Eighth Annual: In search of Manatees in Florida’s Spring Fed Rivers!!

This will be a very full weekend paddling at least three spring-fed rivers in Florida’s beautiful Ocala area, and nearby. We hope to encounter some manatees along the way, but without a doubt will see lots of wildlife and gorgeous scenery.

These are the three spring-fed rivers we intend to paddle: Juniper Creek, Weeki Wachee (or another nearby river), and Silver Springs (details below).  Cost includes three nights’ accommodation in an AirBNB rental house (location TBD), plus launch fees for at least two of the rivers. Meals will be coordinated closer to the event, but we will plan to pick up groceries for dinner Friday night, breakfasts, and packed lunches (bread, meat, cheese, chips, etc.).

Important Details (please review before signing up for this trip):

 -  You must have, or borrow, a boat to participate, and be able to transport it to Florida. This is a BYOB event. Trip leaders and other members are not responsible for providing, or transporting, participants' kayaks, though we encourage them to try and carpool with others who are on the trip.

-  No local rentals allowed: we do not allow people to rent boats locally since each river would have to be arranged separately (assuming rentals were even available on each since we may need to change a river at the last minute) and it would impact our ability to coordinate our carpool and shuttle.

-  No inflatable boats allowed (the parks ban their use, not us).

-  Must have prior paddling experience: this is not a beginner's kayaking event. You need to have prior paddling experience on rivers, and know how to steer your boat in tight quarters. If you have any questions, please reach out to the Trip Leaders.

-  Payment is due within 7 days of sign up or you will be moved to the waitlist. This is because we have to reserve and pay for the rental house months in advance.

The House:

We're renting an Air BNB house and it will have beds for everyone, though in some cases people may need to share (more details below). It will also have full kitchen facilities and a nice outdoor space, so we can cook some group meals, and people can bring their own food if they have special dietary requirements. No dogs allowed.

There will be plenty of sleeping space (approx. 4-7 bedrooms), but please be prepared to be flexible if you join us. We will do our best to accommodate couples/friends in shared beds/bedrooms but cannot make guarantees. You may also have to share space with members of the opposite sex, though not beds. 

Paddles:

Saturday: We will begin with a paddle down Juniper Creek. We will be getting up early to head over there, especially since all boats must launch prior to 11:30 am.  The Juniper Springs run is a nationally recognized attraction. The run takes between three and five hours to complete, from starting point near the Juniper Springs pool to an exit point off State Road 19 on the way to Lake George. ReserveAmerica has named Juniper one of the top 25 canoe runs in the U.S.  A shuttle will be set, then we launch from the park. We are including the launch fees in the trip costs. 

This is an approximately 3.5 to 4 hour, 7 mile paddle downstream. It is a lush, subtropical environment that is among the most beautiful that I have ever paddled. Clear water, sandy bottoms, lush foliage. Occasionally deer and usually a gator or two, as well as many birds can be seen. We do not see manatees on this particular river.

Sunday: We will be heading towards the west coast to paddle down the Weeki Wachee.  We'll have to reserve our boat launch ahead of time. If we do Weeki Wachee, it is a 5.5 mile run from the first magnitude main spring in the State Park, down to Rogers Park. Most of the paddle passes through lush floodplain forests as it is fed by hundreds of smaller springs. Manatees do come up into the river during the winter, and we’ve seen a good many of them the other times we paddled here. We will be including the launch fees in the trip cost. Our alternate river this day will be the Itchetucknee. 

Monday: We will go paddling on the Silver Springs River. This is a crystal clear, deep blue river with a mild current, making it ideal for exploring. It is fed by Silver Springs, the largest artesian spring in the world. It's also where we've seen the most manatees, alligators, monkeys, and other wildlife, in past years. We will start at the springs and paddle downriver to the take out, about five miles total.  We will then head back to Atlanta. The take out is pretty close to I-75 north in Ocala, and we should finish the paddle by early afternoon.

Other Activities:

In addition to the paddles, we may try to explore some local springs (time, distance, and weather permitting), and possibly go swimming in one or two of them, such as Alexander Springs or Salt Springs. On Sunday afternoon, we may also visit Homosassa Springs State Wildlife Park. It's a pretty park, located around the main spring, with a wide variety of rescued wildlife, and tons of local birds. It is also on the way back from Weeki Wachee, making it a convenient side trip.

Note:

We will paddle rain or shine. Paddling may be postponed in the event of lightning. If a paddle is cancelled one day due to weather, we'll either try to make it up before or after a paddle on another day or find alternate activities in place of the paddle. We reserve the right to switch rivers/days due to weather and other factors, as needed, but will always be sure to paddle on a spring-fed river (there are many others as well: Rainbow, Santa Fe, Itchetucknee, Withlacoochee, etc.). 

We encourage attendees to carpool if possible, given probably limited parking at the rental house. Please feel free to reach out to one another and keep us posted on your plans.

We encourage attendees to carpool if possible, given limited parking. Please feel free to reach out to one another and keep us posted on your plans. It is approximately a 6 1/2 drive to the Ocala area, but may be further depending on where the house is located.

The Trip Leader(s) for this event has (have) elected either to personally collect the funds that event participants are required to pay, or to require participants to pay funds directly to a third party. No funds will be paid to the Atlanta Outdoor Club for this event. Therefore, by registering for this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following: (1) the monies paid by registrants will not be monitored, managed, or otherwise accounted for by the Atlanta Outdoor Club; (2) that the Atlanta Outdoor Club bears no financial responsibility for this event; and (3) you waive any and all claims against the Atlanta Outdoor Club, and hold the Atlanta Outdoor Club harmless for the loss of any monies you paid for this event.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, any paying registrant may request directly from the Trip Leader, prior to the event, a breakdown of funds collected, estimated expenses, and deposits made in anticipation of the event. Following the event, the Trip Leader must complete his or her financial accounting for the event, with supporting documentation, within 30 days of the completion of the event, and a paid registrant may request a breakdown of funds collected, money spent and supporting documentation after that time. If you are unable to obtain requested documentation, please contact the Director of Paid Events.

• 3 nights accomodation in a large AirBNB house (details pending)
• Dinner Friday night at the house
• Breakfast and lunch food, purchased from local grocery store (bacon, eggs, bagels, bread, lunch meat, chips, etc.)
• $15 non-refundable donation to the AOC  
• $15 Launch/Day Pass Fee for Juniper Springs
• $8 per person Launch Fee at Weeki Wachee State Park

Payment submission info will be sent to indviduals after signup. 

Cost does NOT include:

• Dinners on Saturday and Sunday (we will likely go out to eat locally, but you can also bring your own meal if you prefer)
• Launch/entrance fees for Silver Springs (approx. $6 per person)
• Entrance fee to Homosassa Springs State Park (if you decide to go)
• Parking fees (if any, for shuttles)

Payment is due within 7 days of sign up or you will be moved to the waitlist.

If you cancel after August 1st, 2025 there will be NO REFUNDS unless someone replaces you and pays in full, then you will receive a full refund less the $15 AOC fee. This is because we have paid in full for the AirBNB, and it will increase costs for the rest of the participants if you cannot be replaced.