Development is creeping up on Spruce Creek and Strickland Bay, but there’s still enough scenic shoreline left to enjoy an awesome day of kayaking.
Kayak, Canoe, Paddle Trails
Best kayaking in Florida
Informative articles about the best Florida paddle trails for kayaks, canoes and paddle boards from coastal marshes to scenic rivers and spring runs. These are our favorites:
- Our favorite kayak and paddle trails
- 6 best towns for kayaking in Florida
- The Chaz
- Best tubing in Florida
- Best kayaking near Orlando and Central Florida
- 10 best kayaking spots in South Florida
- 12 awesome outings for kayaking in the Florida Keys
- 5 favorite places to paddleboard in Tampa Bay area
- 3 kayak trails in Southwest Florida you’ll love
Browse our full catalog of kayaking stories below…
Silver Springs State Park: Famous spring plus cabins, hiking, history
If you haven’t experienced Florida’s most famous spring, you’re missing one of the most beautiful spots in Florida. This weekend, Ocali Country Days, a special living-history festival, will re-create the Ocala of the 1800s. Year-round, this park has it all: kayaking, hiking, glass-bottom boat rides, horseback riding and terrific cabins.
Loxahatchee River: Kayak a wild, scenic river in South Florida
Within an hour’s drive of the urban tangle of South Florida, one of Florida’s two nationally designated “wild and scenic” rivers meanders through a spectacularly lovely cypress swamp. Kayak trips range from an hour or two to a strenuous all-day adventure.
The Savannas: An unlikely oasis
Masking the spine of suburban sprawl from Fort Pierce to Jensen Beach is an unexpected escape into the wild.
Milton: Great cabins, camping, glamping, biking, hiking in ‘canoe capitol’
Milton has grown from the “canoe capitol” in Florida’s Panhandle into an outdoors center with eco-resorts and multiple activities. The area’s white-sand rivers are terrific to kayak or tube and there are good hiking and biking trails. Milton has an interesting historic district too.
5 ways to explore Florida’s Ten Thousand Islands
Vast and remote, the Ten Thousand Islands off Florida’s southwest coast seems challenging to visit, a labyrinth of twisting channels through thousands of remote mangrove islands.
Atsena Otie: Cedar Key’s easy, fun & scenic kayak trip to an island
Atsena Otie island is a ghost town founded before Florida was a state. It’s a half-mile kayak trip from the Cedar Key beach and rewards you with a sandy beach, an atmosperic cemetery and good paddling and birding.
Six things to do in Cedar Key, a charming, historic, off-the-beaten path spot
It’s a long way from just about anywhere — and that’s part of its beauty. But it’s also a great place to bicycle, kayak, hike, watch sunsets and spot birds. An 1859 hotel, now a charming B&B, plus fresh seafood restaurants add to its appeal.
Mound Key: Kayak to archaeological park, once center of its world
A fascinating kayak destination: Mound Key Archaeological State Park, an uninhabited island accessible only by boat near Fort Myers Beach. The ceremonial center of the Calusa people, Mound Key is one of a kind and is surrounding by waters full of wildlife.
Lido Key Mangrove Trail: Paddling with cormorants, wildlife
The Lido Key Mangrove Trail is a well-known scenic kayak trail in Sarasota. In addition to friendly cormorants and shaded mangrove tunnels, this trail is popular in summer because there is a sandbar where you can swim.