Canoers and kayakers have almost limitless options here: picturesque rivers, sandy coastlines, marshes, mangroves, and gigantic Lake Okeechobee. Exceptional trails run through several parks and wildlife preserves, including Everglades National Park, the J. N. ("Ding") Darling National Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel Island, and the Briggs Nature Center, on the edge of the Everglades near Marco Island.

According to the Florida state legislature, however, the state's official "Canoe Capital" is the Panhandle town of Milton, on U.S. 90 near Pensacola. Up there, Blackwater River, Coldwater River, Sweetwater Creek, and Juniper Creek are perfect for tubing, rafting, and paddleboating, as well as canoeing and kayaking.

Another good venue is the waterways winding through the marshes between Amelia Island and the mainland.

Many conservation groups throughout the state offer half-day, full-day, and overnight canoe trips. For example, The Conservancy of Naples (tel. 239/262-0304; www.conservancy.org) has a popular series of moonlight canoe trips through the mangroves, among other programs.

Based during the winter at Everglades City, on the park's western border, North American Canoe Tours, Inc. (tel. 239/695-4666 Nov-Apr, or 860/739-0791 May-Oct; www.evergladesadventures.com), offers weeklong guided canoe expeditions through the Everglades.

Thirty-six creek and river trails, covering 950 miles altogether, are itemized in the excellent free Canoe Trails booklet published by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Communications, 3900 Commonwealth Blvd., Tallahassee, FL 32399 (tel. 850/488-2960; www.dep.state.fl.us).

Specialized guidebooks include A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to the Streams of Florida: Volume 1, North Central Florida and Panhandle, by Elizabeth F. Carter and John L. Eearch, and Volume 2, Central and Southern Peninsula, by Lou Glaros and Dough Sphar. Both are published by Menasha Ridge Press (www.menasharidge.com).