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Our airboat zig zagged over eelgrasses and aquatic vegetation and previous startled alligators on the Wacissa River, within the Large Bend area of Florida.
Savannah clutched my arm with a combination of terror and exhilaration on her face. I grinned and whooped again at her, “That is so superior!!”
The Wacissa River is a 15-mile idyllic stretch of calm, clear water, surrounded by verdant vegetation and crammed with thriving wildlife. It’s identified for being residence to an array of wildlife, from turtles, water snakes, river otters, and naturally (that is Florida) alligators.
Regardless of its inhabitants, this river is a well-liked spot for water actions, reminiscent of swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and airboating.
We selected to airboat and kayak Wacissa River throughout our journey to Jefferson County. Right here’s what our expertise seemed like!
What’s particular concerning the Wacissa River?
The Wacissa River is broadly thought to be probably the most stunning river in Florida and is known for its crystal clear waters. It’s fed by twelve main springs and is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee and is a part of the Aucilla Wildlife Administration Space and Suwannee River Water Administration District
As a result of the Wacissa’s river circulation is sluggish and calm, it’s a well-liked spot for recreation.
Whilst you is perhaps delay swimming figuring out that alligators inhabit these waters, there are designated swimming spots, together with the well-known Large Blue Spring, a well-liked swimming gap.
The crystal clear water flows for 15 miles earlier than it connects to the Aucilla River, which is fed by the Aucilla Spring and isn’t so crystal clear. You’ll know you’ve reached the tip when the water turns to a particular “blackwater.”
Our Expertise Airboating and Kayaking the Wacissa River
The Wacissa River is accessed from the Wacissa Springs Nation Park, a pristine, pure magnificence in North Florida close to Monticello, which we solely found after we arrived at her banks.
This a part of Florida is quiet and distant, providing solitude and serenity – however it’s no much less stunning than different locations in Florida that get the fanfare and whistles.
Typically it pays off to go a bit of additional off the path, and adventuring down the Wacissa River is one technique to show this.
It was the final journey on our street journey of North Florida. It was the proper finish to our street journey because the extra we journey, the extra we want to hunt out of doors adventures free from the crowds!
Wacissa Springs
As we walked as much as the air boat at the start of our journey at Wacissa River Springs Nation Park, I used to be magnetically drawn to gaze in surprise on the view in entrance of me.
A dense, tropical cover bordered a big physique of crystal clear river coated with water hyacinths and vibrant inexperienced lilies.
Kayakers slowly paddled up the river, virtually as if in a sluggish movement dream and a rope dangled from an historic cypress tree the place youngsters launched themselves laughing into the water.
It was like stepping right into a secret Excessive Definition Disney film.
This is likely one of the final true hidden gems in Florida. No, make that the USA.
Even in case you don’t go any additional down the Wacissa, it’s value visiting for the view alone and maybe swing your self off that rope into the refreshingly cool spring waters.
Wacissa Springs is the place you board your airboat tour, OR, lease kayaks to deepen your explorations downstream and into the various springs that feed it.
The Wacissa River by Airboat and Kayak
The Wacissa River is a primary magnitude clear, spring-fed stream that’s fed by about 20 springs at its headwaters.
The river flows roughly 15-miles (19 km) south via a broad cypress swamp earlier than breaking into quite a few braided channels, which be part of the Aucilla River, just a few miles additional south.
The river, normally crystal clear, was barely brown attributable to massive quantities of rain earlier than we arrived.
You’ll be able to discover just a few of the springs on kayak at the start of the river, the primary mile of which may get busy with fellow kayakers.
Our airboat tour took us past the paddlers to a world we had virtually to ourselves – apart from the snapping alligators and turtles.
Captain Brad Cooley from 5 Rivers Adventures was our information for the day.
He grew up on the Wacissa and Aucilla River and was educated concerning the space, stopping to level out various kinds of birds (Bald Eages are even stated to go to this area), Indian mounds, and easy methods to establish them, and the bubbles of the spring waters starting its journey.
He took us into a few springs, together with Wakulla Springs, Little Blue, and the well-known Large Blue Springs – a favourite for these craving a refreshing dip who come for the kayaking close to Tallahassee.
You’ll discover a rope swing up within the bushes excessive above the 40-foot-deep blue green-water.
Brad dived in from the boat so we may see simply how deep and clear the water is as he went down, down, and down.
This magical journey took us down the forested hall of the river, via tight areas with overhanging branches, previous alligators, turtles sunning, and ample and numerous wildlife.
Ospreys, herons, bald eagles, flew from department to department main down the river.
Anglers solid their strains from the shore, hoping to catch one of many a number of species of fish that reside in these waters, from bass to mullet to catfish to gar to bluegill.
Savannah and I grinned and squealed and silently absorbed the fantastic thing about it for our 11-mile journey. Kalyra sat within the again, solemnly absorbing the expertise. She later instructed me she discovered it stunning and superb however “a bit of scary!”
Airboat excursions flip round on the outdated railroad used throughout one of many first logging operations in North Florida.
Brad took us a bit of additional to Goose Pasture, a picnic and public campground, and the place to begin for the following a part of our journey…after a scrumptious picnic lunch!
Kayaking the Slave Canal to the Aucilla River
The primary half down the Wacissa was passive journey, the rest of the day was about getting low to the water and pumping these arms.
We traded the airboat for single kayaks and canoes and we set off with just a few native mates, together with information and native historian David Ward.
It’s finest to take this journey with an skilled information. Though the Slave Canal is marked, you possibly can simply get misplaced amongst totally different channels branching off so its finest to take this journey with an skilled information.
Our kayak journey started on a large part of the Wacissa and slowly narrowed because it disappears right into a small group of streams, tributaries, and river swamps simply west of the Aucilla River.
Connecting the Wacissa to the Aucilla is what is named the Slave Canal.
It was determined within the 1830s to construct a canal to attach the Aucilla and Wacissa to allow transportation of the cotton right down to the Gulf.
Slaves had been made to do the again breaking work of constructing a 2.7 mile canal out of the limestone. It was deserted after the Civil Warfare for extra environment friendly railroads.
Blocks of limestone stay on the financial institution and function a reminder of the arduous job they confronted within the warmth and humidity with snakes, alligators and mosquito threats of malaria and yellow fever.
It was a poignant journey, bringing consciousness to their experiences and a reminder to proceed to face for creating an inclusive and equal world.
There are additionally a number of Indian Mounds alongside the river, indicating that people occupied this area greater than 14,000 years in the past, as found through artifacts discovered within the archaeological digs carried out by the Aucilla Analysis Institute.
These woods had been filled with native folks looking and fishing and it’s stated the Slave Canal was in all probability as soon as a Native American secret buying and selling passageway.
You’ll be able to leap off the kayaks to discover the mounds, however the thickness of the mosquitoes and warmth stored us paddling.
We prefer to say the challenges of our travels are there simply to reinforce the story, and people mosquitoes and excessive humidity simply gave us a extra attention-grabbing story to inform.
The water is obvious and shallow and though the paddling was straightforward as the present was flowing quick in help, it was fairly technical. We needed to artfully navigate round fallen logs, slim sections, and overhanging branches.
Historical oaks and palmettos draped with Spanish moss present a cover over the river, alligators sat watching on the banks, one even crashed into the water with a loud tail slap simply forward of us.
All of us missed it apart from Savannah, who was head-alligator spotter within the entrance of the canoe with David.
In the course of the journey, after a number of technical paddling sections, I used to be completely satisfied we determined Savannah could be higher kicking again within the canoe than paddling her personal kayak.
She was thrilled to come back eye to eye with an alligator and compelled him to go underwater in concern!!
That’s a narrative she has to inform for all times.
My favourite half was David’s skilled recommendation,
“I’m not too anxious about snakes and alligators on this space. If a snake drops into your kayak, you’ll be able to simply type of flip it out together with your paddle. It’s the wasps you should fear about. If they arrive after you, the one factor you are able to do is dive below the water with the alligators. Watch the hanging branches as that’s the place their nests are.”
In the meantime, I’d simply gone below about 4 hanging bushes. By no means thoughts as a result of my thoughts was nonetheless caught on the “if a snake drops into your kayak” bit.
I steered away from these branches for the remainder of the journey even when it meant crashing into different kayaks and logs and almost upending myself with the alligators.
Remaining Ideas
For this reason I journey. For journey, recollections and tales might be instructed across the campfire for years to come back.
This was an journey I acquired to expertise with my youngsters, and in case you’re in search of adventurous issues to do in Florida with youngsters, put this in your listing!
The battle to maintain Kalyra targeted on the second, reasonably than freaking out concerning the spider crawling on her canoe and the mosquitoes biting each a part of her, was intense on the time, however we overcame it, and grew collectively.
The final 500 yards had been robust as we paddled towards the swift transferring present of the Aucilla River racing in direction of the Gulf of Mexico.
Kalyra dug deep to search out the final little bit of energy after a mentally and bodily demanding 5-mile path to get herself residence. I used to be anxious she’d get swept away, however I couldn’t cease to assist as I’d do the identical and be ineffective.
It was an vital parenting progress problem for me – to let go and belief that my youngster can do it and provides her the chance to dig deep and discover her personal energy.
So I simply shouted out encouraging phrases “You are able to do it, Kalyra!”
As we hauled the kayaks up the boat ramp and loaded them onto the truck, I hugged her.
“I do know that was robust for you Kalyra. I’m so impressed by what you are able to do. Push apart the trauma of it and as a substitute take the true energy from it.
It confirmed you what you might be actually able to and simply how sturdy and highly effective you actually are. Now think about what you are able to do with that information with the remainder of your life.
She ended that journey with a smile.
Video: Wacissa River Adventures
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