These kayak trip destinations are excerpted from “Make Your Escape: Weekend Adventure Guide” in Adventure Kayak magazine. 

Alouette Lake, BC.

Fringed by the towering peaks of the Coast Range, 20-kilometer-long Alouette Lake has 
a distinctly alpine feel. Golden Ears Provincial Park features three lakeside backcountry campsites for overnight trips. env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/golden_ears/

Door County, WI.

The chain of islands that shelters Green Bay on Lake Michigan’s western shore offers a number
of options for sea kayaking. Newport and Rock Island state parks are solid choices for weekend trips. Guide to Sea Kayaking on Lakes Superior and Michigan (Globe Pequot, 1999) is your best bet for route descriptions.

Thousand Islands, 
ON.

In First Nations lore, the islands of Lake Ontario’s eastern end were the petals of heavenly flowers. Today, the Thousand Islands Water Trail highlights nine paddling routes from Kingston to Brockville. explorethearch.ca

Maine Island Trail, ME.

A weekend trip barely ripples
 the surface of options for sea kayaking along this vast 350-mile-long swath of the Eastern Seaboard. Weigh the countless options at mita.org.

Gulf Islands, BC.

Every day feels like a weekend in British Columbia’s Gulf Islands National Park. Route options
 are endless depending on your skill and objectives, with Parks Canada boat-only campsites located on Cabbage, D’Arcy, Portland, Prevost and Rum islands. pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/gulf/index_e.asp

This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2009. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.