Nancy Lake State Recreation Area, located near Willow, Alaska, offers a unique paddling experience across a series of interconnected lakes. The area encompasses 22,685 acres of flat, lake-studded landscape, providing an ideal setting for canoe and kayak adventures.

The primary paddling route is the Lynx Lake Loop Canoe Trail, an eight-mile chain of lakes beginning at the Tanaina Lake Canoe Trailhead at Mile 4.5 of the park road. This loop can be completed in a full day but is ideal for a weekend trip. Portages between lakes are well-marked with orange, diamond-shaped signs, and wet sections are covered with boardwalks for easier transit.

For a longer excursion, paddlers can continue south from Lynx Lake to Butterfly and Skeetna lakes before returning to the main loop. The Little Susitna Connector Canoe Trail offers an alternative access point, though some canoeing experience is advisable for this route.

Fishing is popular in the lakes, with northern pike, trout, and landlocked salmon available. Many lakes in the Lynx Lake Loop have pike populations, with fish up to 14 inches common and occasional 30-34 inch specimens.

The recreation area features 13 public-use cabins on various lakes, some accessible only by water. These cabins, located on Red Shirt, Lynx, Nancy, James, and Bald lakes, are equipped with bunks, counters, and wood-burning stoves. Reservations are required and should be made well in advance due to popularity.

Paddlers should be aware of private land along Lynx Lake, limiting camping to designated areas. Fires are only permitted in provided fireplaces at campsites. Canoe rentals are available from local outfitters, with options to have equipment waiting at trailheads.

The area is also popular for winter activities, but the Nancy Lake Parkway is only plowed for the first 2.2 miles during this season, limiting access to the inner lakes.