March 29, 2024

TRAVEL GETAWAYS

Florida by Paddle

Chris Sherman | 10/1/2008
Swimmers at Fanning Springs
Kayaking on the Great Calusa Blueway in Lee County

The winter migration has started to Florida’s endless lakes, rivers, inlets and estuaries. Not birds or snowbirds, but a large companion flock that takes to the waters just as happily: Thousands of paddlers in canoes and kayaks.

» There are 130 miles of blueways through Lake County and down along the western edge of St. Johns County, allowing both counties to promote inland waterways as exciting as seaside beaches. (St. Johns has a second trail from St. Augustine south along the Atlantic.)

» Among the islands and inlets of Charlotte Harbor, the Peace River and beyond, Charlotte County has mapped and posted 53 blueways through salt marshes, mangroves and oak hammocks. Trail guides outline dozens of put-ins and rest stops and rated trails for maintenance and skill level. Those for beginners and novices take two to four hours in gentle waters. Advanced routes require more food and gear and the skill to cover broad reaches and outmaneuver powerboats and their wakes.

» The Great Calusa Blueway takes paddlers from Sanibel and Pine Island into more remote waters, secluded beaches and ancient middens.

» Dreamers in the Florida Paddling Trails Association and DEP Office of Greenways and Trails and state planners have outlined a 1,500-mile Florida Circumnavigational Trail from Pensacola to Fort Clinch on the Atlantic, past dunes, marshes, fishing towns and marinas in 26 legs — or four months all at once, preferably not in hurricane season.

Today’s paddlers follow blueways, a new set of watery trails blazed by eco-smart county and state planners, outfitters and a raft of volunteers. The network of paths has grown rapidly and quietly. The beauty of paddling in Florida is its intimate smaller scale, threading through endless channels, and the excitement of high tides and big waves.

And, of course, the wildlife. “The bird life is incredible,’’ marvels Johannes Krieger, a longtime kayaker and guide. Ibis and spoonbills working the flats, herons and pelicans in grand flight and anhingas hanging their wings out to dry. There are larger specimens of dolphins at play along the shores, manatees in estuaries and alligators in the cypress-shaded water.

Krieger spends summers in the dramatic seascape of the San Juan Islands in Puget Sound but moves to warmer climates every winter. In Florida, his Crystal Seas (crystalseas.com) guides packs of kayakers every day out of Everglades City, and the difference is stunning. “The San Juans and the Everglades are the two most amazing places in the world for kayaking,’’ Krieger says.

Ospreys
The view from a canoe: Ospreys [Photo: Lee County VCB]

Go to Links Links: A guide to Florida paddling trails; plus a video adventure down the Kissimmee River
For more articles this month with extra links, go to the Links page.

Tags: Dining & Travel

Florida Business News

Florida News Releases

Florida Trend Video Pick

Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

Ballot Box

Should Congress ban the popular social media app TikTok in the U.S.?

  • Yes
  • No
  • Need more details
  • What is TikTok?
  • Other (Comment below)

See Results

Florida Trend Media Company
490 1st Ave S
St Petersburg, FL 33701
727.821.5800

© Copyright 2024 Trend Magazines Inc. All rights reserved.