A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to Florida » (Second Edition)

Johnny Molloy is an outdoor writer based in Tennessee. He has averaged over one hundred nights in the wild per year since the early 1980's, backpacking and canoe camping throughout our country. He has written numerous hiking, camping, and paddling books covering much of the U.S. from Florida to Wisconsin to Colorado and articles for magazines and Web sites.

All veteran paddlers, Elizabeth F. Carter and John L. Pearce wrote Volume I: North Central Peninsula and Panhandle, and Lou Glaros and Doug Sphar wrote Volume II: Central and South Peninsula, that have been definitive guides to the waterways of Florida for almost twenty years.

Florida’s water resources are among its most significant assets, and exploring the rivers and streams is one of the best ways to experience the state’s diverse natural resources. A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to Florida is the premier guide to paddling the waterways of the Sunshine State. The comprehensive guide features: detailed river maps, thorough river profiles, and photographs. At-a-glance information includes critical river data such as river classification, river gauge, water level, water velocity, gradient, and ratings for scenery. With over 60 detailed profiles of the best canoeing and kayaking waterways in Florida, this guide is almost as indispensable as the paddle and life jacket. From the exciting and beautiful runs of the Panhandle’s Econfina to slower paddles through wildlife-rich Everglades National Park, A Canoeing and Kayaking Guide to Florida details the best paddling experiences the state has to offer.

Dedication     ii
Acknowledgments     viii
Introduction     1
Using This Guide     3
Using River Gauges     4
Water-level Sites     5
Friendly Advice     5
Florida Rivers and Creeks     10
The Western Panhandle     16
Big Escambia Creek     16
Styx River     19
Perdido River     22
Coldwater Creek     27
Sweetwater Creek and Juniper Creek     29
Streams of the Eglin Air Force Base Reservation     33
Blackwater River     42
Yellow River     46
Shoal River     51
Choctawhatchee River     55
Holmes Creek     64
Econfina Creek of Washington and Bay Counties     67
Chipola River     72
The Central Panhandle     80
Ochlockonee River     80
Sopchoppy River     90
Little River     94
Graham Creek and East River     96
New River     98
Lost Creek     101
The Big Bend     104
Wakulla River     104
St. Marks River     107
Wacissa River     109
Aucilla River     112
Econfina River of Taylor County     115
Steinhatchee River     117
The Northern Peninsula     120
Withlacoochee River (North)     120
Suwannee River     124
Santa Fe River     137
Ichetucknee River     143
Middle Prong St. Marys River     144
St. Marys River     147
Black Creek     153
The Central Peninsula     158
Withlacoochee River (South)     158
Rainbow River     165
Silver River     167
Ocklawaha River     168
Alexander Springs and Alexander Springs Creek     172
Juniper Springs and Juniper Creek     176
Salt Springs and Salt Springs Run     178
The Central Highlands     180
Wekiva River and Rock Springs Run     180
Blackwater Creek and Lake Norris     185
Econlockhatchee River     188
Arbuckle Creek     191
Peace River     195
Fisheating Creek     200
The Atlantic Coast     204
Pellicer Creek     204
Bulow Creek      207
Tomoka River     210
Spruce Creek     213
Turkey Creek (Atlantic Coast)     215
South Prong of the St. Sebastian River     217
North Fork of the St. Lucie River     220
Loxahatchee River     223
The Southwest Gulf Coast     226
Weeki Wachee River     226
Hillsborough River     231
Alafia River     236
Little Manatee River     242
Manatee River     245
Myakka River     347
J. N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge (Commodore Creek Canoe Trail)     252
Estero River     253
The Everglades     258
Blackwater River at Collier-Seminole State Park     258
Everglades National Park and the Wilderness Waterway     262
Halfway Creek Canoe Trail     265
Turner River Canoe Trail     267
Nine-Mile Pond Canoe Trail     271
Noble Hammock Canoe Trail     273
Mud Lake Loop Trail     275
Appendixes     278
Outfitters     278
Paddling Clubs     283
Safety Code of American Whitewater     285
Glossary     295
About the Authors      299
Index     300