Our national parks are filled with dramatic lakes, rivers, and shorelines. While most people see them from dry land, many others have discovered the benefits of seeing these parks from the water and getting a totally different perspective.
The following national parks allow guided boat tours, usually run by concessionaires operating within or outside the park. Some of those outfitters also offer motorboat and canoe/kayak rentals if you prefer to do your own thing.
Kenai Fjords, Alaska
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Seeing this park from the sea provides a perspective of mountains, glaciers, and inlets that most people never behold. While you’re out there, keep a lookout for whales surfacing for air.
Glacier Bay, Alaska
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One of the most epic water journeys in the country is right here among the icy coastal waters where bluish icebergs calved from massive glaciers float all about. The most common way to experience this is by cruise lines or guided day trips, but sea kayaking is also popular and gets you even closer to everything.
Hawaii Volcanoes, Hawaii
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Among our country’s most dramatic sights is the lava flows from Kilauea pouring directly into the Pacific Ocean. Many people make an overland hike to a rocky viewing area to see this, but guided boat tours get you much closer. The best time to go is sunset; after the sun goes down but before it gets dark, the lava positively glows while you can still see the cliffs and waters around it.
Crater Lake, Oregon
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The guided tour out to Wizard Island in this magnificently blue lake is a class. You’ll have to put it on hold for a few years, though; as the marina area is under reconstruction right now and lake access isn’t allowed.
Channel Islands, California
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You have to get to these islands off the L.A. coast, but once you’re there, the watery adventures are just beginning. Guided tours and shuttles let you see more of the islands and can get you to remote areas and trailheads.
Glacier, Montana
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In Glacier, you can take boat tours on four lakes: McDonald, St. Mary, Two Medicine, and Swiftcurrent. People also use the Two Medicine boat ride to shave hiking distance off destinations like Twin Falls, Two Medicine Pass, and the Pitamakan-Dawson loop. The Swiftcurrent tour can shorten the Grinnell Glacier hike and also involves a ride across a second lake.
Yellowstone, Wyoming
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Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-altitude lake in the country. Scenic boat tours yield views of surrounding mountains. Make sure you have a jacket, even in summer; the lake is wide open and usually really breezy out on it and along its shores.
Voyageurs, Minnesota
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The vast majority of this park is a series of interconnected lakes and the islands on them. Without going on a boat tour, you basically experience just about nothing of the park. Boat shuttles can also drop you off on some of the islands so that you can hike and camp on them.
Apostle Islands, Wisconsin
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This national lakeshore on Lake Superior is famous for its islands riddled with sea caves. Boat tours get you close to them, but with a sea kayak, you can get even closer and even enter some of them.
Isle Royale, Michigan
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Isle Royale National Park is out in Lake Superior. Because it’s so remote and access is only by boat, ferry, or seaplane, it’s one of the least-visited national parks. Once you’re there, though, boat trips can give you awesome access to the coves and inlets along its shores.
Pictured Rocks, Michigan
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Another national lakeshore on Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks is named for its rugged lakeshore cliffs, many of which have caves in them. It also has some of the tallest sand dunes in the Midwest.
Biscayne, Florida
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Almost all of this park is under the sea, where there’s an extensive system of beautiful coral reefs. Unless you’re a snorkeler or scuba diver, the best way to see them is to go on a glass-bottom boat tour where you can get a good look at the reefs and the marine life they support.
Everglades, Florida
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With much of the park being a slow-moving river, mangrove swamps, and the waters of Florida Bay, it’s hard to appreciate the landscapes without getting on a boat. Tours can take you past remote islands out in the bay and into trailless areas where you can view the abundant wildlife.
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