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When most people think of kayaking, they think of wilderness lakes and rivers or natural coastal settings. But urban kayaking in and around big cities can be just as exhilarating.

“People ask me that all the time,” says Ted Choi, owner of San Francisco’s City Kayak. “They basically assume that kayaking in a natural setting is the best thing—but urban kayaking is amazingly beautiful.”

National Geographic Adventure put together a list of the Top 10 Cities for Urban Kayaking. These cities all have outfitters that will hook you up with a kayak for the day (and a guided tour if you don't want to go it alone) so you can enjoy the cityscape from an entirely different angle.

Top 10 Cities for Urban Kayaking


San Francisco - City Kayak offers rentals and a guided 3.5 mile guided Alcatraz tour. If you want to find some solitude, just head out of the Bay and into the open ocean.

Chicago - Rent a kayak from Kayak Chicago and/or take one of their guided nighttime paddles of the Chicago river.

Washington, D.C. - Jack's Boathouse will hook you up with an affordable rental and then you can paddle the Potomac upstream to the "Wilds of Virginia" or with the current to the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

Pittsburgh - Kayak Pittsburgh rents kayaks from several different locations around the city so you can explore the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers any which way you please.

Portland, Maine - Both Maine Island Kayak Company and H20 Outfitters offer half and full day kayak trips around Portland, with perks like shipwreck sightseeing, lobster dinners and more.

Boston - You can paddle around Boston all year round with Charles River Canoe & Kayak, even in the cold New England winter.

New York City - Kayaking around NYC is not a whole lot less hectic than driving around it, but at least you're out on the water. And you can't beat the views from the Hudson River. Rent from the New York Kayak Company.

Portland, Oregon - Explore the beauty of Portland from a kayak by renting a kayak at the Portland Kayak Company, paddling around and parking it at the River Park Marina for lunch.

Seattle - Quite possibly the most beautiful city to see from the water, Seattle is a great place to paddle. The sunset cruise with Alki Kayak Tours is supposed to be great and you've also got the Sound and its killer whales.

Toronto - Harbourfront Canoe Kayak Center is NG Adventure's top pick for Canadian urban kayaking. Explore the northern coast of Lake Ontario and the 13 islands that make up Toronto Harbor.

Check out our Kayaking Guide and get paddling!