This is your first step in planning adventures for the coming cooler weather. We’ve paddled dozens of Florida waterways and here’s our pick for the best places to kayak by region plus a few “unsung” favorites we recommend you discover.
Kayak, Canoe, Paddle Trails
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…
Siesta Key is famous for its top-ranked beaches, but this kayak trail is another reason to visit. It takes you through a bird-filled preserve to a beach accessible only by boat. The origin of this beach involves the fascinating tale of Midnight Pass, which some locals want to restore.
What might be our favorite Florida zoo just made the US News and World Report list of best zoos in the US. The Brevard Zoo is not huge, but it is highly interactive, including offering kayaking on waterways through the zoo. It’s in Melbourne, which makes a great weekend getaway destination.
Mount Dora has a lively downtown and a well-preserved historic district on a pretty lake. It’s a walkable small town with good dining and shopping. This weekend is its big Arts Festival
What we like just as much: There is great kayaking and biking nearby.
Emerson Point Preserve is an exceptional county park, off the beaten path on the southern end of Tampa Bay. There is excellent hiking and kayaking, and the real gem is the Portavant temple mound.
The kayak trail through old Bonita Springs on the Imperial River is worth discovering for its scenery. If you’re lucky, you may see manatees.
The Gulf coast along Charlotte Harbor has miles of wild shoreline, making it a wonderland of wildlife and natural beauty and ideal for sea kayaking.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is known for its iconic mermaid show and water park. The gorgeous spring-fed river is also a great place for kayak and SUP rentals, although the route from the park has been shortened.
The Peace River in Arcadia has been a beloved paddling destination for decades. It’s an easy, tranquil paddle and it’s also outright gorgeous. It’s a great river for groups, families and beginners.
Camp Venice was slammed by Hurricane Ian. A year later, the Myakka River has receded, and this private campground, a personal favorite, looks none the worse for wear.
Updated for 2024: If you have one day or its your first visit to the Everglades, this guide will help you see wildlife and experience the essence of Everglades National Park. We offer tips, too, for more in-depth Everglades experiences.
Like all beaches, John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is popular when it’s hot, but it is also a great winter destination because it offers scenic kayaking and rentals. We like kayaking to Munyon Island, a wild mangrove island that 120 years ago was the site of a health resort serving an elixer that “restored vitality.”
From years of experience with the good and the bad, we share our picks for the best gifts for kayakers.
Encompassing more than 600 square miles in North Central Florida, Ocala National Forest is your playground for adventure.
Good news: One of Florida’s favorite kayak runs, Juniper Springs, is open again. It might be the most pristine spring-fed river in Florida. It’s stunningly beautiful, a narrow twisty stream, best for experienced paddlers. It had been closed since 2020.
The magic of manatees draws thousands to the Crystal River on the Gulf Coast each winter. Here’s a practical guide to manatee experiences in Three Sisters Springs and Kings Bay — kayaking with manatees, swimming with manatees or admiring them from a boardwalk.
If you love kayaking and are planning a getaway, we recommend these six places as the best towns for kayaking in Florida. These small towns will deliver exceptional and authentic experiences.
Windswept beaches, pristine back country waterways, a mile-long fishing bridge, scenic campgrounds, and a lot of hands-on history.
This Miami state park is a remarkable island of green where you can kayak, mountain bike, picnic and enjoy a sandy beach. There are even rustic cabins to rent. It’s the largest urban park in Florida.
Kayaking the Chaz on the central Gulf Coast takes you over turquoise springs, down twisty creeks, and you might just see a manatee, otter or bald eagle. This is one of Florida’s premier kayaking rivers.
See Florida in a new light — moonlight. A full moon is a great time to go kayaking and many kayak outfitters around the state organize full-moon paddle outings.
Remote, rural and picturesque, northwest Florida rewards your long drive with sparkling springs, the beautiful Suwanee River and scenic rural roads. Two state parks with cabins and campgrounds make great bases to explore the region.
Robbie’s Marina is a don’t-miss stop as you drive through the Florida Keys. Dozens of tarpon, some more than 6 feet long, gather at the dock and lunge for fish from visitors. The restaurant there, the Hungry Tarpon, is highly recommended , too.
Myakka is one of the oldest and biggest state parks, a great place for seeing wildlife, from huge gators to flocks of birds in winter. Go here for its log cabins, appealing camp sites, excellent kayaking, extensive hiking and good bike trails. It’s also a good spot for nature neophytes, who enjoy the airboat ride and canopy walk.
On dark summer nights in the Mosquito Lagoon near Titusville, the water glows from bioluminescent plankton. Kayak tours help visitors see the spectacular light show.
All those “lazy river” water attractions at hotels and parks? They’re just trying to recreate the exhilarating experience of tubing the clear, wild Ichetucknee River in north central Florida. Try the real thing. Summer tubing season has started.
The clear waters flowing out of Alexander Springs are the start of a great paddling trail inside Ocala National Forest. It’s an easy stream to paddle with lots of wildlife, especially birds and fish.
Some sections of the 2.5 mile beach remain closed. Otherwise, the park is open every day from 8 a.m. until sunset.
Kelly Park is best known as a summer destination for swimming its cool springs and for paddling scenic Rock Springs Run. We loved camping there.
Bull Creek Campground was never on my radar. I’d bet it’s not on yours, either. But with state parks booked at full capacity much of the year, I’ve been on a mission to seek out alternatives — public campgrounds with modest daily rates, and I’ve come across a few gems.
Paddle Florida is a non-profit that organizes paddling trips each year on Florida’s greatest waterways. Carefully researched, these trips are a great source of paddling ideas and destinations.