Across America, urban rivers are getting an upgrade.

Here’s how to get out on the water.

During a recent paddle onIndianapolisWhite River, I was struck by how peaceful my surroundings were.

Tom Lee Park at Sunset

Tom Lee Park, in Memphis, Tennessee.

A great blue heron stood at alert near the bank, scanning the river for its next meal.

Here are three other places to explore by water.

But for decades, residents had little, if any, public access to the waterfront.

Tubing in Columbia South Carolina

Tubing in Columbia, South Carolina.

(Even more extraordinary?

Lee could not swim.)

After major flooding during the 1920s, the city turned the waterway into a drainage ditch.

View of Memphis from the riverwalk

Heather Durham/Travel + Leisure

The complex has even become an official training site for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic rowing teams.

Tom Lee Park

The Sunset Canopy at Tom Lee Park, in Memphis.