There are amazing places across the country to paddleboard, but we wanted to narrow down the top three spots just in Northern California. It wasn’t easy.

The whole region (including parts of Southern Oregon) is filled with great places to paddle. For instance, West of the Cascades between San Francisco and Ashland has more than 1,000 lakes and recreation areas situated in some of the most beautiful forests, hills, and mountains in the country — to say nothing of the rivers and, of course, the Pacific Ocean.

It took some work, but our top picks are Mammoth Lakes, Juanita Lake and Point Reyes - one each from Northern California’s lakes, rivers, and the ocean. These genuinely are paddle boarding nirvana, waiting for you. First on the list is Mammoth Lakes…