Joys of canoe camping
A core group of ten of us, then mostly from SE Mass. but now somewhat dispersed, started doing 3 or 4 day Memorial Day weekend canoe campers 20 years ago and haven't missed one yet. We long since used up the useable rivers of southern NE and have had great experiences on rivers in VA and West VA, in one direction, and Maine in the other.
Yes, it is cushy compared to backpacking. Outdoor gourmands will be in their element. It is also remarkable how many unscripted campsites are available even on rivers like the Charles. Islands are a good bet. (Beware the Housatonic in Conn., however - that was our worst trip - a dozen years ago - chivvied mercilessly by authorities, which hasn't appened to us anywhere else. We haven't heard good things about the Saco, however, and have avoided that. It's nice for day-trips, though.)
You should buy a canoe if your interest is serious - an Old Town or the like made of Royalex (an indestructible and flexible compound). They're not expensive and a few trips will repay your investment. We avoid lakes - the wind picks up and all of sudden you're dodging whitecaps and/or bailing. Most rivers will have at least a few portages if your trip extends to a couple of days, and for those "wheels" - widely available -are useful. They fold up and don't take much room in your canoe.
Check out the Northern Forest Canoe Trail - 740 miles from Old Forge NY to Fort Kent, NY. It's new and seems likely to push Northeast canoe camping to a new level. We're doing a stretch of it in a few weeks. They have a website.