Kayaking the Peace River,October 05 2008 |
I'd say we saw 14 or 15 small to medium alligators along the way, mostly in the northern stretches of the trip and thankfully, the birds are returning to the river as summer gives way to autumn. We even saw a couple of Roseate Spoonbills(Yay!) as well as Blue Herons, Great White Egrets, Ibis and Kingfishers to name a few. This was a welcomed sight for me, as it means the wildlife along the river is returning and winter season is on the way. Yea boy!
If you would be interested in one of our overnight trips on the Peace River or just need some info on this part of the river, drop me an email from our "contact us" page. Happy Paddling! |
Last Tuesday the 30th of September, my friend Terry and I spent a beautiful day kayaking the Peace River from Nocatee,FL - located a little south of Arcadia on route 17 - to our dock located at the Nav-a-gator Grill and Desoto Marina. We started our journey a little later than planned, getting to the drop-off about 10AM. We used the county ramp on route 760 just west of the small town of Nocatee. The ramp area is well maintained and has plenty of parking. The ramp itself is cement and, although long, most should find it easy to use.
For the novice using a recreational kayak, the trip is a little long - about 13 miles. However, this would be a great a one day trip for an experienced paddler using a touring kayak. That said, I do believe this would be an excellent overnight trip for anyone with recreational kayaks - novice or seasoned veteran. There are plenty of nice areas for a campsite. And breaking up the trip would allow for a more leisurely paddle with time to explore the area and maybe do a little fishing too. That, I believe, will be my next trip.
We didn't take out until around 6PM which adds up to about 8 hours on the river. We stopped 3 or 4 times for breaks and lunch and paddled leisurely but rather consistently. I'd like more time to explore and that's why, recreationally, I think this trip belongs in the "overnight" category.