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 | Sea Kayaking Hot Spots |
| By Michelle Fama |
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| The Outerbanks |
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 | North Carolina |
Don't just drive by it on your way to other destinations like Nags Head or Swansboro. To get the full experience of North Carolina's coastal beauty, all senses must be utilized. Taste the salt on your lips, feel the Atlantic wind through your hair and touch the shallow waters all in your ocean vehicle - your sea kayak. Because of its 4,650 square miles of sounds and estuaries, North Carolina is brimming with opportunities for sea kayaking. Choose the Rachel Carson Estuarine Sanctuary and frolick with wild ponies and tons of shorebirds. Or slide through Bear Island, home to one of North Carolina's prettiest beaches, Hammocks Beach, where the giant loggerhead turtle comes to next. Pea Island is yet another hot destination, composed of 12 miles of pristine, unspoiled beach, dunes, salt marshes, brackish waterways and tons of tidal creeks and bays. Wildlife abounds here so don't forget the binoculars!
| Down East Islands |
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| Maine |
Kayakers on the smooth waters of the islands |
The smooth, serene coast of Maine offers 920 miles of some of the most rugged shorelines in the Atlantic seaboard with hidden coves, cobble beaches, and dramatic headlands. The offshore wildlife is abundant as well with nesting endangered and common seabirds. The Down East Islands in particular is the place to slice your kayak through - each of the 255 islands offer unique charm and character. Expect unpredictability and risk at this prime destination as tides severely fluctuate, fog can engulf you at a moments notice and there is always the chance of hypothermia if you happen to fall in the frigid waters. Nevertheless, the peace and calm that sweeps over you as you silently glide by classic lighthouses hidden by the dense fog, or meditate to the trance of the lapping waves is unforgettable.
| Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore |
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| Michigan |
The pictured rocks of Pictured Rock National Lakeshore tower like stone castles for about 15 miles along the southern shore of Lake Superior. These miles of colorful sandstone rock formations rising 50-200 feet high and long stretches of white sand beach are two of the reasons that sea kayaking is growing in popularity at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. From a kayak, you can slip up beside the towering cliffs, explore caves, pull under water seeps, and explore the multi-colored details of the shoreline bedrock. Kayakers often begin their trips in the Munising area, which provides quicker access to cliff sections of the shoreline. Popular kayak put-in points include Sand Point, Miners Beach, the Munising Municipal Boat Ramp, and Grand Island Landing. Access points at the east end of the park include Twelvemile Beach Campground, Hurricane River Campground, and the Grand Marais Marina.
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