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Ocklawaha River Canoe/Kayak Trip

Lars Andersen of Adventure Outpost will be our guide for this trip on the wild and scenic Ocklawaha River below the Rodman Dam. He is extremely knowledgeable about both the natural and cultural history of the river. It you have not been on one of his trips before, you are in for a treat!

NOTE: You are not registered for the trip until you have paid for your kayak (or shuttle fee if you choose to use your own boat. Fees are listed below.When you reserve your kayak, you will be given specific directions of where to meet. This will be the ‘take-out’ spot;  the outfitter will shuttle us to the ‘put-in’ spot.

Our group has not paddled this river before. It has a great history--which Lars will tell us about--so it should be a fun trip. We hope to get out to swim at one of the spring areas, so plan for that. This trip will appeal to people with a variety of interests. As history buffs dream of Acuera warriors and the steamboats which once once plied these waters, birders and animal lovers will be getting a lot of use out of their binoculars and cameras.

For a more complete description, click here  and scroll down to "Ocklawaha River #3"

What to bring:

  • Lunch to take on the river with you
    Plenty of drinking water
  • Hat, sunscreen, long-sleeved shirt (Part of the trip will be shaded, part in full sun)
  • Insect repellent
    Water shoes appropriate for rocky or grassy bottoms  (not flip flops)
  • Poncho, or rain gear (in case we have afternoon showers)
  • Cell phone, camera, binoculars
  • Waterproof bag for personal gear (like cell phone, camera, binoculars)
  • Change of clothes
  • Towel
  • Lifejackets, paddles, seats, & required whistles (provided by the outfitter for those renting boats)

Costs for rentals from Adventure Outpost:

  • Reservations are REQUIRED and must be secured with prepayment, using cash, check or credit card (c/c by phone is OK). Call Adventure Outpost at (386) 454-0611. Adventure Outpost's website.
  • Rental fee: $35 for FNPS members, $45 for non-members (includes shuttle)
  • Shuttle fee: of $25 shuttle fee for FNPS members who bring their own boats, $35 for non-members
  • If we get more than 10 people, the prices will  go down about 2.00/person
  • You can make a reservation any time before 5 PM the afternoon before the trip. HOWEVER, if you wait until the last minute, there's no guarantee that a) you will be able to contact the outfitter (they may be out of the office), b) that there will still be spaces available, or c) the outfitter has not already left the store with the boats to travel to the site. The earlier you call, the more likely you are to secure a spot.
  • CANCELLATIONS: You can cancel up to 24 hours before the trip and get a full refund. After that, your payment is forfeited. If the outfitter is forced to cancel the trip due to inclement weather, you will get a refund.

Lars Andersen from Adventure Outpost will shuttle us to the starting point;  we will be parking at the ‘take-out’ spot. There is a shuttle fee even if you bring your own kayak, so make sure you call to reserve even if you plan to  bring your own boat.

Difficulty

This trip is considered ‘easy’. We will be traveling with the current, so not much heavy paddling is expected, but it is a 9-mile trip, so come prepared for about a 4-5 hour trip on the water (plus travel time to and from the site). This is easy flowing water with few obstacles (none requiring pull-overs or portage) so even novices will have little problem. The main consideration is endurance. For some, a half-day of paddling can be tiring. As many of you already know, we encourage paddlers to take their time to enjoy the experience. There are a few tricky forks so you won't want to get too far away from the guide.

Carpool

If you have room for other passengers or need a ride, please contact Alexa at (727) 422-4792 or email alexa776@tampabay.rr.com. Craig and Alexa will meet you at the site this trip, so cannot carpool, but I will help coordinate rides as needed.

Please make sure Alexa has a phone number where you can be reached the DAY OF THE TRIP in case of cancellation for bad weather.  However remember that even if the weather is bad here it might not be at the meet site. (We have had that happen several times)