Whether you choose a canoe or a kayak, paddling your way through Florida's natural areas is one way to explore our water-rich state -- and in some places, it's virtually the only way.
Most of Florida is a peninsula, surrounded by sea water. With the Gulf of Mexico on the western side of the state, the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern and the Caribbean Sea not far off the southern end, Florida has a lot of shoreline to explore -- even natural shoreline thick with mangroves that canoes and kayaks seem perfectly made for.
But inland, there are a lot of rivers and streams, too, where you can paddle through forests and past meadows. Northern Florida is home to hundreds of springs that invite paddlers to float down their runs. Central Florida is dotted with a myriad of lakes of all sizes. And in southern Florida, the Everglades and the Ten Thousand Islands are where paddling a canoe or kayak is the best mode of transportation if you really want to see the true River of Grass.
There are so many places to take a canoe or kayak that we can't list all of them here; there is so much water in Florida that almost any of the places described on our Florida ecotourism areas page allow paddling. Here are just a few:
Northwestern Florida (the "Panhandle")
Northern Florida
Central Florida
Southern Florida
Boating
Many of the natural areas listed above also accommodate larger boats. For all the reasons mentioned in the above section on paddling canoes and kayaks, Florida is great for boating in larger vessels. From multimillion-dollar yachts that anchor in large-city marinas to airboats that blow across backwaters, you are likely to see boats wherever you go in Florida.
Obviously, with a larger boat, you can go places canoes and kayaks can't -- but the reverse is also true. If you want to explore Florida by boat, make sure you have nautical charts of the areas you're going to. (A GPS is another handy tool.) You'll also want to become familiar with Florida marinas and boat ramps around the state.
Airboats are a popular way to get around in watery backcountry, but they aren't welcome in all areas. And personal watercraft (PWCs) like Jet Skis and Sea Doos aren't allowed in some recreational areas. When you're planning a trip, call ahead to the office of the natural area you plan to visit to find out if your airboat or PWC is allowed.
When paddling or boating on any craft, make sure to always wear a personal flotation device (PFD) and to pay attention to signs you may see along your route -- like signs indicating private property or no-wake zones. Ask any boating questions of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which offers boating safety courses and boating safety tips.
For more in-depth information on paddling and boating in Florida, we recommend the following books:
Please see our page on Florida ecotourism locations for details on
Florida's natural areas.
