"Todd" wrote in message
. net...
i'm a beginner, so smoother water is what i'm looking for right now.
lakes,
rivers or shorelines that can accomodate beginners would be great.

thanks,
todd
You should do two things. First, check out some books on the
subject, such as "Garden State Canoeing", "Exploring the Little Rivers of
NJ", or "Canoeing the NJ Pine Barrens". These are likely to be in local
libraries and EMS carries them as well as Barnes & Noble, etc. Those cover
rivers fairly well. There's a Quiet Water Guide to NJ which covers lakes
but it is badly flawed with misinformation and I can't recommend it.
Second of all, look into some of the paddling clubs in NJ. Ignore
the words "paddling" or "canoe"; they comprise both kinds of paddling...
Garden State Canoe Club, Mohawk Canoe Club, Hackensack, Hunterdon, OCSJ,
Appalachian Mountain Club, etc. etc. They are great sources of
knowledgeable and friendly paddlers who know the rivers, how to run
shuttles, and offer instruction and companionship. Email me backchannel if
you want more info...
In the meantime, for lakes, try Monksville Reservoir, Spruce Run and
Round Valley reservoirs, Lake Carnegie near Princeton, or Assunpink south of
Hightstown...

Joe Pylka