Canoeing on Standley Lake

I am always interested in a new adventure and this Sunday faced with the prospect of entertaining the kids at the Lake Arbor pool or trying out rentals at Standley Lake, I hopped at the later.

Standley Lake is well known in the area as a water skiing venue.  They have a lottery for 500 permits a year at a cost of $850.  They don’t have a swim beach, much less offer open water swimming.  However there is a cove on the Northwest corner that is very popular for non-motorized crafts.  We originally considered stand up paddleboards but were taken aback by the $15/hour 2 hour minimum rate.  For the two of us and the two kids that would amount to around $60, plus $7 park entrance.  We then discovered that the canoes are designed for 3 adults and were only $10/hour 2 hour minimum rate.

The staff was very helpful and after getting set up with lifejackets and paddles, they helped us push off.  We took a leisurely glide past a small island of nesting birds and then cruised about in a cove.  We ended up going up and down this route twice over the course of about 90 minutes.  We had a big dose of sunshine and a fun little adventure.  Paddling a canoe is a lot more strenuous than a kayak or stand up paddleboard.  However the canoe is certainly a lot more stable also.