I’m biased toward Duluth. Bwca, quetico, and as others have mentioned, access to wabakimi and other Canadian canoeing gems.
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Happy Winter Solstice! 🌇🌃
Best Places to Live in the US for Canoeing?
- Thread starter Jmharrick
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My locale isn't bad. I live in the Upper Connecticut River Valley. I have direct access to the Connecticut River Paddler's Trail (and the Appalachian Trail if you like to walk), which gives me water access to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Whitewater is available on multiple small rivers in either NH or VT, and the ADKs are less than half a day's drive, as is much of ME. Interstates 91 and 89 cross within a few miles of my house, so I'm also 2 hours from the Boston or Hartford (CT) airports, with smaller airports (Burlington, VT or Manchester, NH) even closer. Montreal, for that Euro feel, is 3 hours away, and there's daily bus service (6 hrs one way) to NYC if that's your gig.
Housing ain't cheap though.
Housing ain't cheap though.
That's what turns me off on so many places. Growing up in a rural community I'm used to very low house and property values. I know our house values are not normal when compared to the rest of the country but they're normal to me and it's hard to think of selling my really nice property here and then moving somewhere else where I'd have to spend 3 times as much for less.
A quick Google search found a nice looking home at the end of a dead end road with an attached apartment just outside Bemidji on 6 acres of land along the Mississippi River for $365,000.
5125 Sherman Dr NE, Bemidji, MN 56601 | MLS #6554944 | Zillow
This 2361 square feet Mobile / Manufactured home has 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It is located at 5125 Sherman Dr NE, Bemidji, MN.
www.zillow.com
I consider that kind of pricey but not too bad for what you get and probably not attainable in many other parts of the country.
Alan
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I think cost of living is paramount for me as well. If I can live cheaply enough, I can get to the good canoeing waters. Happily, the cheapest cost of living is also small town / rural communities which suits me perfectly.
I recently looked at some property along the Greenbriar & Little Kanawha in WV and the Congaree (SC). Waterfront is expensive everywhere.
I recently looked at some property along the Greenbriar & Little Kanawha in WV and the Congaree (SC). Waterfront is expensive everywhere.
Thanks everyone for all the replies. It’s interesting to see all the different perspectives.
I have strongly considered the Adirondacks. I really like it there, and all the seasonal activities I like can be done close by. The cons for me are It gets pricey near the towns with decent schools for the kids, property taxes suck, and I’m not a huge fan of firearm policy in NYS. Those things won’t completely deter me, but they do make me want to consider other options.
I’ve been talking with my wife and she wants to stay within a reasonable drive (8-9 hrs) of her parents who live in the northern panhandle of WV where we grew up. That will kill places like Minnesota and Maine even though I know they would be pretty cool.
I’ve started doing a little research into northern Michigan and it looks like there is some potential there. There’s always WV too, where we are from, and we are also both WVU grads so it would be like a homecoming. It’s a beautiful state with some great outdoor perks, but there aren’t any natural lakes in the state (only reservoirs), and I’d be getting a little farther away from Canada which I love visiting.
It’s going to be tough making a decision. Maybe just buy a motorhome with starlink and homeschool the kids while traveling to all these awesome places? If anyone has advice for selling that one to the wife I’m all ears.
-Jake
I have strongly considered the Adirondacks. I really like it there, and all the seasonal activities I like can be done close by. The cons for me are It gets pricey near the towns with decent schools for the kids, property taxes suck, and I’m not a huge fan of firearm policy in NYS. Those things won’t completely deter me, but they do make me want to consider other options.
I’ve been talking with my wife and she wants to stay within a reasonable drive (8-9 hrs) of her parents who live in the northern panhandle of WV where we grew up. That will kill places like Minnesota and Maine even though I know they would be pretty cool.
I’ve started doing a little research into northern Michigan and it looks like there is some potential there. There’s always WV too, where we are from, and we are also both WVU grads so it would be like a homecoming. It’s a beautiful state with some great outdoor perks, but there aren’t any natural lakes in the state (only reservoirs), and I’d be getting a little farther away from Canada which I love visiting.
It’s going to be tough making a decision. Maybe just buy a motorhome with starlink and homeschool the kids while traveling to all these awesome places? If anyone has advice for selling that one to the wife I’m all ears.
-Jake
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Good luck with that.
BTW: 8-9 hrs of flight time can get you pretty far from her folks.
(a word of caution when any advice involves a spouse: I've been happily divorced for far longer than I was happily married)
Reading this post and rereading first post points me to north central or north eastern Pennsylvania. Close to WV, half day to a day to Adirondacks, a days drive to Maine, and lots of outdoors. Mostly river opportunities. Isolated lakes. Have never lived there but family home back to early 1800s, and brother lives in 1840 house.
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I would rent a place in the area prior to setting down roots in a new area. Get a feel for the area, the people, the political leanings, what passes for local entertainment and ease of getting the kinds of groceries that you prefer. Get a good feel for what the area, does it fit your lifestyle when not canoeing. Easier to drive a few thousand miles with a canoe on the roof of your car for a vacation than to move there permanently.
In some of the smaller towns the local inhabitants will be suspicious of new comers for one-two generations (they ain’t from around these parts).
Find out how much snow that you can expect to shovel or blow and how often.
My first new neighbors were from a totally different places. The first meetings were also last meetings. One wanted to know what we were going to do about the road, their little car was getting stuck. Had no idea about four wheel drive or chaining up. Another came over to get me to sign up for a neighborhood watch program, I didn’t have a lock on my door, had never given a thought to burglary. After the first winter of -50° weather that lasted long enough, that the Governor of Alaska declared a state of emergency, these totally unprepared people moved back to where they came from.
If you are one color of political party don’t move to an area that votes overwhelmingly for another other color.
In some of the smaller towns the local inhabitants will be suspicious of new comers for one-two generations (they ain’t from around these parts).
Find out how much snow that you can expect to shovel or blow and how often.
My first new neighbors were from a totally different places. The first meetings were also last meetings. One wanted to know what we were going to do about the road, their little car was getting stuck. Had no idea about four wheel drive or chaining up. Another came over to get me to sign up for a neighborhood watch program, I didn’t have a lock on my door, had never given a thought to burglary. After the first winter of -50° weather that lasted long enough, that the Governor of Alaska declared a state of emergency, these totally unprepared people moved back to where they came from.
If you are one color of political party don’t move to an area that votes overwhelmingly for another other color.
Definitely not here in southern Idaho. With the hoards moving in, living expenses have exploded and roads are congested. Some pretty good whitewater canoeing, but it's all day trips locally. No lakes with portages between - mostly high mountain lakes and reservoirs. Few local-ish multi-day trips. If you're really skilled, there's the River of No Return, but it's a lottery permit.
Here in the West, I'd say central Oregon (far outside of Bend because that's expensive). Lots of nice mountain lakes and streams plenty of whitewater, several possible river trips up to five days. But you still have to deal with the Portland crowd.
You'd think norther Idaho would be great, but Spokane is just across the border. That said, it's a short trip to BC - but that would apply to Washington and Montana also. Which brings western Montana to mind. Yeah..... possibly better than Oregon, unless you want access to the coast.
Here in the West, I'd say central Oregon (far outside of Bend because that's expensive). Lots of nice mountain lakes and streams plenty of whitewater, several possible river trips up to five days. But you still have to deal with the Portland crowd.
You'd think norther Idaho would be great, but Spokane is just across the border. That said, it's a short trip to BC - but that would apply to Washington and Montana also. Which brings western Montana to mind. Yeah..... possibly better than Oregon, unless you want access to the coast.
I’d say Maine. Ely is too crowded nowadays.
The season in the PNW is long. People fish for salmon and steelhead all year near the Coast.
I would never choose Ely, but there are many areas within an easy drive of great paddling in Northern Minnesota that would be very desirable.
As a person who has spent their life running around northern Michigan I can say, without reservation regarding canoeing, .......boring. Narrow, twisty, sweeper filled streams. Lake Michigan is boring to canoe on, Lake Superior will try to kill you but it's nice. The larger lakes are the size of the parking lot at Little Tupper and as the pressure increases it only gets worse. My favorite river - where I had not seen another person in 20 years (yes, 20) now has 15 camps and more on the way. Now, all that being said, it's a short drive to Ontario..................
Years ago a friend and I were starting to research rivers for a paddling guide to NW Washington. One cold, rainy fall day we were putting in at a local river, and saw a steelhead fisherman across the way. I thought "what a miserable day to go fishing", as we slid the canoe into the water. We for sure didn't bring anything back to grill...
Have you done the Manistique on the UP? It’s nice during the week and after 9/1. Wildlife area nearby. Au Sable is crowded and too developed for me. The Fox was nice before the big fire. The outfitter’s place burned up and he was under insured, so it would take a diy shuttle. Wife and I used to do vacations in UP, but now prefer Northern WI. Ontario has some good places but too far for us.
Yes and yes. Used to fish for steelhead on the Manistique - can't believe how busy it is now. The Au Sable is so busy now - used to do overnite trips about 30 years ago. Fox was great, but I have flashbacks of the horror show I witnessed (heard) when an owl nabbed a rabbit right outside of the latrine I was using. The brookie fishing used to be pretty good. I do have some others areas I will canoe but I am saving those when my back is completely shot so the walk to the water will be shorter.
The Two Hearted River not the Fox. I misspoke. The Fox drains into the Manistique, and is the river Hemingway wrote about but used the sexier “Two Hearted River” name in his story. I will forever mix them up. I always go in September to avoid crowds. That’s becoming the norm everywhere in the Great Lakes area, even BWCA now. Shame. Anyone who says population growth doesn’t matter in conservation is delusional.
The campground at the mouth of the Two Hearted can be a steelhead fisherman ghetto in the fall, wind beaten and cold. I stayed there once in a camper and swore off doing it again due to wind. No wonder the whole area burned up so quick.
I knew what you were referring to river-wise. That's been a thing for years. I have been fishing at the mouth, and it can be busy with "sportsman" so I avoided for years. But yes, the wind can be an issue - I've fished there with my typical cold weather gear but you just can't avoid that wind. It is a nasty one.
Yeah, I need something bigger for my dog. I don’t think I’d take it on a rocky river.
Except that you live on the wrong side of the river. ;-)My locale isn't bad. I live in the Upper Connecticut River Valley. I have direct access to the Connecticut River Paddler's Trail (and the Appalachian Trail if you like to walk), which gives me water access to the Northern Forest Canoe Trail. Whitewater is available on multiple small rivers in either NH or VT, and the ADKs are less than half a day's drive, as is much of ME. Interstates 91 and 89 cross within a few miles of my house, so I'm also 2 hours from the Boston or Hartford (CT) airports, with smaller airports (Burlington, VT or Manchester, NH) even closer. Montreal, for that Euro feel, is 3 hours away, and there's daily bus service (6 hrs one way) to NYC if that's your gig.
Housing ain't cheap though.
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