On September 11, 2024 Kyle Parker set a speed record in solo canoeing the Wisconsin River, paddling the 430-mile river in just five days, 19 hours and 57 minutes. The record attempt itself was prompted in part by Parker’s desire to paddle the Wisconsin River in its entirety while working within the confines of his available time off from work.
For summer 2025, Parker quit his job to paddle across the continental United States from the northwesternmost point at Cape Flattery, Washington to the southeasternmost point at Miami, Florida. He departed on the journey in April, 2025.
Wisconsin river solo canoeing speed record holder to canoe across America
Parker’s change in pace comes in part as a result of the Fastest Known Time (FKT) experience:
“I cruised through all of Wisconsin and didn’t really get a chance to experience the river,” Parker explained. “I didn’t get to take my time or do any fishing or meet people along the way.”
Parker’s route will take him from the Salish Sea in Washington State up to the Columbia River, over the Continental Divide and onto the Missouri, Ohio, and Tennessee Rivers and eventually along the coast of Alabama and all the way to Florida. Approximately 250 of these miles before the Missouri River alone are portaging, including a 150-mile portage of the Continental Divide. Parker also shared that the route was just as influenced by where he wanted to fish along the way as it was influenced by topography and path of least resistance.
Before Parker left for the trip, a friend asked him if he thought America would feel bigger or smaller after paddling across the continent:
“That’s something I’m really interested in figuring out,” Parker shared. “I’m going to be traveling at three miles an hour, but at the end of the day after doing the whole thing it might feel like the United States is actually kind of small.”
Kyle Parker thinks you should quit your job to go paddle this summer
While Parker quit his job to paddle, he worked two jobs all winter to make the trip financially feasible before taking the leap into a canoe for the next few months.
“I kind of found my dream isn’t to work and live a normal life, at least right now,” Parker explained. “I want to see the world. I want to be out in the wild and doing whatever I want.”
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Parker shared that while for the most part people are excited for him and encouraging of his mission, some have doubts.
“I’ve talked to some people that aren’t really paddlers and they’re like, that’s impossible,” said Parker. “For me, the people that are not encouraging are actually the ones encouraging me the most. I like it when people say ‘I don’t think you can do that’. Like, alright, we’ll see about that.”
Parker also shared that while some might see a trip like this as impossible, trips that require additional training and logistics might be more feasible than the average paddler realizes.
“I want to show people that it takes a little bit of planning and a little bit training and some hard work, but if you want something you can get it,” Parker shared. “You just have to start planning. That’s it. Figure out a route, figure out what you want to do and then just start, because I’ll put it this way, how do you eat an elephant? You eat it one bite at a time.”
Parker expects the journey to take six to eight months.
Follow Parker’s progress on his live tracker or on his social media.
You guys should reference “Paddle for Water” a memoir book describing in detail two young adult similar in age to Parker who decided to paddle across America (mid-80’s) for a the purpose of bringing attention to Water and how Damns impacted many things. These people should be recognized by Paddle Mag too because they helped set the wheels in motion for the Damns to come crashing down and bring back wild rivers for many fish species and dependent wild life that have long been lost. But most importantly bring back tamer rivers allowing canoeing to regain a foot hold as an American water sport. I can’t want for all 4 damns of the Klamath river to be deconstructed this summer giving me peaceful waters to canoe while the wild Salmon return to their historical spawning grounds. Parker’s story is cool but it’s personal for him and I see it as a positive to help shine light on his predecessors so they can finally be recognized.