Manatee Springs State Park in Chiefland Florida is a playground for watersports. Whether you’re into snorkeling, kayaking, scuba diving, or maybe you just like to relax on an innertube on crystal clear water, this is the place for you. And, as the name of the park suggests, there are manatees that visit during the year.

If you’re more of a stay on land type of person, there are 8.5 miles of trails for biking and walking. For the fisherman, fishing is available on the Suwannee River, where you can catch bass, sunfish, and catfish.

If you want to stay at Manatee Springs State Park, they have 80 campsites that are split for RVs and tents.

Manatees at Manatee Springs State Park

When the water in northern Florida starts to get cold, manatees will head to warmer waters. It’s unsafe for manatees to stay in water below 68 F, but, fortunately for them, the spring water in Manatee Springs State Park stays right around 72 F year-round. And fortunately for you, there are about 20 manatees that show up at the park from November to April.

If you find yourself in the water at the same time as the manatees, please be aware that there are laws regarding touching and interacting with these gentle giants. Florida has a strict look, but don’t touch the manatee law, so don’t ever harass, try to touch, or chase a manatee.

Camping at Manatee Springs State Park

Manatee Springs State Park has 80 wooded campsites spread out over three loops. Each loop has showers and restrooms. Camp sites all have electricity and water, and pets are allowed, as long as you keep Rusty on a leash. The Hickory Camping Area has 20 campsites and is exclusively for tent campers. RV campers can spread out in the Magnolia 1 and 2 camping loops which offer 49 sites to set up camp. If you don’t mind intermingling, Magnolia 1 Loop also has 11 campsites for tent campers.

If you want to go all out and camp like your favorite influencer then you are in luck, because Manatee Springs State Park offers a glamping experience. Three sites are set up on the Hickory Loop. Just a few of the amenities included are pre-pitched tents, towels, bedside lights, and extra charging stations (because you never want to be ready to post to the “gram” and find that your battery is dead). Rates are $90-$225 a night depending on time of week, month, or year.

Check out the ultimate camping adventure in Florida, Dry Tortugas National Park!

Hiking at Manatee Springs State Park

There are 8.5 miles of hiking/biking trails in the park. They are split into three different trails; they are mostly easy trails with a max elevation gain of 59 feet. The Scenic Trail is almost 4 miles long, runs through a hardwood forest, and is a popular trail for birding. The Sinkhole Trail is a short and quick trail that features sinkholes that were formed many years ago. The Campground Trail is a 3-mile hike in the forest around the…campgrounds! All three trails are heavily wooded which will keep the sun off you in the Florida summer, and the Florida winter too, for that matter.

Hikers, keep a heads up because they do allow bikers on the trails, and bikers, be respectful of the hikers.

Snorkeling and Swimming at Mantatee Springs State Park

Manatee Springs is a first-magnitude spring with a flow rate of 50 – 150 million gallons of water per day. With that much water movement the springs will stay clear as long as the Suwannee River isn’t overflowing.

Most of the year the springs are clear and offer spectacular snorkeling. If you’re looking for someplace to cool off in the summer this is the place to go. 72-degree water really refreshes and makes you forget about the heat.

The water does have a current, see the 50–150-million-gallon flow rate above, so it’s advisable to wear swim fins to help with navigating the waters.

Innertubes and swimming floats are allowed in the springs, just don’t forget to bring the pump, or a long-winded spouse.

The park can get a little crowded in the late morning/early afternoon, do yourself a favor and go early to stake out your spot.

Scuba Diving

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get awesome adventure ideas to help plan your next vacation!

SUBSCRIBE

Scuba diving is permitted in the springs of the park. Certified Open Water Divers must register at the ranger station. Don’t forget your diving partner as you’re not allowed to dive as a single. It goes without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, don’t touch or remove any fossils or artifacts. Just leave them where they are so others may enjoy them.

You need to complete your dive at least one hour before sundown. And if you see any manatees, you’re required to stay at least 50 feet away.

Catfish Hotel is the body of water southwest of the springs and is the entrance to the caverns. While open water certified divers are allowed to dive the pond, you must be cave certified to enter the cavern. Remember, make sure to not dive beyond your abilities.

More info can be found on the park’s website here.

Kayaking and Canoeing

The Suwannee River runs right alongside Manatee Springs State Park and it’s a perfect place to do some paddling. If you don’t have a kayak, or you didn’t feel like loading one up, you are in luck as they rent kayaks at the concession stand.

Fishing is allowed from the shore or boats, but you’ll need a license from the Florida Wildlife Commission whether you are a local or a visitor.

The concession stand is open year-round, in addition to kayak rentals, they most likely have that thing that you forgot on the counter at home. Sunscreen, towels, and of course t-shirts. They also have a grill and other edibles if you somehow forgot the cooler.

There are pavilions available for rental, as well as first come first serve picnic tables scattered throughout the park.

Admission into the park is $4 for a vehicle with one person, $6 for a vehicle with 2-8 people and $2 for pedestrians/bicyclists.

The post Manatee Springs State Park, The Place to Keep Your Cool in Florida appeared first on Get Out and Adventure.

Biscayne Bay is huge! Filled with all forms of sea life from crocodiles to manatees, with amazing coral, and colorful jellyfish thrown in. Miles of shoreline inhabited by mangroves which house multiple species of birds. On the bay there are islands dotting the horizon surrounded by calm, clear water. Put it all together and you’ll find that kayaking in Biscayne Bay is a dream come true. This article will cover launching from public parks on the mainland side. Keep in mind, all of these parks are open from sunup to sunset, so don’t get stuck there after the sun goes down.

Biscayne Bay

Biscayne Bay is a crystal clear and shallow body of water that runs from Miami to Key Largo. Biscayne Bay also has it’s own National Park, the appropriately named Biscayne National Park. The bay itself is bordered on the east by the very upper keys, Elliott, Biscayne, and the always cool to say Boca Chita Key, all of the infamous Florida Keys. On the west is the mangrove covered mainland of south Florida.

Marine life is abundant and very visible. Sea turtles, manatees, stingrays, crabs, and of course crocodiles all inhabit the waters of Biscayne Bay and can be seen from a kayak. Stay away from the crocs, you’ll ruin whatever fashion cred that you had, oh yeah, don’t go near the crocodiles either, they’ll rip your arm off. In all over 600 types of fish have been seen in the bay and surrounding waters.

When you are kayaking in Biscayne Bay you will also see and hear plenty of birds. Flamingos showing off and standing around on one foot, Pelicans dive bombing into the water either looking for food or just trying to show the crabs who the boss is. Cuckoos and Loons also visit the park, but we’re talking about birds now.

Heading out to the Keys after you get done kayaking? Be sure to check out our guide to Key West.

Places To Launch

Homestead Bayfront Park

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Get awesome adventure tips to help plan your next get away!

SUBSCRIBE

Located in Homestead, right before you get to the Keys, this is the southernmost official public place to launch. It has a couple of put ins that are easily accessed from the parking lot. If you’re going on a weekend, it’s best to get there early, because the parking lot will fill up. You don’t want to be that stalker driving behind someone hoping they’re getting in their car to leave when they’re just going back to their car to get the sunscreen. Be sure to visit the great Dante Fascell visitors center, it’s filled with displays and information about what you can see in the park. For those of you who don’t mind human interaction they have Rangers on hand to answer any questions that you might have.

Homestead Bayfront Park is popular with kayakers, windsurfers, fishermen, and picnickers. Got all the way there and forgot to load your kayak? That’s cool, they rent kayaks and offer guided kayak tours.

Besides the option of just kayaking around the bay dodging windsurfers, there actually is an official kayak trail to paddle. The Mowry Canal trail. There is another trail that but the park service has removed the map, probably because they don’t want you crossing the channel. That would be the Crocodile Creek trail.

The Mowry trail is a little shorter, paddle along the mangroves and explore them, duck into the canal when you get to the islands on the west. It’s possible to see manatees, osprey and you will definitely see pelicans. When you come out of the canal head on over to the islands, find a place to tie off and just soak up the sun, or the shade if you prefer and drop a line in the water. When you’ve had enough, head back to the park, and cook that Grouper that you caught on one of the grills in the park.

The Crocodile Creek trail has more open water to traverse. Be careful when you cross the channel though, you don’t want your day to end early because you didn’t see that 42′ fishing boat coming down on you. Paddle into the creek and explore the mangroves. If you do get attacked by a crocodile, remember, they’re protected so don’t do anything to hurt them as they’re eating you. If you do make it out alive, give yourself a reward and stop by the atoll pool in the park on the way back.

Keep track of all your kayak trips with one of our cool journals! Available in hardcover or paperback, it’ll come in handy to jot down your favorite memories! Each page has a slight image of the front cover to keep you in that beachy mood. Click here to buy one today!

Check out our Planners and Journals pages for more selections!

Black Point Marina

Black Point Marina is in between Miami and Homestead in Cutler Bay. There’s a marina, boat launch, restaurant, bike path and a pretty big park.

Do yourself a favor when you’re kayaking in Biscayne Bay at Black Point (<pssst, fancy map), don’t go to the boat launch/Marina side to launch. That place can be a madhouse. Instead, Black Point has a great park along the north side of the boat channel with facilities, picnic tables, and cutouts to fish. To launch your kayak, drive to the end of the parking lot and stay left. If you drive to the end, there’s a turnaround for unloading kayaks. Don’t do that, it’s a trick. The only spot to put in there is muddy, buggy, and not really easy to get to. Stop about halfway down and there’s a better place to put your kayak in by the bridge.

Once you get through the mangrove tunnel. you can paddle to the end of the jetty and head south. Be careful when you cross the channel, that’s where Fred the crocodile hangs out. There’s also a manatee that hangs out there so if you’re lucky, you might get to see both while you’re there. Heading south takes you along mangroves, with plenty of birds, the occasional crab, and possibly more manatees. After about 5 miles you’ll get to the aforementioned Homestead Bayfront Park, so turn around here, or keep going if you’re feeling strong.

Heading north offers you a chance to kayak through the mangroves. There are multiple breaks in the canopy to paddle in between the mangroves offering you a chance to check out the bird and mosquito population. If you choose to just cruise along the shoreline you’ll enjoy the amazingly clear waters under which you can see marine life among the sea grass.

Deering Point

Deering Point is just north of Biscayne National Park. There’s a parking lot with plenty of parking, bathroom facilities and pavilions with picnic tables. There aren’t any fancy maps for Deering point, just put in and go, you’ll figure it out. Dog lovers, you’ll need to leave Rusty at home if you plan on putting in here, as they only allow service animals.

Deering Point is a great place to launch, but do not go during low tide, you’ll end up beaching your kayak and you do not want those pics to go viral. If you go north, there’s a great mangrove island named Chicken Key that’s about a mile away from the launch. On the way there, you’ll pass the Deering Estates Museum, if you have the time some day, it’s a great place to visit.

Kayaking Biscayne Bay out of Deering Point allows you to see incredible things. Whether it’s a sea turtle, a manatee, a sting ray, or just a bunch of crabs hanging in the sea grass, it’s always a wonder. Kayaking along the shoreline offers multiple breaks in the mangroves to explore. Mangrove lined shores, mangrove islands, and just the most incredibly clear water that you’ve ever seen make for a remarkable day.

Chapman Field

Chapman Field is the place to go when you want to kayak in shady, calm, and clear waters. Located about 40 minutes south of Miami it’s a quiet little park with walking/biking trails, a dog park, and a kayak launch. Launching from the platform is really easy, just set your kayak in the groove, get in and push off.

Once you’re in the water you can go west and wind up on a lake that is overlooked by condos. If you go east and under the bridge, you’ll kayak through mangrove tunnels and eventually end up on a lake, where you can hang out with other kayakers, go fishing, or just float on calm waters soaking up the sun.

Paddling to the very east end of the lake takes you to another set of mangrove tunnels, don’t worry, you can’t get lost in these, they either dead end or circle back to the main path that eventually leads to Biscayne Bay. Keep going and enjoy the wonders of the bay or turn around and navigate back to the boat launch. Along the way you’ll see Pelicans, Herons, and other flying creatures above and schools of fish below.

A round trip from launch to the bay and back is about 1.5 to 2 hours, so you can have a relaxing paddle in the morning and still have time to take Rusty to run around in the dog park.

When You Go

Remember, when you’re kayaking in Biscayne Bay that you are in sunny Florida, floating on a reflective surface where the sun shines constantly and with the sun the summer heat will get well into the 90’s. What am I getting at you ask? The sun shines here 250 days a year so be sure to bring plenty of hydration, sunscreen, and even a hat.

Another great place to kayak is John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park!

The post Kayaking In Biscayne Bay Florida appeared first on Get Out and Adventure.