FL questions

LOL! Am I the only “Karen” (Kevin) worried about alligators if you go kayaking!
Keep in mind this is coming from a Midwestern person of 50 years.

Otherwise it sounds like a great trip!

Guy Roan wrote:

rav wrote:
Across from Silver Springs State Park is the Silver Springs Rv resort and many others. You could walk over to the Springs and rent kayaks.

You won't see manatees in Silver Springs or any in the Ocala National Forest spring runs

If you can find an RV park close to Blue Springs state Park, you are guaranteed to paddle with the Manatees there and in the Hontoon Dead River and the St Johns River

Check out our Google web sit under the "Springs Area"
It is https://sites.google.com/site/flkeyskayaktrips/

Guy

My friend, you are sadly mistaken. The greatest number of manatees will be found in the runs of springs. Silver Glen and salt springs run get several every winter. Blue Springs run at Blue Springs State Park have enormous populations of manatees every winter.

agesilaus wrote:
Manatee Springs SP is a prime location to spot Manatees but they have a short run to the Suwanee River and the park rangers will not let you put your boats in if there Manatees are near in the run or springs. The same is true at Blue Springs where the rangers we positively extreme about no boats or swimmers with Manatees. At Manatee Springs, which has two nice cg, you may be able to carry your kayaks down to the floating dock to launch them. There are big fines for interfering with the critters.

Yes but Blue springs flows into the Dead River and Hoontoon River and there are just as many there and nothing from stopping you from paddling there

Guy

Manatee Springs SP is a prime location to spot Manatees but they have a short run to the Suwanee River and the park rangers will not let you put your boats in if there Manatees are near in the run or springs. The same is true at Blue Springs where the rangers we positively extreme about no boats or swimmers with Manatees. At Manatee Springs, which has two nice cg, you may be able to carry your kayaks down to the floating dock to launch them. There are big fines for interfering with the critters.

rav wrote:
We saw several manatees last year and last week one was spotted near the glass bottom boat maintenance area.

They are strays and have to come all the way up the Oklawaha River to get there and are few and far between.

The Crystal River on the west coast is another prime place where you can be guaranteed to see them. Especially around the Three Sisters Springs area


Guy

We saw several manatees last year and last week one was spotted near the glass bottom boat maintenance area.

rav wrote:
Across from Silver Springs State Park is the Silver Springs Rv resort and many others. You could walk over to the Springs and rent kayaks.

You won't see manatees in Silver Springs or any in the Ocala National Forest spring runs

If you can find an RV park close to Blue Springs state Park, you are guaranteed to paddle with the Manatees there and in the Hontoon Dead River and the St Johns River

Check out our Google web sit under the "Springs Area"
It is https://sites.google.com/site/flkeyskayaktrips/

Guy

Across from Silver Springs State Park is the Silver Springs Rv resort and many others. You could walk over to the Springs and rent kayaks.

You might try Twelve Oaks RV in Sanford. Probably booked pretty solid but you may be able to pick up some open time if you are flexible. Good Luck

Well what you are looking for are mostly in the Ocala National Forest. Alexander, Juniper and Salt Springs all federal parks. There some other possibilities: Rainbow Springs on the Rainbow River SP and Silver Springs SP on the Silver River. Most of the other state park springs have short runs or don't have campgrounds. Ichetucknee Springs SP has a fantastic run on the river but no campground but there are private cg nearby.
All of these parks have private cg nearby. All of these parks are about an hour or hour and a half from Orlando. There are other parks scattered further south but that is the main grouping.
Now I'm sure you are aware that these places are probably booked solid for the snowbird season. But I'm seeing reports that the lack of Canadians is opening spots since they cannot easily escape Canada right now. So that may open some spots.
I saw a report in the RV News that said Canadians are flying to Seattle and paying to have their RV's trucked across the border on flatbed semis. That works since the US isn't hunting them down and issuing $10,000 fines like Canada is doing. But that is just a trickle compared to the usual flood.