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Kayaking in Florida on the Turner River
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With dreams of alligators lunging for the warm meat sitting in my kayak cockpit (me), I went ahead and booked a full day trip kayaking in Florida on the Turner River in Florida’s Big Cypress National Reserve.
The goal was to see the area in its most pristine state – well off the very busy and well-trodden tourist trail. I knew the area would be rich not only with alligators but with birds, and that would make my husband very happy. Kayaking in Florida isn’t always appealing if it’s buggy or there’s too much boat traffic. But we really didn’t have to contend with any of that.
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Kayaking in Florida in the Big Cypress National Reserve
To start Turner River kayaking tour, we were to meet in Everglades City at 8 AM for an 8 hour day on the water. Our timing was great! The biggest weekend of the year in Everglades City – the Everglades City Seafood Festival – coincided with our visit and ensured that every room for miles was booked months in advance.
John and I ended up staying in Homestead for the night, about 1¾ hour drive away. We were up very early to make the 8 AM rendezvous.
The launch site on the Turner River is underwhelming
The day started with a quick shuttle to the Turner River launch site. The start of the Turner River, one that naturally dries up every spring, is underwhelming. Barely a river in my books, I wondered what we were in for.
It turned out – a lot – and within minutes.
The kayaking is initially super easy, more a languid float than anything requiring work. But quite literally within two minutes of launching we’d seen a big pair of alligator eyes staring at us. And a few minutes later, another pair. And another. I think you get the idea – 8 pairs of alligator eyes in total – and that’s just the ones we saw.
But considering there are about two million alligators in south Florida, that’s barely a drop in the bucket.
Kayaking on the Turner River through a tunnel of mangroves
After our initial oohing and awing at all the birds and alligators, we were into a tunnel of mangroves for the better part of a mile – as a rough guess. Tight enough that you had to use only half a kayak paddle, I hoped there were no snakes dripping from above. (There weren’t.)
This part of the trip turned out to be a lot of fun. Using a combination of paddling and pulling we emerged periodically into an environment of sawtooth grass – before heading back into the mangroves. Every so often, we’d see beautiful bromeliads in flower growing out of the crook of a tree.
Camping in Big Cypress National Preserve
After a couple of hours of kayaking in Florida we reached the first dry spot of land where we could take a break.
You could actually camp here – no permits are necessary as it’s in Big Cypress National Preserve and not in a national park. But it wouldn’t be my first choice for an overnight camping spot.
Then it was back into the kayak for another few hours. As the river widened, it offered bigger vistas.
Our last pullout was at the location of a 1,500-year-old midden, the site of an old Indian camp. Layer upon layer of shells can be seen in the banks up from the river.
Kayaking in Florida to Everglades City
The kayaking is definitely a little less interesting and fun in the last three miles. Once you reach civilization the boat traffic picks up considerably. However, with a little luck you might see dolphins (we saw one from a distance) and manatees (no luck).
The manatees have not adapted to the world nearly as well as the alligators – which have been around for 75 million years. In fact, the manatees tolerate cold water so badly that they’ll die on masse if the temperature drops below 68°F for any length of time.
Now the electrical generation plants in Florida are required by law to discharge warm water whenever it’s cold to keep the manatees alive.
The last mile of the kayaking trip in Florida is in a wide but very shallow section of the river. Motorboats could only use the channel to our right, or they’d run aground.
It was slightly breezy through here as well and since our kayaks didn’t track that well, it was a battle to keep the boat moving in a straight line.
How long does it take to kayak the Turner River?
It took us 6.5 hours including breaks to paddle 17 km (10.5 miles).
Our guide Dave says that he has occasionally finished the paddle in the dark. I’d call it a moderate paddle – with the toughest kayaking the last few miles. We used a guide as I really didn’t know what to think about paddling with alligators (no problem at all when they haven’t been habituated to humans) and I figure we’d learn a lot more about the area if we went with a naturalist.
Kayaking in Florida on the Turner River – guide or no guide?
You could rent a kayak and do this trip on your own. Route finding is not particularly difficult but still many people wouldn’t want to attempt it.
We did our trip was with the Everglades Kayak Company– not an inexpensive option, especially as they don’t even provide lunch, but our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the area. Another company to try is Everglades Adventures & Kayak Tours.
By mid-March it’s likely the Turner River will be impassable. It dries up for about six months of the year. Our timing was close to ideal, especially as there wasn’t a bug to be seen.
Where to stay beforehand in Everglades City
For an eco-friendly bed and breakfast check out Ivey House. They also provide canoe and kayak rentals along with tours.
Further reading on things to do in Florida
- A Day Trip to Dry Tortugas National Park
- Florida Keys Kayaking Near Key West
- Miami to Key West Drive – 14 Essential Stops
- The Best Things to do in Key West if You Have 48 Hours
- Myakka State Park: A Haven for Nature Lovers
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Wow! This is amazing! Exactly the kind of adventure I would go for in Florida. Thanks a lot for sharing!
@Pascale The only downside to this one in particular is that there is a short window to take advantage of it. I understand that in the summer the mosquitoes can be ferocious.
I would definitely go kayaking with the alligators! This looks like an awesome place to go for a paddle, I particularly like the idea of going through the mangrove tunnel 🙂
You had quite an adventure, Leigh! In answer to your question, I’d definitely kayak with alligators.
We have two popular swamp safari tours in Jamaica that I’ve tried to do – both have alligators. Unfortunately, I arrived late twice and never made it back but they’re still on my list.
Interesting to read that the power company has to warm up the water for the manatees.
I would love this kind of adventure, though I’m not very fond of alligators. What is it about their behavoir that prevents them from snapping at kayakers?
@Mette When wild and not habituated to humans they follow their instinct which mostly revolves around warming up or cooling down – and not eating. In fact they can go months without food. If they hiss, that’s a problem and you should leave immediately.
Thank you for the great blog and pics of our trip. I had fun taking you and John on the river, we had a beautiful day and saw about everything! I would love to take you on a camping trip next time. Check out the details at http://www.everglades-kayak.com.
That Manatee Speed Zone sign is awesome. Regardless of feeling a person knows an alligator’s behavior or assurances from guides. Unless I have a signed No Attacking Me and Eating Me contract from the gators I would be very hesitant! LOL 🙂 It’s like surfers who lose a leg in waters where they were told that sharks never attack humans. I love your adventures always and the bright warm sunshine of your trip definitely brings warmth to this reader’s day here Leigh! Loved it! 🙂
@Mike So many manatees are killed because of propeller blades but the unfortunate reality is that the manatees – as big as they are, might still be swimming in the channel where the boats motor through at higher speeds. It was a treat to have a really warm day as I’m back to winter tomorrow. I kayaked right over a few 6 foot plus gators and truly felt no fear – though I did sign a waiver and not like the one you’d like to sign.
Sounds like a fantastic – and a fantastically scary – experience. I think I would prefer being in a bigger boat, just a wee bit further away from these mighty creatures.
@Sophie I got over my fear within minutes. After the first set of alligator eyes, our guide explained alligator behaviour and really I felt great about the experience.
Loved this post – a totally different side to Florida for me. I spend a portion of my week writing about property in Florida so this was a refreshing change! Looks like a long paddle though
@Jo This was the wildest adventure I’ve had in Florida to date and I found it to be a refreshing change from the soft adventures. Kayaking through mangrove tunnels was incredible and it was just so much fun to see the Florida landscape before development.
I love the heron photo! This looks right up my street too. I’ve been kayaking in some interesting places, but this looks simply stunning!
Wow, high five for your daredevil adventure! You get to kayak bravely though you already know there are crocodiles there! Bravo!
I guess I’ll have to say “no” because I wouldn’t be absolutely confident that it was safe. But I’m not brave like you! I’ve been on one of those airboats in the Everglades and saw alligators — that’s enough for me to experience in real life. My greater adventures will be vicariously through you. As always, great pics!
I would never kayak with alligators no matter how safe I was told it was – the thought of seeing one in the wild terrifies me! You are far braver than I am!
@Lisa I was initially frightened too – but got over my fear quickly – once I understood alligator behaviour.
Before the first time I paddled in the Everglades I was petrified of canoeing with them. Then we paddled into Alligator Lake and there were 8 or 9 of them swimming about. They all disappeared under the water as soon as we got close. They reminded me of big turtles, and I soon relaxed and felt at ease. You won’t find me swimming in alligator territory, but I don’t worry about canoeing or kayaking. Looks like a great trip. The Big Cypress is so beautiful. I would like to hike it along the Florida Trail.