White Water Kayaking Guide Books

North America offers many excellent white water kayaking opportunities. Guide books provide detailed kayaking information. Length of trip, difficulty or skill level, conditions to be expected and more can be found inside these reference books. There are many white water kayaking guide books available. Here are a few of the popular ones.

Appalachian Whitewater: The Southern States

The Appalachian Mountains offer white water kayakers a wide variety of riverways to explore. Rivers in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia are included in this guide book.
Data sheets give readers quick information including levels of difficulty, water levels, grade, volume, USGS quads, dangers and more. Detailed river maps are provided along with diagrams of select rapids.

Appalachian Whitewater: The Northern States

Sixty eight rivers are featured in this part of the Appalachain Mountain series. Detailed narratives tell white water kayakers what to expect when kayaking the region. Included are rivers in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.
As with other books in this series, this guide book provides quick data information, maps and notable rapid details.

Whitewater Classics

Whitewater Classics features white water kayaking destinations from Alaska to Mexico. Biographies of the top kayakers and a story about each of the fifty featured rivers make the book a fun read as well as a good reference guide. Tyler Williams authored this guide. Included rivers were chosen by the top kayakers.

The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Kayaking

This comprehensive and detailed guide to white water kayaking covers everything from beginner basics to advanced techniques. Choosing gear, paddling, safety, rescue, and more are covered in detail. The authors, Ken Whiting and Kevin Varrette are recognized and respected white water kayaking professionals.

Whitewater Paddling: Strokes and Concepts

Author Eric Jackson covers paddle position and movement, boat position and movement, and more in this detailed guide. Over 80 photos illustrate covered skills and techniques. Content is broken down into 16 lessons. Both flat water and rapid water kayaking are covered.

The Best Whitewater in California

California is home to more accessible white water than anywhere else in the world. Authors Lars Holdbek and Chuck Stanley cover white water areas from fun to flat-out scary. Detailed maps and photos are provided. Individually covered are 180 runs.

Featured rivers include: American River, Bear River, Carson River, Cosumnes River, Eel River, Feather River, Kaweah River, Kern River, Kings River, Klamath River, Mad River, Merced River, Mokelumne River, Ruolumne River, Russian River, Sacramento River, Salmon River, San Joaquin River, Sespe River, Scott River, Smith River, Stansilaus River, Trinity River, Truckee River, Tute River, Walker River and Ruba River.

Grand Canyon River Guide

The Grand Canyon River white water kayaking guide covers 288 miles of water. Buzz Belknap and Loie Belknap Evans cover the Colorado River from Lees Ferry, Arizona to Lake Mead by route of both the Marble Canyon and Grand Canyon. Fully illustrated with photos and diagrams, the book covers details white water kayakers need to know as well as interesting information about natural history and geology.

AMC Classic Northeastern Whitewater Guide

Bruce Lessels, master whitewater kayaker, provides detailed information for both beginners and experts regarding New England and New York white water. Inside this guide book, readers will find a river chart, help with trip planning, safety, and paddling, maps detailing access areas, rapids, river rating, and gradient.

Rivers in New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island are included.
White water kayaking opportunities abound in North America. Enthusiasts can utilize the information presented in guide books to plan the perfect white water kayaking trip.