If you like paddling to a human zoo, try the Crane Wildlife Refuge, in the Essex River Estuary, on Massachusetts' North Shore.

Two kayakers on the beach at the southern end of the Crane Wildlife Refuge.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

At some 25,000 acres, the Essex and its surrounding salt marshes is said to be New England's biggest estuarine complex. And the 697-acre Crane Wildlife Refuge, a property of the Trustees of Reservations, is one of the crown jewels of the region.

On paper the estuary is a great place to paddle, but there's lots of powerboat traffic in the Essex River, and most of the high-horsepower people are heading out for the refuge's southern beaches to hang out and party all day. By the hundreds. Dozens bring their dogs too, despite "No Dogs" signs that are conspicuously posted every hundred feet or so along the beach. I'm sure the cavorting canines enjoy playing with nesting birds.

I put in yesterday at an informal hand-carry launch on Route 133 in Essex (the main drag) and paddled out the river to the preserve. Despite the powerboat traffic, it's a popular place to kayak. I saw at least one group trip run by Essex River Basin Adventures, the principal outfitter in town.

Part of a group trip, conducted by Essex River Basin Adventures, paddles past Dilly Island yesterday.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Two kayakers paddle through the Essex River Estuary yesterday.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

A solo paddler in the Essex River Estuary, with the sand dunes of the barrier beach in the background.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

It's about an hour's paddle out to Dilly Island, also owned by the Trustees of Reservations, and another 20 minutes or so to the overpopulated beach where the powerboaters gather. It's a bit quieter a few hundred yards farther north along the beach, where the landing is more difficult for the larger boats -- but fine for kayaks.

After returning to town, I met a kayaking couple from New Hampshire, who commented that their Essex experience "was just like the Saco River."

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