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"Oh, The Places You'll
Go!"
You haven't seen Florida until you've
seen it from a kayak!
–LOCAL–
Saddle Creek Park
Situated between Winter Haven and
Lakeland, Saddle Creek Park is a very interesting and
varied lake environment with lots of nooks and crannies. It is also one
of the largest county
parks in central Florida, boasting over 750 acres ~ most of it lake. Up
until the early 1960s,
Saddle Creek Park was an open-cast phosphate mine. After that it was given
to the local
county authorities to administer, who then wisely chose to turn it into
a local park facility.
It has taken a large part of the time since for nature to fully recover
the mines such that the
casual observer would never think the park had ever been used for anything
else.
Tenoroc Fish Management
Area
Near northeast Lakeland, Tenoroc
Fish Management Area is a 7,300-acre tract of land
mined for phosphate until the mid-1970s. This land contained numerous reclaimed
and unreclaimed lakes, locally referred to as "phosphate pits."
6,000 acres of Tenoroc
were donated to the state of Florida by Borden, Inc. in 1982. Although many
phosphate
pit lakes exist in Polk county, most are privately owned and are off-limits
to the general
public. The land donation by Borden, Inc. provided the Florida Fish &
Wildlife Conservation
Commission biologists with a unique challenge to develop recreational activities
on this
disturbed land site. Of those recreational activities most actively sought
by the public,
quality recreational fishing has been of primary interest. However, since
the upsurge of
interest in flat water kayaking, these watering holes (about 15 lakes in
all) have become
one of the best-kept secrets of central Florida.
Lakes Gibson
/ Crago / Parker
Lake Gibson, located in the northwest
quadrant of Lakeland, has a surface area of
489 acres and is in the Peace River - Saddle Creek watershed. Most noted
for
its great bass population, it has the highest water quality of the City
of Lakeland
lake. Lake Crago (51 acres) and Lake Parker (2,181 acres –the largest
lake in the City
of Lakeland), are actually connected by a narrow canal. These three lakes
aren't about
nooks and crannies, but rather wide open spaces with a lot of shoreline
to host
beautiful flora and fauna quite fit for the picture-taking paddler. Among
the sites,
Kissimmee grass, hydrilla, bulrush, and cattail are the predominant vegetation,
while heron, alligators, and turtles are just a few of the wild life representatives
we're sure to see.
–
NEARBY–
Wekiwa River
Central Florida nature exists in
its purest from along the Wekiwa River. Located just an hour
from central Lakeland, Wekiwa Springs State Park offers beautiful vistas
and a glimpse of
what central Florida looked like when Timucuan indians fished and hunted
these lands.
This system of clear springs, blackwater streams, and wetlands provides
habitat for black
bears, river otters, alligators, wood storks, and sandhill cranes, to name
but a few. We can
even plan our route to include a swim or snorkel in crystal clear Wekiwa
Springs where
the water is a refreshing 72 degrees year-round!
Chassahowitzka River
/ National Wildlife Refuge
Because of its nearly pristine,
natural condition, the Chassahowitzka River is one of the
more scenic rivers in Florida. Accessible only by boat or canoe, the "Chass"
(as it's been
fondly nicknamed), like most of the other rivers in the Springs Coast Watershed,
is spring
fed. Many species of birds, including cormorants, great blue herons, green-backed
herons, ospreys, white pelicans, and various species of water fowl and songbirds
have
been observed. Deer, turkey, and even bobcats are occasional residents,
among the
"regulars" ~ over 50 species of reptiles and amphibians, plus
at least 25 different species
of mammals call the refuge home. A safe haven for many endangered and threatened
species, we may well spot nesting bald eagles and West Indian manatees.
Hillsborough
River
The Hillsborough River is rich
in history, dating back thousands of years. Early indigenous
populations had encampments along the river and in the surrounding area
10,000 years
ago. Native Americans, Paleo-Indians, the Timucuan, the Calusa, the Seminoles,
and others
are known to have inhabited sites along the river. The Hillsborough actually
starts as an
overflow of the Withlacoochee River. It begins as a slow-moving sheet flow
that percolates
through a heavily vegetated riverine forest that has no real channel. For
most of the year,
at least for paddling purposes, the Hillsborough River begins where Crystal
Springs empties
40 million gallons a day into the river, keeping it runnable even in times
of severe drought.
Great blue heron, white ibis, limpkins, and red-shouldered hawk are among
the feathered
inhabitants, while alligators, red-bellied turtles and peninsula cooters
(also turtles) are
standard residents. Barred owls, roseate spoonbills, wild hogs, and deer
are often seen.
–
BEYOND
–
Silver River State
Park
The park was recently acquired
by the Florida State Park System and today offers 5,000
acres of 14 distinct plant communities and nearly 20 miles of river frontage
and many
springs. The actual Silver Springs, a nearby attraction, is the headwater
of Silver River,
which flows into the Oklawaha River and eventually the ST. Johns River.
A paddle trip
on the Silver River near Ocala features some of Florida's most beautiful
scenery and
diverse wildlife. This short river with translucent blue springs has been
described as
magnificent and magical. Besides the subtropical landscape, the river is
famous for its
monkeys (yes, monkeys!). Legend has it the monkeys are descendants of escapees
from
the Tarzan films shot at Silver Springs, but the Silver Springs theme park
website lists the
source as a concessionaire who operated the Jungle Cruise boat ride during
the 1930s.
The monkeys were place on an island in the river and they simply swam off
and
disappeared into the neighboring forest. Sightings of kingfishers, ducks,
anhingas, and
egrets are typical, as are bluegill, longnose gar, turtles, and alligators.
Alexander Springs
A major recreation area in the
Ocala National Forest, Alexander Springs issues 80
million gallons of crystal clear spring water every day. There is an established
and
popular 7-mile paddle trail that begins just below the spring, and the abundant
wildlife includes fresh water stingrays. Thick subtropical forests, pines,
and hardwoods
landscape the shores, and the water in the spring is amazingly clear and
bright blue
in spots. A favorite among snorkelers and divers, the depth of the spring
pool can reach
over 25 feet. Water flows from a cavernous opening near the middle of the
pool and
the flow from the spring creates a large and powerful surface boil that
is readily
visible from the shore. Pileated woodpeckers, wood storks, bald eagles,
redtail hawks
and ospreys top the list for bird watching.
Haulover Canal
/ Mosquito Lagoon / Indian River Lagoon
The original Haulover Canal was
located about a mile south of its present location and
was used by Native Americans and the early settlers of the area. At times,
logs were cut
and laid across portions of this shallow passage and mule teams were used
to help haul
the obats through (hence the name). The deep waters fo the canal provide
shelter for
manatees, and they can frequently be found there during warm weather months.
Dolphins also use this passage to move between Mosquito Lagoon and the Indian
River
Lagoon. Wading birds perch on rocks and in the trees that line the canal
and flocks of
brown pelicans fly in formation overhead. Other birds include tricolored
herons, black
crowned night herons, and little blue herons. Indian River Lagoon is separated
from the
Atlantic Ocean by a series of protective barrier islands and is made up
of three bodies
of water: Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River, and the Indian River. Shallow
water
means there are many opportunities to get out of the yak and explore. Time
permitting,
we can go to the Banana River National Manatee Sanctuary, where electric
motors are
not allowed. The Sactuary is inside Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge,
which
encompasses the Kennedy Space Center.
TRIP VENUES I WHAT
TO BRING I LIABILITY |
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