I am fairly new to canoeing - just bought a Bell Morningstar 2 weeks ago.
We have canoed at: Jonathan Dickinson, Loxahatchee Reserve, Myakka, Oscar Schrer, Koreshan,Peace River, Wekiva and Hillsborough River SP and pretty soon Salt Springs Rec area in Ocala Natl Forest.
We are looking for a place within 3-4 hrs from Ft. Lauderdale area & a place we can put our camper at.
Usually we stay at State Parks-but any campgroud that is decent will do. We would use a shuttle service if it is near the campground also.
Recommendations? AntiqFreq
3-4 hrs…
I am in the same boat(no pun intended-Oakland Park), and it looks like you have hit most close decent places. There is Flamingo, but i can’t comment as we haven’t done it. Unless you want to fight some serious bugs, our paddeling/camping season is severly limited. I have heard that Canaveral(Indian/Bannana Rivers)has some really interesting back country and the fishing is great. If you go a little further, there are 3-4 springs in Ocala Nat Forest, and a few more surrounding it. We also like to hit the state parks as most of them are cleaner and alot cheaper than private.
RD
Central Florida trip
I went on an overnight trip to Silver Springs and the Oklawaha River on the west edge of the Ocala forest last October. It was a solo trip. Took me about 3 or 4 hours to paddle upstream from local park on Silver River to the actual head of springs. I have a 15 foot royalex Wenonah Heron. VERY well worth the trouble! The water is so clear you can see all the way to the bottom, and there is an abundance of wildlife along the way, including many alligators and turtles. Took about 2 hours to float back down. I kept going downstream on the Oklawaha, and camped overnight. I really can’t recommend the camping along the Oklawaha, as many sites were too wet/soggy. Also, although information on the web from the Oklawaha Canoe Outfitters would lead you to believe there are quite a few good campsites, most of them are along a very narrow strip along the river, but in sight of someone’s summer camp/trailer. I didn’t stay in those, because I would have felt like I was camping in someone else’s front yard! I took my own gear, and had the outfitter shuttle me to the start of the trip. He was very helpful. They offer campsites and cabins at their place along the river.