| Clear Kayaking At Rock Springs |
Enter the real Florida. Find yourself surrounded by tree canopies, clear waters,
and the exciting noises of nature.
Take an adventure at Rock Springs Run State Reserve!
Upon arriving at Rock Springs you will be greeted just behind Kings Landing by a smiling face and inviting handshake from one of our friendly guides! Our clear kayaks will be lined up and ready for you to begin your exciting paddle through Rock Springs! The first canal where you’ll take your first several paddles may throw you off as the water is dark brown since this is a man-made canal off of the spring run! Don’t let this deter you as only a few more paddles until you’ve entered the clear waters at the start of our paddle. There’s usually a few people lounging and swimming right as the water clears up along a pristine white sandy beach area and thrilling rope swing that hangs from the towering trees above.
This is where we will begin our adventure. Our guides do a great job of giving paddling tips and techniques so even beginners can enjoy the surroundings without having to focus much on the paddling! As we begin the paddle, we go upstream against the current. This makes for a little bit of a workout but the excitement grows as each winding turn through the waterway comes with unique views on the nature that envelopes the waterway.
As you look up you can’t help but to subconsciously hear the theme song to “Jurassic Park” play in your head as the tree canopy begins to thicken and the nature around you starts to hum. With every paddle there’s new sights, new plant life, and the hope for seeing birds, fish, turtles, small gators, and more. Along the way we will take several picturesque stops allowing for great memories and the opportunity to get out of the kayaks and splash around for a few minutes. While enjoying the refreshing dip, our guides will educate you on the local surroundings, history, nature, and wildlife that can be seen along the way.
Your eyes will be filled with pigments of lush greens and blues from the shrubbery and waters of Rock Springs! As we paddle through a colorful section of the waterway known as ‘Emerald Cut’ we will soon exit the tree canopy and into the open air. As the sun shines down you’ll get an energizing warmth that you can’t help but smile from. While you look around you will notice the plant life has all changed. This is due to the amount of sunlight that the remainder of the paddle is filled with. For the next 15-25 minutes you’ll be surrounded by lily pads, oak trees, and the chance to catch a glimpse of an elusive deer or shy small gator on the shoreline soaking up the rays.
Since the water is only 1-3 feet deep in most areas, only smaller gators (1-3 feet) like to hang out along our paddle. Once they get big enough they travel downstream into deeper waters and the opposite direction of our paddle.
We’ll find our way to a scenic sandbar for a great chance to stretch those legs and muster up some additional energy to paddle the remaining 5-10 minutes to the top of the run. The top of the paddle is our most photographed spot! Here is where you’ll be greeted by the bright crystal blue waters of Rock Springs. Less than a mile from the headspring, the waters here are fresh out of the ground and picturesque! Enjoy taking some photos, floating in the water, and relaxing your arms after the 1 mile paddle upstream. Hand your phone over to our guide for a great chance to get a few pictures of yourself and your paddle partner!
After you’ve enjoyed your time at the top of the paddle, we will re-enter the kayaks and begin our lazy river float back downstream. The winding float back to our launch point comes with a gentle 3mph current push which means that you don’t have to paddle at all on the way back, just some steering to maneuver the winding turns. Here’s your best chance to take out your phone, gopro, or camera and snap some pictures or videos as the effortless float proceeds. The quietness of not having to paddle will heighten your sense of wildlife and nature sounds as the calm waterways push your kayak gently back towards our launch point. If we’ve got some extra time we’ll hop out one last time at the rope swing that we first saw at the beginning of the tour. Here you can savor the last bit of excitement and thrill before we end the tour.
Enjoy some lifelong memories with your friends and family along the way as you slowly reach our launch point at Kings Landing ending this incredible adventure.
WHAT TO BRING
- Hats
- No shoes – we don’t allow shoes to be worn in the kayak but sandals/water shoes can be brought along for when we exit the kayaks along the tour.
- Water (no glass or styrofoam is allowed on the waterway)
- Swim Wear – you’ll love getting in the water as its 72 degrees year round!
- Camera – we provide small dry bags for your phone, wallet, keys, etc!
- Towel
- Change of clothes
Learn more about our Rock Springs tours here: https://getupandgokayaking.com/rock-springs/