Shrouded by a light fog as an early morning high tide rises over vast salt marshes, a lone kayaker
slowly moves with the current on the St. Johns River. Ahead of the kayak an osprey dives into a
school of finger mullet and snares one in its talons, barely rippling the water’s mirror-like
surface. The only sounds are those of nature; sounds familiar to Timucuan Indians, sounds of
birds, of the wind blowing through the marsh grasses, and the water lapping against the shore.
Four rivers and their salt marshes plus several barrier islands create the perfect location in
northeast Florida for exceptional coastal saltwater paddling. The trails in this guide will give you
an opportunity to enjoy the tranquility of estuaries and tidal creeks, observe a vast array of birds
and wildlife, learn the history of early cultures and settlement of this region and most
importantly, relax and appreciate the interplay of water, light and land.
This guide provides information about paddling trails in the salt marsh, estuarine, and sea island
ecosystems of four rivers located in the Timucuan Trail State and National Parks. Timucuan
Trail State and National Parks is a ground breaking formal partnership created in 1999 between
federal, state, city, private and corporate landowners that provides visitors with seamless
experiences across adjoining management areas. The partnership is a national model for multi-
jurisdictional cooperation between park managers. This unique partnership of land managers is
responsible for the waterways, lands and facilities that are included in this guide. To learn more,
click here
This guide is intended to be a stand-alone paddling resource for the northeast Florida area.
Paddlers are encouraged to also reference the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling
Trail which includes northeast Florida in
Segment 26 of the saltwater trail. These two valuable guides provide paddlers with the
information necessary to plan a paddling trip for a few hours or several days. The distance of
each trail identified on the maps is an estimate based on computer measurements. Available
amenities are listed for all sites. General characteristics of the trail are listed, but all paddlers
should be aware that conditions quickly change and all safety procedures must be followed to
assure a safe trip. Paddlers are responsible for knowing their own capabilities and limits and the
conditions of the water for each trip. The paddling routes described here include 10 saltwater
trails and 2 freshwater-brackish creek trails.
All designated access sites are on public property. Please do not trespass on adjacent private
property that is not part of the blueway. If you make stops between designated access sites,
please follow the directions in the guide to avoid trespassing on private land. |
