Because of its popularity, you have to enter a lottery months in advance to get a permit to rent it. In the heart of the Ocala National Forest, there is a cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps called Sweetwater Cabin. Reaching an island swinging with monkeys - rhesus macaques deliberately released in the 1930s - I heard familiar voices. One of the adult manatees slowly surfaced to breathe and we listened to its exhalation. In the lee of a submerged tree were three adults and a calf resting on the bottom. Someone passing in the opposite direction described where to see a group of manatees. But wide aquatic panoramas bordered by red cardinal flowers and blue spikes of pickerel weed flowers were a heady combination. After days spent on spring-fed rivers, I thought that my sense of wonder would have run dry. The next day, on our way to Ocala National Forest where we would be staying for two nights, we stopped at Silver River. It was an easy drift back to our rented house, lingering over views of gar, popping through the culvert under Highway 27 and loitering to watch a grazing manatee. We reached North End launch, where the river begins with water from its headspring. My apology was overridden by his exclamation, “I didn’t catch it!” He explained that the group was catching turtles for the annual survey carried out by the Santa Fe River Turtle Project.Ĭlose to two miles after starting, we passed the outflow from Blue Hole Spring, the largest spring in the group that feeds the Ichetucknee, and paddling became less strenuous. I accidentally nudged one who had been zigzagging across the river. Around Grassy Hole Spring, where the river threads through islands of vegetation, we saw scattered canoes, each with a band of snorkelers. We went upstream, the opposite direction of tubers floating down to South Takeout, the last exit within the park.Ībove the tubing section the Ichetucknee widens and its current steadily increases. The next day we drove 10 minutes to Ichetucknee Springs State Parks south entrance, and started our paddle from Dampiers Landing, a canoe and tube launch. People gave us friendly waves and we were offered beer. Nearing the junction with the Santa Fe River we could hear music a crowd of boats was anchored along the forest edge. Our trip took place in the spring, but peak paddle-boarding season runs through October, though it’s possible to do year-round.ĭefeated by strong current where the Ichetucknee flows through a culvert under Highway 27, we let ourselves float downstream. In a circular route, starting and ending at Orlando, over the course of a week we stayed in three places and paddled on six spring runs. We had our inflatable boards, which are lightweight, easy to launch and pack down to check-in size for flights. ![]() This year his 19-year-old daughter, Lili, had free time between studies and internships, so we brought her to our favorites. Myles, my boyfriend, and I have explored Florida’s springs over many years. Paddling upstream and drifting back to your parking spot removes the need for a shuttle ride back to your vehicle. Staying in waterfront accommodations is another way to ensure access. Others, like Silver Glen Spring, are popular and have limited parking, which should be booked in advance to guarantee entry. Some state parks, such as Weeki Wachee Springs, have limited launching slots, in order to control the number of visitors and protect the habitat, that need to be booked in advance online. ![]() While the waterways are public, access to them is via boat launches on private or state-owned land.
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