Great Summer Kayak and Canoing Trips in Southwest Washington

The Pacific Northwest has loads of amazing kayak opportunities, and the Vancouver, Washington region is no exception. Check out these great summer kayak and canoe trips, all within 20 minutes or so of Vancouver.

Vancouver Lake
Vancouver Lake is enormous. Look at any map of the area and you'll see just how huge this body of water is. Few, if any boaters use this lake, other than a few sailboats, and it can be a very peaceful place to paddle during the day. The Vancouver Lake Park is decently developed, but miles of shoreline go unexplored and offer great opportunities for anglers, birdwatchers and photographers from kayak or canoe. The lake is fairly shallow, something that has caused the local parks department considerable concern ("eutrophication") but it is still a fun place to visit. Check it out at 6801 NW Lower River Road.

Horseshoe Lake
North of Vancouver, in the town of Woodland, Washington, is Horseshoe Lake. Visible from busy I-5, this lake is nonetheless a relaxing place to paddle a kayak, canoe or inflatable boat on. Parking is free and a boat launch makes setting off in the water easy. I usually would recommend a stream, river or creek for kayaking, but I've made an exception with Horseshoe Lake, as it is different than most local ponds and lakes. Horseshoe is an oxbow lake and used to be part of the North Fork of the Lewis River. From what I understand, this oxbow was cut off from the river when Interstate 5 was built. Now, the lake offers a great place to relax, boat, picnic, fish and photograph. Few people venture around the oxbow loop to the east side of the lake, and I suggest doing this if you like to explore. The only downside of Horseshoe is that motor boats are permitted, so bear this in mind if you are not comfortable dealing with the occasional boat wake. I've taken an inflatable raft (Sevylor Fish Hunter) on the lake in the summer and been ok, but it is still important to be extremely cautious about the other boaters. Take the Woodland Exit off of I-5, about 15 minutes north of Vancouver, and turn left off the exit ramp. Horseshoe Lake park is relatively-well marked and in less than a mile down the road on your left.

Lake River
Is it a lake or a river? This slough, known interestingly enough as Lake River, connect the Columbia River to Vancouver Lake. Two major docks and boat launch areas on it are found at Felida (western part of the town of Vancouver) and in Ridgefield, Washington. The Ridgefield launch is considerably more well-developed and easier to access, but I have been to both launches and enjoyed them. Fishing opportunities abound in Lake River and many small boaters enjoy doing this as they travel up and down it. Kayaking Lake River is super popular, be sure to check with the Ridgefield Kayak shop for information on tides, best routes and scenic spots. Lake River does receive fairly heavy pleasure boat traffic during the summer, especially the Ridgefield to Columbia River stretch, but many kayakers still float it every summer. For a quieter stretch, consider going from Ridgegield down Vancouver Lake, or paddling from Felida up to Ridgefield, perhaps even stopping to explore the intriguing mouth of Salmon Creek where it feeds into Lake River. Either way, be sure to check out Lake River and all the boating possibilities in the area. The address of the Felida launch is at 4911 Nw 122nd St and the Lake River launch is at the Ridgefield boat docks, just west of downtown Ridgefield.