The National Water Trails System currently includes 18 trails in Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Washington, and Wisconsin for a total of 2,674.2 miles of NWT.

There still remains, in this heavily developed country, a place where a river runs free, unfettered by a dam and surrounded by wilderness. Look towards northwestern Colorado and northeastern Utah. That’s Dinosaur National Monument, with the Green and Yampa rivers.

We started paddling from the south end of Ross Lake just as a breeze began to riffle the blue-green water. By the time we were ready to stop for lunch an hour later, the north wind straight out of Canada had whipped the calm waters into a froth of whitecaps. So instead of picnicking on the beach, we gobbled down some energy bars and fought our way north through the chop.

If you’re trying to find your way off of the Los Angeles freeways, away from the urban crowds, just offshore is an island wilderness waiting for you. Channel Islands National Park is close, wild, and beautiful. These five islands, just 18 miles from Ventura, beckon to those with a need for quiet and solitude.