Highlights
- Kayak with manatees at the St. Johns River
- View Blue Spring, a manatee refuge
- Enjoy incredible birding on Canaveral and Merrit Island
Includes
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All on-trip transportation and meals
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Kayak rental and instruction
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Log house lodging on a 700-acre ranch
Overview
The Trip
Discover the wild beauty that lured people to Florida long before the theme parks. Spend a week paddling crystalline springs and drifting on quiet waterways. Relish sunny days in a subtropical paradise where you may be greeted by dolphins, manatees, and throngs of birds. We will progress across Florida to a liquid landscape where alligators live in close proximity to space shuttles. Enjoy kayaking, an ocean plunge, swimming, birding, Southern-style dinners, and camaraderie
The Trip
Discover the wild beauty that lured people to Florida long before the theme parks. Spend a week paddling crystalline springs and drifting on quiet waterways. Relish sunny days in a subtropical paradise where you may be greeted by dolphins, manatees, and throngs of birds. We will progress across Florida to a liquid landscape where alligators live in close proximity to space shuttles. Enjoy kayaking, an ocean plunge, swimming, birding, Southern-style dinners, and camaraderie.
On this trip we will kayak five scenic bodies of water. Blue herons, spoonbills, woodpeckers, anhinga, hawks, and eagles all live here. Cool spring-fed rivers and subtropical forest offer outstanding opportunities for exploring and playing. Every afternoon we will return to our home base, a highly rated two-story Florida-style log home retreat, complete with air conditioning. There we will exchange memories of the day and share a delicious dinner.
Our trip will offer a variety of waterways to paddle, each with its own challenges and charms. Highlights include kayaking at the mouth of a spring where manatees winter and raise their young, and paddling down a wild and remote inland black-water river. A crystal-clear spring originating deep within the aquifer will transport us through a real Florida jungle.
This will be a wonderful opportunity for new and seasoned paddlers to see and experience the real Florida.
Itinerary
Day 1: We meet at Orlando International Airport at 3 p.m., and drive our rented van to our quiet home for the week. Those who wish to drive their own vehicles will be given directions to the lodge. After greetings and introductions, we will start "dry land" instruction and kayak orientation before a tasty dinner.
Day 2: After breakfast we'll head for Blue Springs State Park. This is a manatee sanctuary with the highest level of protection where hundreds can be spotted in one day! Expect outstanding manatee viewing in the clear waters of this amazing spring. We'll launch our kayaks here and paddle in to the St. Johns River, where the manatees spend their days
Day 1: We meet at Orlando International Airport at 3 p.m., and drive our rented van to our quiet home for the week. Those who wish to drive their own vehicles will be given directions to the lodge. After greetings and introductions, we will start "dry land" instruction and kayak orientation before a tasty dinner.
Day 2: After breakfast we'll head for Blue Springs State Park. This is a manatee sanctuary with the highest level of protection where hundreds can be spotted in one day! Expect outstanding manatee viewing in the clear waters of this amazing spring. We'll launch our kayaks here and paddle in to the St. Johns River, where the manatees spend their days.
Day 3: Today we head for the beach! We will be on Canaveral National Seashore. Friendly dolphins often swim by as we kayak through a fantastic intercoastal lagoon. We will always make time for a swim and stroll on this 16-mile expanse of undeveloped beach.
Day 4: This morning we'll head for Merrit Island National Wildlife Refuge, with perhaps the best birding in the state. At this time of year an incredible variety of birds from all over enjoy this well-managed refuge. Alligators can be seen basking in the warm shallows with the space shuttle's launch pad as a backdrop.
Day 5: Rock Springs sparkles like liquid diamonds in the sun. We will launch near the headspring and drift down this canopied clear spring run. This is one of your leader's favorite places to paddle. Limpkins, ibis, and herons lead us down this exotic river.
Day 6: We'll continue on a spectacular local favorite, the Econlockhatchee River. This is a black-water river that seems to have been forgotten by time. Narrow and twisting, it reveals secrets at every bend.
Day 7: Start the day with an early morning stroll and then say goodbye to the ranch and our rustic, cozy log home. After our final breakfast, we will gather up our belongings by 9 a.m. and depart for the airport.
Note: The leaders will make every reasonable effort to meet the goals outlined in the itinerary. Please keep in mind that weather or other conditions beyond our control may cause us to modify the itinerary in order to ensure the safety and well being of the group.
Logistics
Getting There
Our accommodations are located in a rural area outside of Orlando, near Oviedo. Those flying in can take advantage of the 3 p.m. pick-up at Orlando International Airport (MCO) on the day the trip starts. Participants wishing to drive will be given driving directions. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.
Accommodations and Food
Our accommodations are a comfortable, air-conditioned Florida-style log home on a 700-acre ranch shaded by century-old oak trees. Expect to share a room with either your traveling companion or with another participant of the same gender. This is a rustic, well-used log home. Bathrooms are shared with the other participants. This is a rural property and a variety of woodland creatures can be expected
Getting There
Our accommodations are located in a rural area outside of Orlando, near Oviedo. Those flying in can take advantage of the 3 p.m. pick-up at Orlando International Airport (MCO) on the day the trip starts. Participants wishing to drive will be given driving directions. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.
Accommodations and Food
Our accommodations are a comfortable, air-conditioned Florida-style log home on a 700-acre ranch shaded by century-old oak trees. Expect to share a room with either your traveling companion or with another participant of the same gender. This is a rustic, well-used log home. Bathrooms are shared with the other participants. This is a rural property and a variety of woodland creatures can be expected.
The dinners are themed and all meals are served, and flavored, with Southern style. Omnivores are preferred. Please contact the leader if you have any dietary restrictions before you sign on to this outing. Your leaders do the cooking, but participants are expected to pitch in with cleanup.
Trip Difficulty
This trip is geared for the novice to intermediate sea kayaker. The waterways we will travel are non-technical. Participants should be in good physical condition and at least 18 years old. Our average paddling time will be three to five hours a day.
Equipment and Clothing
You may want to bring your favorite paddle and PFD. The rentals provided are okay, but they're never as good as one’s personal gear. A list of recommendations (equipment and clothing) will be provided to everyone as we get closer to the trip's departure.
References
- Hiaasen, Carl, Double Whammy.
- Smith, Patrick, A Land Remembered.
- Larsen, Gary, There is a Hair in my Dirt.
- Dorsey, Tim, Gator A-Go-Go.
- http://gator-woman.com/indigenous.html
- http://www.prehistoricflorida.org/indigenous-peoples-of-florida
- visitflorida.com
Conservation
This trip focuses on Florida’s dynamic and intricate systems of freshwater springs, rivers and aquifers. Learn about the complex issues of water resources and efforts at habitat preservation in central Florida. Enjoy a visit to a water treatment facility/wildlife paradise.
Our trip will also look at saltwater marsh habitat and preserving conditions for numerous bird, fish, reptile, amphibian and insect species.
Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies.
Staff
Important Notes
- Carbon Offsets
- Carpooling
- Electronic Billing and Forms
- Electronic Devices
- Equipment
- Essential Eligibility Criteria
- How to Apply for a Trip
- Leader Gratuities
- Medical Issues
- Non-discrimination Statement
- Participant Agreement
- Seller of Travel Disclosure
- Single Supplements
- Terms and Conditions
- Travel Insurance
- Trip Feedback
- Trip Price
- Wilderness Manners