To best see the countryside in Louisiana, you have to do it by water—about 15 percent of the state’s 52,000 square miles is lakes, swamps, marshlands, rivers, canals and bayous—so grab your paddle and read below for ideas to canoe, kayak or paddle your way through the state.

In north Louisiana, Dorcheat Bayou in Webster Parish, a short drive from Shreveport, offers spectacular views of hardwood, cypress and tupelo forests. Or, try an eight-mile path through a 1,000-year-old cypress swamp in Bayou Bartholomew.

Depending on seasonal water levels, you can find whitewater paddling and excellent fishing in Sabine Parish’s Toro Bayou in central Louisiana. Additionally, Kisatchie National Forest’s Kisatchie Bayou in Natchitoches Parish is a haven for paddlers and hikers alike.

The Cajun Coast Paddling Trails are seven routes through 170,000 acres of designated wildlife management areas in the southwest area of the state—ideal for birding paddlers. Lake Fausse Point State Park in the Atchafalaya Basin near St. Martinville has marked paddle paths as wells as nice overnight cabins.

Around the capital region, Tickfaw State Park near Springfield offers paddlers the opportunity to explore scenic swamps and forests. The Tangipahoa River near Independence, long known as a destination for south Louisiana river tubing, is also a serene setting for a canoe trek.

In the Greater New Orleans area, The Kenta Canal in the Barataria Preserve near Jean Lafitte was once a cypress logging site. Now its users are paddlers—and alligators. The Bogue Chitto National Wildlife Refuge north of Slidell in St. Tammany Parish offers wonderful paddling and even better wildlife watching.

Visit LouisianaTravel.com to plan your paddling adventure.