My name is Brian and I travel all over Arizona kayaking and kayak camping at some amazing locations. I love sharing with people the things I learn along the way including how to get to these great locations, where to launch, where to camp, and other things to be prepared for along the way. Some of my favorite spots are the Salt River, Canyon Lake, Lees Ferry, and Marble Canyon. Primarily I'm a kayaker, but the things I share can help paddleboarders as well.
I also regularly share videos on gear reviews. Since a lot of what I do is kayak camping my gear reviews are usually focused on hammocks, sleeping cots, camping cooking gear, dry bags, packs, sleeping bags, PFDs (life vests), and other cool new gear I'm trying out.
Please enjoy my channel, Copperstart Kayak, and don't forget to subscribe for updates on new videos.
Something I find interesting about Apache Lake is that according to the Arizona Atlas and according to when I let some fishing line out up near the dam, Apache Lake is 240 ft deep!!! Kind of scary! Also about 65 to 70% of the lake has no shoreline, just vertical walls which to me is scary!! There's got to be some monster fish living along the bottom of that Lake?!!
I was out there this past weekend. I ride and float and fish out there whenever I can. Favorite place. The road is much improved. I'm hoping they don't reopen the other direction though. And I really hope they don't make the road too good. Really need a check on the crowds out there. Apache is in great shape. The water was very clear last weekend while Canyon and Saguaro were already in their algae bloom. The fish are all fat and healthy. Really every animal I saw was fat and beautiful.
Hey Brian, I am wanting to do my first kayak camping trip with a couple of other beginners. I’ve watched a few of your videos and wondered if you can recommend out of these three options what would be the best option for beginners. Marble canyon (horseshoe bend), antelope canyon (lake Powell) or Hoover Dam to Willow beach? We’ve done backpacking trips together and some simple kayaking. Thanks for any advice. 😊
Sorry for the delay! If you’re an experienced backpacker all there are at your skill level, even as a beginner. But if I had to pick one I would suggest Marble. It’s my favorite and honestly not technically challenging. You’re paddling with the current of the river so it’s pretty easy. The most challenging parts are the logistics (hiring the shuttle) and staying put of the very cold water. But those two things are completely doable for a beginner.
I would also consider a luxurious heavy bulky self inflating mattress. Zenbivy or Nemo Roamer are the only two „smaller“ ones which may fit inside your kayak. If it fits - I bring it :)
Thank you for your video. I have a question why would someone opt to camp using a kayak with limited space other than a small canoe which should be more stable and allow more space and easier to paddle? I’m looking to get into this, so I’m just gathering info. Thank you again.
Great question! Many people camp using canoes as well. I never have camped with one but I have used one many times. I think there are advantages to each but kayaks are lighter and can be considered easier to paddle and maneuver. But ultimately what it really comes down is personal preference. I’m partial to the sit on top kayaks because they’re impossible to sink and I do like jumping out of mine when the water temps are nice. It’s a lot harder to do that with a canoe or sit inside kayak. Regarding space, honestly you really don’t want to overload your kayak or canoe more than you need to. I’ve done that a couple times and regretted it. You really feel 100 pounds of deadweight when you’re paddled for miles against the wind! So even though a canoe provides extra space I still wouldn’t max it out. But again, pros and cons to both but I do prefer the sit on tops. Have fun out there!
@@copperstarkayak8072 thank you so much for your input. I really appreciate your channel and appreciate you getting back to me. It gives me a lot of fuel for thought. I have a canoe that needs to be fixed but I can find a kayak that is priced right… you never know I might see you somewhere in Arizona lol thank you again
That's a great section of river, easy and fun. I did the same, willow beach upstream to the dam, then back. Stayed at white rock also and had three sets of glowing eyes on us at night up the canyon, epic! Great video!
Very cool! It’s so pretty through that canyon. Any idea what the eyes were? I wonder if they were mountain lions! I had a mountain lion inspect our camp at night along the Colorado in Glen Canyon - scary but exciting!
Every time you turn around someone is whining about trash... meanwhile AZ is the ONLY state where trash dumpsters are on lock down everywhere you go. It's the dirtiest state. IF you want people to throw away trash, start with putting free dumpsters at all recreational areas and all around the state like Utah does.
A vid had just popped up in my feed that was just posted a few days ago from Willow Beach. I couldn't believe the river was completely calm and the folks were the only ones out there (I guess because it was about to get extremely hot). When I was there it was for an organized group trip using the shuttle and the trip got cancelled because of high winds.
Hey there! Jumping in- (because I love your videos). I would love to see a video on Lake Pleasant & Lake Havasu if possible! Thanks for making your awesome videos :)@@copperstarkayak8072
Great video! Insider info is hard to come by and you nailed it! We just purchased a boat a couple of months ago and super pumped to see how many camping options are out there!
I’ve seen rental fees usually around $75 for a tandem for one day. But it’s been a long time since I had to rent one so not sure on what shops are charging.
First water creek can be brutal depending on the algae bloom. I have seen thousand of dead fish and toxic waters back there in the warmer months. If you catch it at the right time it is definitely a top spot to hit.
It is incredible for sure! Personally I’m a little nervous of the inflatables because of punctures and a trip like this you would not want to be stranded. Also, the water is dangerously cold, low 40s, so if you do run into trouble and in the water it could be a problem. I wouldn’t do this with an inflatable but some are more daring than me. The companies that provide backhauls also rent kayaks so you may want to look into renting a hard kayak from them as well. Hope that helps!
How long does it take you to paddle there? I've been out a few times by boat but was wanting to do this with my bf in the near future and trying to guage time
I can’t remember exactly but it was about 2-3 hours to paddle out there. We weren’t going super fast either. The paddle back though is longer because you get some wind going against you that is pretty typical for this canyon. It just means you need to take a lot of breaks and wait for the wind to die down. Stay close to the shoreline so you can anchor yourself or duck into a cave and not be blown backwards every time the wind picks up. It sounds like a lot of work but it’s really a great time. Have fun!
@Copperstar Kayak thinking of trying it not too far in the distant future. Just gotta take your time. We just paddled a few hours last night on canyon so I think we'd be fine.
Brian, I have a quick question on editing your videos. You stated you are using iMovie and I have played around with it and it is incredibly easy to use. How are you importing your video from your GoPro into the iMovie program for editing? Wondering if your are using a Mac as iMovie is not available for PC, which I have and I do not have a Mac but do have an iPhone and an iPad. I'm new to this but I'm assuming I can import the video to my iPad, which I can then use to edit in iMovie. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Yes I’m using a Mac. Not sure how to import from GoPro to the ipad. You could probably insert the video card into your PC and upload video files to either iCloud or Google Drive. Then you could probably access them on the ipad from there. Also, I have used PCs I’m the past and used Adobe Rush. I think there’s a monthly subscription fee for Rush. Hopefully that helps!
Great video Brian, I will be relying on this when a group of us are making the trek from Scottsdale to kayak Marble Canyon/Horseshoe Bend and Lake Powell on June 1 & 2. I watched all of your vids on kayaking in AZ and curious what you are using to shoot your video? Your vids have excellent PQ and editing. I just recently upgraded to a GoPro Hero 11 and will be relying on that and our iPhones for capturing video and still pics. If using a GoPro any tips/suggestions on settings, mounts, etc. would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
Thanks for watching! I’m still shooting on a GoPro 7. I’m sure the 11 is awesome. I just use that and my iphone. For drone footage I have a DJI Mavic Mini 2. For video editing I’ve used Adobe Rush and iMovie. For mounts I use YakAttack. Other than that just simple lightweight tripods around the campsite. You can get those pretty cheap on Amazon. But that’s about it! Have fun in Marble and Powell! It’s beautiful out there!
@@copperstarkayak8072 Kinda off the path since there's a pertty lengthy washboard road you travel before getting to it. Totally worth it though I think.
Hi. We just purchased our kayak and excited to take it to Canyon Lake. Thank you for sharing this information. It’s very helpful most especially for us newbies :)
@@copperstarkayak8072 We went to Canyon Lake on Cinco de Mayo. No crowd and the weather was perfect. The lake was beautiful and the views are magnificent. Per your advice, we launch our boat at Acacia site and paddled to First Wave Cove then back and paddled all the way to Labarge Cove. We kayaked for four hours and it was an amazing experience. We will definitely go back and try Tortilla Creek as you mentioned. I have to agree with you that Canyon Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Arizona. It, might even be my favorite most especially for our photography hobby. Thanks again and looking forward to more of your upcoming videos. :)
Great video! Can I take my 12 foot raft down this section of river with my wife and 2 young children? I think it would be fun to float down that section!
@@copperstarkayak8072 Great, thanks for the reply, I have asked on some whitewater rafting forums and have got much information . Your video was super informative! Im just looking to float an area with the fam, not looking for rapids yet. We have a ways to go before that!
Probably 5-7 hours depending on how fast you paddle and if you stop for hikes and sightseeing. I would recommend taking your time it is really beautiful down there. A heads up, the river flow does slow down as you get closer to Lees Ferry so preserve your energy. You don’t want to paddle hard when the river is moving you along at a good pace and then be gassed when you get to the end. Have fun!
We did a one nighter. We left Willow Beach at around 12:00. Got to camp about 5 hours later. It was a tough paddle up river. The next day we took our time and hit the hot springs and did a little more exploring and got back to Willow Beach around 3:00.
I love my hammock but the biggest con I have found is finding trees to hang it on. ;-) Most of the time everywhere I am going I have been able to find a good setup but it's a gamble for sure.
Couple of things. The launch at the dam is a bit problematic as the shuttle services are on a very tight time frame and you have to really rush to get on the water…carrying boats and gear a hundred yards or so down a switchback path to a slippery, rocky launch. We barely had time to throw our gear in the boats and launch, all the while being berated by our shuttle driver. Thankfully there is a sandbar about 1/4 mile downriver where you can stop and re-load gear the right way. The other thing is the huge potential change in water level of the river overnight, which can dramatically affect camping. We were told ahead of time about this and, on the first night, shlepped our camping gear a hundred yards inland and up from the water…only to have the river lapping at our campsite during the night. You will need to tie your boats to a tree or something so they don’t float away. We did the same thing on our second night and the water did not rise at all…you just never know. With all that said, we had a great time and look forward to doing it again.
No need to reserve a campsite but there is a parking fee. I can’t remember how much it was but there is a toll booth at the entrance to Lee’s Ferry where you pay the fee. Thanks for watching! Have fun!
