We knew we were being watched. We skimmed across the water, with our paddle blades rising and falling in a quick cadence. From its tall perch atop a pine, a bald eagle slowly rotated its white-feathered head and kept its eyes on us as we paddled further across Menokin Bay towards Cat Point Creek.

A cleaner Chesapeake Bay watershed. That's the goal of a multi-state agreement written to focus on restoring and protecting the bay and its feeder streams. If it succeeds, it would benefit a good number of National Park System units, foremost the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail that touches parts of Virginia, Delaware, Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Rivers run fast and tumbling throughout the National Park System, there are streams with lazy meanders, and placid lakes perfect for dipping a paddle. This diversity poses a delightful dilemma when you have the urge to float and paddle. What follows is just a sampling of the experiences that await you, whether you have hundreds of watery miles under your paddle, or are looking for calm waters to take your youngsters.

Along its thousands of miles of shoreline, across its wide waters, and inside its secluded backwaters, the Chesapeake Bay watershed offers a rich and diverse playground, one that should become easier to navigate thanks to a campaign launched in conjunction with the National Park Service's release of its Chesapeake Bay Watershed Access Plan.