The Napa River runs through the centre of town and was, for most of Napa's history, a back-of-house industrial waterway. A long restoration project completed major sections in the 2010s, with new flood walls, restored wetland, and a continuous riverfront promenade. The downtown stretch between the Oxbow Public Market and Veterans Park is the most developed.
Kayak hires from the riverfront let you paddle south through the marshlands towards the San Pablo Bay — a flat, easy paddle with surprisingly rich wildlife, including river otters and large numbers of waterbirds. The riverfront is at its best in the early evening when the light catches the water and the bars on the east bank fill up.