Want to retrace history in a canoe or kayak? Then grab your paddles and hit the newly mapped Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a 740-mile-long water trail that follows historic Native American travel routes as it threads its way across the Adirondacks, upper Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, with a brief foray into Quebec. The 78 waterways, detailed in a series of 13 maps and dubbed by some “a water version of the Appalachian Trail,” range from streams and ponds to rapids and large lakes. Though a few hard-core adventurers can paddle the length of the Old Forge, New York, to Fort Kent, Maine, trail in one continuous trip, most people opt for daylong excursions or short overnight expeditions on sections of the route. There are campsites at 10- to 15-mile intervals, and some access points aren’t far from towns and inns. But whether you cover 10 miles or 100 miles depends largely on your paddling skills – and how much time you spend just floating, swimming, and exploring marshy channels like those of Vermont’s upper Nulhegan River. Along the way, keep your eyes peeled for great blue herons, river otters, and spiny soft-shell turtles that do the breaststroke beside your craft. – Stacey Chase

The maps, sold by the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, range from $9.95 to $59.70, $120 for the set, and contain route descriptions, campsites, and history; 802-496-2285, northernforestcanoetrail.org