California is full of canoeing opportunities along its spacious rivers and long lakes. Beginners prefer flat water, and many rental and guide companies have options for all experience levels. Guided river tours such as those offered on the Gualala River provide paddlers with a true eco-tourist experience and relieve them of any safety or navigational fears they may have if on their own.
Northern California
The lower Cosumnes River provides paddlers with flat water for easy canoe trips. There is only one public launch site on the lower Consumnes River, located just south of Sacramento off Interstate 5 and Twin Cities Road. The parking lots here are open from dawn until dusk. The Sacramento River is fed by Lake Shasta and flows through northern California. The northern fork of the Sacramento River makes for easy canoeing and flat-water paddling. Bidwell Sacramento River State Park just south of Redding is one such place that draws paddlers to its calmer waters.
Southern California
The Colorado River runs along the border of California and Arizona. At Topock Gorge in San Bernardino County outside of Needles, there is a stretch of flat water for calm kayakers and canoe novices that runs through a red rock canyon. The Nacimiento River backs up to form Nacimiento Lake, an 18-mile-long freshwater lake halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Other than advertising some of the best wakeboarding in the state, Nacimiento Lake attracts calm-water paddlers. Anglers can cruise in a rented canoe and fish for bass, crappie, catfish and bluegill.
Canoe Rental
Adventure Sports, located in Sacramento provides canoe rentals, according to All About Rivers.com. California Canoe and Kayak has several locations throughout the state, including Willow Creek, Oakland and Sacramento. Rental canoes are available seasonally for $25 to $60 a day, as of 2010. Jerkwater Canoe Company provides boat and equipment rental along the Colorado River in the Tri-State area. The company has been here for over 40 years, according to its website, and has extensive experience with paddling the Colorado River. Lake Nacimiento Marina and Resort also offers rental canoes.
Canoe Guides
Jerkwater Canoe Company not only rents boats, but also provides paddling experiences for people of all ages and experience levels. It is located at the base of Hoover Dam and provides canoe adventures through the Black Canyon and Moabi Regional Park on the Colorado River at Needles. Adventure Rents is a company located in northern California on the Gualala River. Since 1994, Adventure Rents has provided families with guided paddle-boat tours of the river. It welcomes groups of all ages, and some excursions include catered meals.
Camping
Lake Nacimiento has seven campgrounds with varying amenities from full service to primitive sites. Jerkwater has group canoe and camping trips for scouts, youth groups, church groups, schools and cooperative event groups. The Colorado River offers campers many different types of sites, including well-established grounds with hookups and primitive wilderness areas. The California Canoe and Kayak website features a calendar of coming trips and classes, from canoeing basics to whitewater rafting expeditions.
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