Where to canoe in California or within a days travel?

[Ecoman]

My wife, daughter and I are planning on taking a trip to California to visit her family (my wife is from LA originally). Her family live in San Bernardino, not far from Great Bear Lake. We have said we will all get to go something we really want to do while we are there as we don't often get chance to have a holiday like this. We have said we will take Heather to Disneyland as she has been on about going for a few years and as much as I detest Disney I'm happy to make the sacrifice of a few days there (its her holiday too after all). Cathy has made a list of places she wants to visit and has suggested she might like to do a spot of canoeing which is exactly what I wanted to do.

Now I have looked all around California and it seems everywhere caters for kayaks but nobody seems to do canoes. I have found one based on the Colorado River in Arizona but fancied a bit more greenery. I don't want to do white water canoeing or anything extreme as I will have my 6 year old daughter with me and I want her to enjoy it as much as us.

Does anybody have any suggestions as to where we might try to find a guided canoe tour that would take no more than 2 or 3 days?

I have even thought about flying to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming as I have always wanted to go there but if we could find something in California e.g. Yosemite National Park or similar than we would take that instead.

Any help would be greatly received.

 

[santaman2000]

I haven't verified any of these, but it might be a place to start? www.yellowpages.com/guerneville-ca/canoes-kayaks

 

[Ecoman]

Thanks Santaman, I have tried that already and I'm about half way through the list. The only one that looks promising is Burke's.

 

[santaman2000]

Sorry. I could help you a bit more if it were here in the panhandle. At least help SLIGHTLY. I really don't knoe of too many liveries that do guided canoe trips, just canoe rental for self guided floats downriver. There are several here (no whitewater at all in Florida) of varying lengths from a half day to overnight. The shorter ones are also popular to do without a canoe but rather on an inner tube.

 

[Ecoman]

Not to worry Santaman thanks for trying, It's not the end of the world if I can't find something as I will just hire one and do a self tour, down river instead. We were preferably wanting an overnighter though.

I did notice that the southern states have a few places that do canoe tours which interests me.

Although we have seriously been talking about extending the holiday and flying to Canada half way through the second week an and doing it properly on a 5 day tour! lol

 

[santaman2000]

Canoeing can be fun down here; but TBH, if you've a chance to get a proper guided, extended tour in Canada----well I can't think of any reason not to jump on the chance!

 

[Ecoman]

Looks like we have found an ideal canoeing holiday in Canada. We both looked at the itinerary and said "YES"! which is not usual for us. We usually bicker about the finer points but couldn't fault it this time. Its a 7 day guided tour that takes in foraging, local flora and fauna, camping, log cabins and 5 days of canoeing and they allow children of six and over (many of the tour companies have a minimum age of 10). So we have decided to split our holidays and do Canada in August/September instead.

We are now going to shorten the first trip and just do the bare essentials so its LA, Disneyland and San Bernardino and maybe a trip to Yosemite National Park or San Diego.

Cor Blimey, 2 holidays in one year...Its like a dream come true....OK who wants to buy a kidney?

 

[santaman2000]

LOL. I live on this continent and I can't afford that. Hope you have a great time. Be sure to post a trip report with pix.

 

[Ecoman]

Don't know if we can yet but I'm working on it!!!

 

[Chainsaw]

I do a bit of sea kayaking up in the SF bay area, and the guys at http://www.calkayak.com/ hire canoes. I think they carried wenonahs. They are bloomin expensive though and mandate capsize training, double kayak may be another option, bit more efficient and a doddle to pick up in most places. You can also rent canoes up in Lake Tahoe. Sorry most of this is NorCal but it's closer than canada

Have you thought about a river rafting trip instead? I'm taking the family on one of these out there this year down the rivers NW of yosemite, (there is no way I'd get them canoeing...) There is no canoeing in Yosemite and the rafting is more of a 'lazy river' exercise...

HTH

Alan