Ichetucknee River – Fall Colors

The Ichetucknee River is always a pleasant and scenic paddle. I made a point this year to make sure to paddle this river in December to view the Fall colors. I was not disappointed!…James
This Florida Paddle Notes category, Florida Rivers, lists several rivers in this category explored by Florida Paddle Notes
The Ichetucknee River is always a pleasant and scenic paddle. I made a point this year to make sure to paddle this river in December to view the Fall colors. I was not disappointed!…James
The River Rise has an abundance of wildlife to include several species of Turtles, Otters, Deer, Snakes, Herons, Egrets, Limpkins, Owls, and Ospreys among others. The shoreline, adorned with numerous Cypress Knees, is an assortment of hardwood trees and Saw Palmetto…James
We could not pass up the predicted excellent weather and so ventured out on a 12-mile section of the Withlacoochee River (S), launching just north of Hwy 40 at Spruce Public Boat Launch and paddling to Dunnellon to enjoy our reward at The Blue Gator Tiki Bar and Restaurant. Along this Florida Paddle Trail, we enjoyed temperatures in the 70s, sunny skies, an awesome breeze at our back, and a swift current! Couldn’t have been better…James
The Ocklawaha River is the principal tributary of the St. Johns River. Its main source is Lake Griffin, part of the Harris chain of lakes in Lake County, Florida. The Ocklawaha River watershed includes parts of the Green Swamp, most of Lake County, and portions of Marion, Alachua, and Putnam counties. The key tributary to the Ocklawaha is the Silver River, which originates in Silver Springs, Fl…James
This week, we decided to paddle downstream from our launch at Bible Camp Road and head toward the Santa Fe Sink, located at O’Leno State Park. The sink is where the Santa Fe River goes underground for just over three miles before emerging at River Rise. Access to the sink is blocked at the park, a half-mile upstream, however, the two-mile paddle to the park and back was quite an adventure!…James
The last time I paddled the Upper Santa Fe River and Olustee Creek was back in February ( You can read about that paddle here ). The trees were still bare but it was a great first visit to this section of the river. Today Florida Paddle Notes revisited the same route on what started out a beautiful sunny summer day and finished with a typical Florida thunderstorm. A very enjoyable paddle! …James
Today we paddled close to home. One of the last remaining sections of the Ocklawaha River, that I have paddled but have yet to document. The entire Ocklawaha River – Bear Creek Loop, which begins at the Hwy 19 Bridge, goes East to the St Johns River, then back up Bear Creek, is about a 10-mile paddle. Today, however, we paddled a 6.5-mile loop, entering Bear Creek 3.5 miles down the Ocklawaha.
Today, despite a threat of rain, Donna and I headed on over to the Rainbow River expecting crowds and finding none! The weather was beautiful and we had a relaxing few hours, spending some time exploring beautiful Indian Creek and enjoying the paddle to the Rainbow head spring…James
A first new adventure in 2020 for Florida Paddle Notes…The Lower Wekiva River. It’s mid-January and a dreary morning, but hey, I’m on the water in Florida! …James
The third of three new paddle spots on our camping weekend in Hillsborough County. On this day we launched and paddled the Little Manatee River. This river is winding, shallow and narrow. There was a lot blooming on this trip through canopied and open stretches. An easy, quiet paddle…James