When I posted a note to Paddling.net asking for kayaking suggestions in Central Florida, Juniper Springs was near the top of most lists.
But there was one caution: “Whatever you do, DON’T do Juniper Springs on a weekend. It is a zoo.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t have much choice based on the way my trip was evolving, so I decided to tough it out and deal with the army of tourists careening down the springs in canoes. I was counting on two things to mitigate the crowds: An early start and the fact that this was the weekend before Christmas. As it turns out, I won on both counts.
I launched from the Juniper Springs Recreation Area in Ocala National Forest at 8:45 a.m., and I was the only car in the lot when I arrived. In fact, during the entire 7-mile run the only zoo I encountered was populated by herons, kingfishers, deer, an otter and dozens of turtles. I didn’t see or hear a human until I reached the takeout at Juniper Wayside Park, where I initially had intended to launch. It was another amazing trip. The morning was shrouded in fog, but it had pretty much lifted by the time I launched, leaving a haze that the sun didn’t penetrate until almost 11 o’clock. That was fine by me. It made for a cool, invigorating paddle.
The run was trickier than I’d anticipated. The current runs at about 3 mph, channeling through and around countless obstructions. I can see how you easily could get dumped out of your boat if you’re not playing heads-up, and it didn’t help that I was using a 240cm paddle. Something in the 220 range probably would have been more appropriate. I managed to stay in my boat for the entire run, but I had a few close calls, one of which almost cost me my hat.
I completed the trip in a little over three hours and had to wait about an hour for the shuttle back to the parking lot at the recreation area. Combined with my paddle of Gum Slough the previous day, I was getting a great taste of paddling in central Florida that left me wanting more.
- Fees: It cost $4 to enter the Juniper Springs Recreation Area and another $12 to have a shuttle pick you up at Juniper Wayside Park and return you to the rec area. One other “fee” to note: They require a $20 cash deposit when you leave to ensure you check in upon returning so they know everyone who sets out returns. After I got back to the recreation area, they refunded the $20. Initially, I was going to put in at the wayside park, paddle upstream and then return. But in researching the trip on the Internet I’d found a few posts saying that launching at the wayside park was now prohibited. That isn’t entirely true. They apparently had problelms there with rowdy crowds of locals partying and swimming, so they had tried to restrict the park to takeout only. But local protests forced them to compromise and allow three parking spots for people who want to put in there. In the end, I’m glad I didn’t do it anyway since it would have been a tough paddle upstream and I’m not sure I could have done it after the trip to Gum Slough the previous day. I definitely was feeling it in my shoulders and arms.
- “Snatching” mullet: When I arrived at the wayside park, there were a couple of 20 somethings with a small jon boat who were fishing for talapia and mullet. They’d driven in from DeLand to fish and were pretty disappointed when I misinformed them that they couldn’t put in there. Fearing their truck would be towed, they were planning to leave and head to Lake George, but we began talking and they started casting a treble hook to try to “snatch” mullet. They didn’t have much luck, but we had fun talking while they tried. They were great guys. Gene, who clearly was the brains of the operation, boasted a rebel flag belt buckle and a hunting knife on his belt. He was a Florida boy born and bred. When Bill, who drives the shuttle back to the rec area arrived to take my boat back, he corrected my misinformation and told them they could park in one of the three designated spots there and they had to fish downstream of the bridge. No fishing is allowed upstream. That might explain why I saw lots of bass and mullet swimming around as I glided past above them
- Intermediate paddle: The Forest Service makes it clear this isn’t a trip for beginners. The current is about 3 mph, but it picks up considerably on the last third of the run because of a spring that opened up there a few years ago. Bill, the guy who drives the shuttle, calls it “Bill’s Spring” since he says he was the first to spot it. They thought it was runoff at first, but after a long dry spell it was clear this was a new spring that had opened up. There are a lot of tight passages on the run and many overhanging branches that make it pretty tricky. About an hour after I’d arrived at the pickup point a canoe pulled in with two drenched guys who had failed to navigate one of the obstacles.
- Wildlife: I saw lots of turtles, an otter, several heron and kingfishers and two doe as I navigated down the run. At the takeout, two raccoons wandered the opposite bank in search of food and a pair of eagles soared overhead while a redtail hawk screeched in protest not far away. It was an incredible sight. Paddling early has its advantages.
- No disposables: Although there was no one there to enforce it when I launched, there is a rule that prohibits you from taking disposable bottles on the run. I stopped at a Winn Dixie on my way over to get a water bottle for that purpose, but when I got back into my truck I forgot to put my headlights back on, which prompted a sheriff’s officer to pull me over to warn me that you have to have your lights on in the fog. She was very polite and professional, and let me off with a warning. It was foolish to be driving in that fog without lights. Initially I thought she was pulling me over because of the way I’d used the Extend a Truck to haul the kayak, but she said that was fine.
- Park personnel: The recreation area was pretty deserted when I arrived, and the rangers were milling about in the concession area talking and waiting for people to arrive. By the time I got back to the lot, at about 1:30, there were a lot more cars there, but Bill the shuttle driver said it was much slower than usual because it was the weekend before Christmas. Overall, the park personnel where great, especially Bill the shuttle driver.
- Photos: Stuff I shot that’s on Flickr.
- Resources: jackl’s post on Paddling.net was very useful. This post on Seakayak.ws provided a lot of useful detail.