Journey Details:
Registered paddlers go here
Day One — Thursday, Oct 15, 2009
Participants in Paddle Florida will arrive at the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park the day before the start for a night of camping and orientation for the adventure to come.
Paddlers will either drive straight to the starting point and park their vehicles there for the week, or take advantage of the River’s End Shuttle. If you are driving straight to the starting point you will need to find a way to get back to the starting point at the end of the week. A shuttle at the end of the week will be available for those who need to get their boats and gear back to the starting point.
If you would like to have your car waiting for you when you finish the trip, you may drive to Manatee Springs and park your vehicle there (a $50 fee –$25/person, $25/boat– is required for shuttle service). After having your boats loaded onto our truck, you will be shuttled to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park to check in.
 At the music camp cabins and golf carts are available on-site; call 386.364.1683 for details and pricing or click on the Suwannee Music Park logo to jump to the Website.
Day Two — Friday, October 16, 2009
(Go to an interactive Google Map of the day's track)
The first morning of Paddle Florida will have us leaving the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park. You will notice the distinctive aspects of the Upper Suwannee; a narrow riverbed and increasingly steeper limestone bluffs. After paddling a distance of 7.5 miles, we will stop for lunch at Holton Creek River Camp, which is part of a series of hubs, cabins and river camps that comprise the Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. All lunch stops will offer healthy "snack food," various fruits and drinks (all you can eat). Everyone should be fortified for the rest of this 21-mile day. We will be establishing a stagger to avoid bottlenecks at rest stops.
In the afternoon, our intrepid paddlers will arrive at the Suwannee River State Park for overnight camping. One of Florida’s most visited parks, it sits at the confluence of the Suwannee and Withlacoochee Rivers. On the way, if you are lucky, you will be treated to springs visible at the bottom of the limestone cliffs, as well as a wide variety of wildlife native to the Upper Suwannee River.
Day Three — Saturday, October 17, 2009
(Go to an interactive Google Map of the
day's track)
Paddlers should
remember that the Suwannee River Valley at this time of year can
be cold, at least by Florida standards. Temperatures can range
from 60-80 degrees during the day, and 35-55 degrees at night.
When we depart the Suwannee River State Park this Saturday morning,
we will embark on the longest day of the trip, 25 miles. Participants
should be prepared to cover this distance in 8 hours or less.
Our rest stop comes at the Advent Christian Village (ACV) in Dowling Park, Florida, approximately 14 miles into the day, where ACV has made their property available. A soon-to-be-built river camp on a beautiful sandbank is just downriver from ACV. For those who would like to finish this day's paddle at the lunch stop ACV has agreed to provide a shuttle to the next overnight stop at Lafayette Blue Springs State Park. Eleven miles farther down river, our overnight stop will again be hosted by the Florida Park Service as we disembark at Lafayette Blue Springs State Park. Dinner this evening will be a welcome comfort as you rejoice in completing a 25-mile day on the Suwannee River.
The fire each night will provide light, heat, ambiance, trash disposal and olfactory delight. Be sure to bring cameras in order to capture and preserve some great moments. And remember to take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints. Activities will be planned for each night.
Day Four — Sunday, October 18, 2009
(Go to an interactive Google Map of the
day's track)
We will compensate for yesterday’s long paddle with the shortest leg of the trip at a relatively easy 13 miles. Our rest stop will be at yet another Florida Park Service River Camp at Peacock Slough and we will spend the night at a beautiful facility: Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campground, located at Convict Springs.
Camping
will be under a canopy of oak trees on
a bluff overlooking the river. The Rendezvous
also has a limited number of "indoor" accommodations available.
 Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campground, 386-294-2510 for
reservations and price or click on the logo to jump to the Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campground Website.
On this day you will see the river begin to widen a bit as we make our way down this world-class waterway. You will also be treated to a few areas of "fast water" and several springs.
Day Five — Monday, October 19, 2009
(Go to an interactive Google Map of the
day's track)
Another short "sprint" of 14 miles this day. We have our rest stop nearly nine miles into the trip, but it is well worth it, as we take a break for lunch at Little River Springs, currently a Suwannee County Park, but soon to be an additional property of the Florida Park Service. This site is popular with cave and cavern divers.
The spring is the entrance to a cave system more than 1,200 feet long and 100 feet deep. After visiting this picturesque location, the final five miles will be a breeze. On the way, we will also pass Royal Spring, Troy Springs and Ruth Springs, before we camp at Ivey Memorial Park in Branford, Florida. When you get off the river, you are nearly in downtown Branford. This may be a good opportunity to pick up some additional supplies.
Day Six — Tuesday, October 20, 2009
(Go to an interactive Google Map of the
day's track)
Again, depending on the weather, we may see a fog-shrouded river in the morning as we move farther toward our destination. Only 10 miles into this 21-mile day, we take a detour and paddle upriver on the Santa Fe River to Ellie Ray’s River Landing. During this one mile detour up the Santa Fe you will be surrounded by Cypress trees. This will be an opportunity to rest and maybe patronize the tavern there. But we still have eleven miles to go to reach Gornto Springs, a Dixie County Park.
Part of what makes this trip unique is that
we camp on the river every night. There are no high school gymnasiums,
buses or cafeterias to navigate. Everything we need will be on the
banks of the Suwannee. Additionally, by now, we should have seen
an alligator or two in addition to other native wildlife, such as
limpkins, snowy egrets, great blue herons, anhingas, roosting bald
eagles and vultures, and turtles by the score.
Day Seven — Wednesday, October 21, 2009
(Go to an interactive Google Map of the
day's track)
We must paddle 20 miles to make it to one of the gems of the Florida Park Service: Fanning Springs State Park, where we will have a final night party. This is the site of the annual Red Belly Days Festival.
Fanning Springs, like Branford will afford participants the opportunity to pick up supplies or maybe patronize one of the local restaurants. On the way, we will stop at Hart Springs, which is another fantastic county park, this time in Gilchrist County. The lunch stop is 12 miles along on this day. But the good news is that we are nearing the end of the trip with only a nine-mile morning paddle into Manatee Springs State Park.
Day Eight — Thursday, October 22, 2009
(Go to an interactive Google Map of the
day's track)
Beautiful Manatee Springs produces over 80.000 gallons of water per minute. In the winter Manatees gather in the 72 degree water and in summer Gulf Sturgeon are jumping out on the river. When we arrive, there will be a bus and our truck to shuttle weary travelers and their boats back to the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, where the Suwannee Springfest will be in full swing.
Paddlers can make their own arrangements with the park
for camping Thursday night, or depart for home with a sense of accomplishment
that you spent a week experiencing the various ecosystems along the way, and
paddled 123 miles on Florida’s signature river.
WHAT HAPPENS HERE STAYS WITH YOU.
SEE YOU NEXT TIME . . . GOING WITH THE FLOW!
At the end of Paddle Florida 2009,
there is still more
Suwannee River to discover...
DON’T YOU WANT TO FINISH THE TRAIL?
For an additional fee you can join Suwannee
Guides and Outfitters and
travel 27 more miles and spend TWO more
nights on the river, enjoying a Friday
night seafood dinner on us in the Town
of  Suwannee.
All meals, Accommodations, and Transportation
included in this final leg of the Wilderness
Trail.
This "Finish the Trail" experience
is not
a part of Paddle Florida
2009.
Suwannee River Guides
and Outfitters will
pick up the "Paddle
Florida" participates at Manatee Springs,
early
Thursday afternoon. We would like for the
people who are just doing the "Finish
the River"
event to meet us in the town of Suwannee,
by 10:00am, at the latest, on Thursday,
October 22. If you would like to spend
the
previous night in Suwannee, we have a 3
bedroom
rental apt. available for $30.00 per bedroom.
Two rooms have
a double bed and one room has a single,
plus there is a futon
couch in the living area. Or you can meet
us at Manatee Springs at 1:00pm.
Transportation
You can leave your car in
Suwannee at 10:00am, and we will transport
you and your equipment to Manatee Springs.
This shuttle is no charge and no
parking fee. If you need to meet us at
Manatee, there will be a $15.00 shuttle
fee to return you to Manatee at the end
of the trip, or a $30.00 shuttle fee to
take you back up to the Spirit of the Suwannee
Park. Arrangements can also
be made to leave your car in Suwannee and
be shuttled to the start of "Paddle
Florida" at a minimal
fee.
Trip Plan
Thursday, October 22, we will leave Manatee Springs
State Park, approx. 1:00 pm, but this time is flexible
depending when the other paddlers arrive. We will
paddle to Fowler's Buff and primitive camp near the
ramp at Treasure Camp area. That is about a 9 mile
paddle for the afternoon. You will be served
a pizza & salad dinner.
On Friday morning, we will have a pastry,
breads & juice breakfast, and you will
be given a packed lunch. Water will be
available throughout the trip. We will
take a break at Fletcher's Landing, later
traveling the back creeks, through the
Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge, into the
town of Suwannee.
You will be staying at Anderson Landing
river camp. The primitive camping does
have use of bathroom and shower facilities.
If you would rather stay in one of their
small hotel rooms, the fee is $65.00 per
night for two people. These arrangements
must be made in advance.
In Suwannee, we will either have a seafood
dinner or you will be given a $10.00 dinner
voucher which you can use at one of the
two local restaurants or at the convenience
store, all which are within walking distance
from the overnight camping spot. I am looking
for your input on the dinner choice. Of
course, you can use your own money to purchase
more.
On Saturday morning, we will treat those
who want to join us to a 2 hour sightseeing
pontoon boat cruise around the mouth of
the Suwannee into the Gulf. Of course,
the options are open to a paddle into Salt
Creek and out to one of the Gulf coast
isles, or an early morning shuttle.
The basic fee for the "FINISH THE
RIVER" event is $100.00 per person.
Registration, waiver forms and other information
information are dowloadable at www.suwanneeguides.com.
For more information & registration
for FINISH
THE RIVER
Go To:WWW.SUWANNEEGUIDES.COM or Call: 352-542-8331
PO Box 304/Hwy 349, Suwannee, FL 32692
THIS EVENT IS SPONSORED BY:
Suwannee Guides & Outfitters,
Suwannee River Chamber of Commerce,
and Dixie County.
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