North-Central Florida Paddling Trails

The  Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail  offers multiple day trips and overnight possibilities along a largely unspoiled 160-mile stretch of coastline. It is part of the 1,515-mile  Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail .

The  Steinhatchee River Paddling Trail  is a serene blackwater river that begins as a shady meandering waterway just below the picturesque and historic Steinhatchee Falls.

This tea-colored river curves through the  Twin Rivers State Forest  past hardwood forests, clear springs, and sandbars along the bends. There are some small shoals, depending on water levels. The Withlacoochee contributes a significant amount of water to the Suwannee River and the two rivers merge at Suwannee River State Park. The  designated paddling trail  is 28 miles in length.

The storied Suwannee River begins in Georgia's Okefenokee Swamp and flows 246 miles to the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the longest undammed rivers in the United States. The river is known for its high limestone banks, arching live oaks, and the highest concentration of freshwater springs in the country. The  designated paddling trail  begins at White Springs and is 171 miles long.

The picturesque  Santa Fe River  curves past hardwood hammocks and through river swamps on its way to joining the Suwannee River.

This  scenic paddling trai l begins near the beautiful headspring of Ichetucknee Springs at the north end of Ichetucknee Springs State Park. Made up of nine springs, the Ichetucknee River’s 72-degree year-round water flows three miles through the park boundaries.

The  Potano Paddling Trail  just east of Gainesville circles the shore of Newnan's Lake (also known as Lake Pithlachocco) and dips into the ancient passageway of Prairie Creek.

Originating in the famed Okefenokee Swamp, the St. Mary’s River is known for its gentle curves framed by picturesque hardwood forests. White sandbars are found at almost every bend, contrasting with the tea-colored water.

The Lake County Blueways feature eight trails within the areas of the St. Johns River, Golden Triangle, Palatlakaha Basin and Oklawaha Basin. Several of the St. Johns River trails are categorized as “wilderness” blueways as these runs are located in remote, undeveloped areas and offer paddlers hiking and camping opportunities.

Located near the town of Yankeetown at the end of the Big Bend Saltwater Paddling Trail, the Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve Paddling Trail winds through a marshy, undeveloped coastal wilderness. Several other paddling trails, many of them loops, are shown on the preserve website, although low tide may prove prohibitive in some of the smaller tidal creeks.

Once a refuge for Seminole Indians during the Second Seminole War, the river emerges from the Green Swamp in west central Florida and twists and bends through scenic sandhills before entering a swampy terrain of cypress, gum and maple. Overhanging limbs form a lacy canopy.