the city to enjoy a day out on the water, at least not with these 20 urban kayaking spots. This favorite water activity offers an unexpected way to get active in the outdoors while seeing a city from a new perspective. 

• Roanoke River
  Roanoke, Virginia

  Roanoke sits in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge, making it an excellent base for outdoor recreation. The 45-mile Roanoke River Blueway offers easy paddling for much of its length, with the exception of some Class II rapids near the gorge.
  Photo courtesy of Creative Dog Media – Visit VBR

• Cuyahoga River
  Cleveland, Ohio

  The Cuyahoga River runs through the heart of Cleveland, providing a popular spot for all sorts of water recreation. The Cuyahoga River Water Trail features five segments along the 87-mile river. The last segment comprises 20 miles of the river as it passes through Cleveland and into Lake Erie.
  Photo courtesy of Wil Lindsey

• James River
  Richmond, Virginia

  The Richmond region has no shortage of great kayaking spots, perhaps none as popular as the James River. From Huguenot Flatwater Park, paddlers can head downstream to Williams Island or upstream to Bosher’s Dam.
  Photo courtesy of Visit Richmond VA

• Milwaukee River
  Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  The Milwaukee River provides great Class I-II kayaking for beginning and intermediate kayakers. With an extensive watershed of almost 700 square miles, this comfortably broad and deep river with a good mix of riffles and minor rapids has a steady flow that rarely exceeds 1,100 cfs. It’s a great place to master basic kayaking skills in the pools or drops. You’ll float through rural countryside and small towns, but the icing on the cake is the final leg through downtown Milwaukee’s skyscrapers and waterfront restaurants.
  Photo courtesy of Visit Milwaukee

• Tennessee River
  Chattanooga, Tennessee

  The Tennessee River cuts directly through downtown Chattanooga, offering a relaxed flatwater kayaking experience. Launch just below the Chickamauga Dam along the riverwalk and float past downtown, where you can spot the Walnut Street Bridge, Tennessee Aquarium and the Hunter Museum of American Art.
  Photo courtesy of Visit Chattanooga

• Bartram’s Garden
  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

  One of Philadelphia’s best kept secrets, Bartram’s Garden, offers a kayaking launch point with art installations along the Lower Schuylkill River. While put on hold for the time being, the garden typically offers free boating on Saturdays, giving members of the community a chance to get out on the water even if they don’t …….

  Source: https://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-urban-kayaking-spot-2022/