Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River
It's summer time here in the U.S. and the kids are out of school. We plan on traveling abroad, but that's not until later on in the summer. In the meantime, we've decided to do some internal tourism, a staycation! I did some research and came across the Weeki Wachee River which is located in the heart of Florida's Nature Coast in Hernando County. So we decided to check it out.
The river is seven miles long and flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The name Weeki Wachee is actually a Seminole indian name that means "Little River" or "Winding River". According to our guide the river has 167 curves and bends and the water is 72-74°F degrees year round. The Weeki Wachee Spring pumps out over 115 million gallons of water a year and creates a nice stream of about 3-4 miles per hour.
Weeki Wachee River
Upon arrival, we went to one of the kayak & canoe rental places and rented a few kayaks. From there we took a short ride to the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park Kayak ramp where we began our 4 hour adventure. To my surprise there were not a lot of people out on the river which was great! This made the experience much nicer and relaxing.
Kayaking on the river
I've been to my share of rivers in my life and this one has to be in my top 5. It is by far the clearest one I've been in. I really enjoyed kayaking down this river. The water was a cool, crystal clear, and after a long day of paddling, it was refreshing to jump in the cold water. It was so transparent, that I could easily see all of the underwater creatures, like the large mullet fish, gar fish and turtles. We even got to see some Manatees!
Manatees swimming in the river.
It was a great day on the water. I'll definitely make another trip out there. If you plan on going out there, plan on being there at least 3-4 hours. It's an easy river to paddle, the water is very calm and pretty. If you rent a canoe you can bring along a small cooler with drinks and snacks. Keep in mind they search all bags and coolers and no alcohol or glass bottles are permitted on the river. It's also a good idea to bring some sun screen!
Make sure to check out my video below.
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