Paddling: Pontiac Bay to St. Edwards Park

I am often inviting family and friends along for a leisurely afternoon paddle, so I'm always on the lookout for rental locations. When taking the scenic route home along Sand Point Way, I'd noticed a building with a half dozen brightly colored plastic kayaks propped up on the roof, as if to say "we rent kayaks here!". A little sleuthing and I discovered that, indeed, Seattle Raft & Kayak has an outfitter and rental shop in the Magnuson Park complex.

When the next occasion arose to take some folks out, I took them to this very spot. Seattle Raft & Kayak has a nice fleet of plastic sea kayaks for rent and a wonderful boat launch. From that spot, you can paddle south around Magnuson Park, across the lake east to Kirkland, or north to Saint Edward's Park. We chose to paddle towards St. Edward's Park. The round trip is about 2-2.5 miles and is quite easy. The coast along the park has an underwater kelp forest and is off limits to motor boats. There you'll find a quiet habitat for water fowl and maybe some peace of mind.