Paddling time.

One of my favorite canoe trips took place in the early summer down a stretch of the narrow Rappahannock River in Virginia. The day was warm, the friends were good ones, and that stretch of river was like a shaded jewel, hidden from sight. We laughed a lot, fell in the water when my dog jumped ship onto a little spit of sand, paddled past a cow lazily drinking, and finally paused for lunch along a smooth stretch of rock where the trees hung over us like awnings.

After we ate we jumped in the not-deep water and swam for a while. My dog leapt in too and we took turns waiting for him to come downstream, paddling furiously with the current, then plucking him out so he could do it all over again.

Summer is paddling time. Whether you're a novice canoer on a slow-moving stream or an experienced kayaker taking on rapids, there is something about being in a small craft on the water that feels like you've cleverly escaped all that ails you.

A good part of why you go, no doubt, is for what passes you by, and as you take a breather from maneuvering, it's likely you're drinking in the scenery - rocky faces that butt up against the water or lush green trees and water-logged snags where the air is coolest and the fish promising.

Where to go? We've asked people who make it their business to spend time on and around the water for some of their favorite places. And we've included some tips to keep you safe when you go. These paddling paradises are winners in two ways. All benefit from trees planted in nearby AMERICAN FORESTS' Global ReLeaf Forests. Many of these projects are riparian buffers intended to cool and clean water and shield those in the water from that which is not.

Never been but want to go? Try renting your gear from an outfitter and take advantage of the expertise. Ask for help with paddle selection, techniques, and anything you'll need to know about your stretch of water. Or, consider going on a group trip. If you're going it alone, remember the good manners More taught you apply here: don't litter, don't take what's not already yours, and remember that some popular put-in sites are private property. Above all, be careful: The American Canoe Association says 90 percent of canoe and kayak capsizes happen before you get on the water. Follow proper procedures for getting in and out of your craft.

There is a laundry list of equipment to take with you. Some are basic, every-time items; others are needed if you're planning to be out in cool, or potentially cold, weather. Again, this list is compiled by the American Canoe Association: A hat or visor, sunglasses, and sunscreen. A helmet (for whitewater paddling or surf kayaking). Nose plugs or clips. Water bottle and snacks. A life vest (US Coast Guard regulations say you must carry at least one per passenger). Some means of signaling for help, such as a whistle. Long underwear (synthetic fibers dry out fast and keep your body warm; cotton does not). You can also buy special pants and jackets just for paddling; some people use gloves to avoid blisters. Bathing suit and a towel. Something for your feet. (Most injuries come from walking without something on the feet. If you don't want to shell out the bucks for river-appropriate wear, put on a pair of old sneakers.) First aid kit. So-called dry bags are great for storing gear that you don't want to get wet.

Once you're in, know what you're getting into. An international system for classifying river difficulty lists the following designations:

Class I: Moving water, a few waves and small ripples. Class II: Easy rapids; waves up to 1 meter; wide, clear, channels are obvious without scouting. Some maneuvering. Class III: Rapids with high, irregular waves that can swamp an open canoe. Narrow passages often require complex maneuvering. Rapids may require scouting from shore. Kayakers should be able to right themselves using the Eskimo Roll. Class IV: Long, difficult rapids; constricted passages; often-turbulent waters. Scouting from shore is necessary, rescues are difficult. Generally not possible for open canoes. Kayakers should be able to Eskimo Roll. Class V: Extremely difficult, long, very violent rapids. Highly congested routes; should always be scouted from shore. Rescue conditions are difficult, mishaps could be life-threatening. Ability to Eskimo Roll essential

for kayakers. Class VI: Water is nearly impossible to navigate and very dangerous. Teams of experts only. Close study needed ahead of time and all precautions taken.

Regardless of how good you are (or think you are), sooner or later you're going to turn over. Do some research and be prepared. Know how to upright a canoe or kayak and tie your keys to you. Know your paddle strokes. Take a buddy - it's more fun and it's safer. Enjoy the ride!

Florida: Econfina Creek

"One of the most pristine waterways in Florida," Econfina Creek's superb scenery, nice vantage-point bluffs, and sparkling water make it a favorite for canoeists. Steve Brown, associate lands manager for the Northwest Florida Water Management District, lauds Econfina's spring-fed crystal-clear waters, which make it possible to see both freshwater fish and the shadow of your canoe as it moves through the water. This one's a good bet for short day trips. Brown suggests two put-in points in the southern, more navigable end - at Walsingham Bridge and north about six or eight miles, at Scotts Road. Both have parking areas. You can also launch from one of the several group-use camping areas the Water Management Area rents for overnight stays. They book up fast on the weekends; call WMA headquarters at 850/539-5999 for more information. Global ReLeaf site: 195,000 longleaf pine will be planted at Econfina Creek. These trees will maintain the creek's clean water - the only potable water for Panama City and other communities.

Florida: Loxahatchee River

If you're in the mood for swampy, there's no better bet than Florida. Check out the subtropical Loxahatchee River, Florida's only federally designated Wild and Scenic River, and a favorite of noted environmental photographer Clyde Butcher and his wife, Niki. They recommend the stretch near Jupiter. "I enter it from Indiantown Road where the river is at its narrowest," Clyde says. "If you don't own a canoe, there is a canoe rental where you launch into the river. Beautiful! and such a treasure of the Jupiter area."

The Seminole Indians named the Loxahatchee, which means river of turtles, and while paddling you should keep your eyes peeled for those and other locals such as baldcypress, alligator, and osprey. (Note: Consider taking a guided trip your first time out because you're in a narrow stretch inhabited by alligators.)

Close-by Canoe Outfitters offers canoe and kayak rentals for both guided and self-guided river trips. Palm Beach County has a number of campgrounds and RV parks, including Jonathan Dickinson State Park at Hobe Sound, which has a camping area along the Loxahatchee. Call the park for fees (561/546-2771) or the county visitor's bureau for more options (561/575-4636).

Global ReLeaf site: The Palm Beach Department of Environmental Resources will plant 209,040 native species at Loxahatchee Slough over the next three years. The trees will help reclaim land lost to exotic plants and restore traditional vegetation.

Washington: Upper Middle/Middle Middle Snoqualmie

The Pacific Northwest has no shortage of excellent places for both kayaking and canoeing, and the upper section of the Middle Snoqualmie comes to mind for Brooke Drury, a kayaker and a recreation access coordinator with The Mountaineers, an outdoor recreation club and conservation organization in Seattle.

The scenery is top-notch: the back side of the Alpine Lakes wilderness as well as Forest Service-owned land, most of which is still forested. The river there is wide and the area, considered Class 2 kayaking, is easy to get to, Brooke says. Put-in before the (huge) Taylor River Trail sign; take-out point is Concrete Bridge (the first bridge you get to). Most people put in along the road, which runs by the river; parking is available. Watch your timing - the rain-fed river is too low in summer; depending on conditions, it's often navigable into June. She recommends two books: A Guide to the Whitewater Rivers of Washington by Jeff Bennett, published in 1998 by Swiftwater Press, and Paddle Routes of Western Washington: 50 Flatwater Trips for Canoe and Kayak by Verne Huser, published by The Mountaineers in 1990.

For serious kayakers, if you continue a mile beyond the concrete bridge, the next 7 miles of the Middle Fork Snoqualmie offers "great" whitewater. "Great" means a fun run that's challenging but not overly dangerous with gorgeous views of dense forests, steep hills, and Middle Fork vistas, according to Corian Bliss, interagency coordinator for the Upper Snoqualmie Valley. The stretch, known as the "Middle Middle," runs for much of the year, depending on rainfall and snowmelt. It's Class III-IV, so know what you're doing. If you're a kayak wanna-be, Bliss recommends a mile-long beginner's training stretch below Snoqualmie Falls, called the powerhouse run. It runs along the roadside, so there's easy access.

There are not any public campgrounds in the area at this time, but informal camping is allowed on Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest at the upper end of the Middle Fork drainage. observe remote camping rules: no vehicles off designated roads, and pack-out policies are in effect. For private campgrounds as well as kayak/canoe rental and group trips, contact the Seattle/King County Convention and Visitor's Bureau, 206/461-5840. Another good resource is the Washington Kayak Club, 206/4331983.

Global ReLeaf Site: 25,000 trees will be planted along I-90 on Rattlesnake Mountain and in the Hall, Mine, Hansen, and Granite Creek basins to reforest former logging roads. Volunteers will remove the old road bed and recontour the landscape to its natural slope. Trees to be planted include Douglas-fir, western red cedar, and sitka spruce.

Maryland: Marshyhope Creek

For canoeists and kayakers in the mid-Atlantic, no list of paddling points is complete without at least one trip along the Chesapeake Bay and its multitude of twisting tributaries on both the eastern and western shores of Maryland and Virginia. For the author Tom Horton, a favorite is the upper Marshyhope Creek, a fork of the Nanticoke, from Federalsburg, Maryland, "down to a little bridge." Put in at the free public marina in Federalsburg. The area is heavily forested, mostly with timberlands, and a great resting spot for winter waterfowl, he says. (Editor's note: Chesapeake Forest Products Co. recently announced plans to sell this timberland. Stay tuned.)

Marshyhope is an aptly named tributary of the marshy Nanticoke, home to various fish and bald eagles, osprey, and great blue herons, otters, owls, and muskrats. The various wildlife ply their trade with fishermen, boaters, bird watchers, and others who love the water. The Nanticoke and Blackwater river watersheds together host 35 percent of the wintering waterfowl on the Atlantic Flyway.

Global ReLeaf site: A 3.8-acre planting in the Nanticoke Wildlife Management Area will repair the riparian forest buffer that provides fruit and cover for migrating birds, mammals, and waterfowl. The site is being planted with 1,455 trees, including southern red oak, Virginia pine, and silky dogwood. Upland game and nongame birds will also benefit.

New York: Susquehanna River

From humble beginnings mighty things grow, and the headwaters of the Susquehanna River are no exception. The narrow, scenic waterway south from Otsego Lake toward Oneonta takes you past farms, forests, and picturesque Cooperstown, home of baseball's Hall of Fame. But if you go around Memorial Day, be prepared for lots of company.

That's when hundreds compete in the annual General Clinton Canoe Regatta, a one-day, 70-mile endurance race that begins at Otsego Lake and ends in Bainbridge, New York (for info: 609/9678700). It's the world's longest one-day flatwater canoe race. Al Camp, who founded Camp Canoe Company and now designs and manufactures solo and traditional canoes, won that race in 1969. He recommends canoeists float from Cooperstown south about an hour and a half to the old iron bridge at Index. The Susquehanna is only 20 to 30 feet wide there, he says, and very scenic - pines, hills, valleys - in the foothills of the Catskills.

Global ReLeaf site: AMERICAN FORESTS and its local partner, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, will plant Norway spruce, larch, red oak, and sugar maple at three sites damaged by a 1998 tornado. The area, near Cooperstown, is in the Otego Creek watershed, a primary tributary of the Susquehanna. The trees will provide habitat for deer, turkey, and ruffed grouse.

Michigan: Pine River

It' you like your waters wild and scenic, head for Michigan's Pine River, a portion of which is designated a National Wild & Scenic River. "There's something around almost every bend" of this spring-fed beauty, according to Marylou Barrons, who with her sister Patty Barber, owns Sportsman's Port, a canoe and kayak livery and campground.

The Pine has incredible hardwoods, beautiful pines, sandy banks, clear water, and challenging stretches. Barrons recommends a stretch within Huron-Manistee National Forest from Peterson Bridge Landing to Low Bridge Landing, about 3-and-a-half hours, (part of it ranked as Class II). There's parking at either end, with a fee charged by the U.S. Forest Service. You'll need to get a free Forest Service-issued permit to be on the water. District Ranger Gary Cole recommends weekday trips in July and August, when water lovers are at a more "manageable" level.

Some of the canoe and kayak liveries have camping facilities as well. The Forest Service doesn't rent canoes and kayaks, but it has a public campground at Peterson. Its office on the Cadillac Ranger District (616/723-2211) can provide information about parking fees, watercraft permits, and canoe liveries and campgrounds, both public and private. You can also get paddle and campground information from the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau at 800/369-3836.

Global ReLeaf site: A riparian planting of 60,700 trees will improve water quality and repair eroded streambanks.

Michelle Robbins, editor of American Forests, needs a summer (canoeing) vacation.