juniper creek

juniper creek印象

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  CTLYankee

  The run was filled with twists and turns that made for a fun and challenging paddle. First you need to unload your gear and use their carts to bring your kayak (or canoe) to the river. It is a 5 minute walk on a wooden walkway where they have someone to inspect your gear to ensure you do not have any disposable containers. You must be in the water by 1 pm allowing you to finish the 7+ mile run by 5 pm. They have a shuttle service allowing you to leave your car at the pull-out area. They will return you to the start where your adventure begins. The scenery is fantastic, you feel that you are hundreds of miles from civilization. We were surprised of the lack of wildlife (especially after paddling Silver Springs the previous day). However, we did see a couple of otters, 4 or 5 gators and several turtles. The run was filled with downed trees and brush that you needed to paddle hard to avoid at times. There were submerged tree branches that were hard to see and would scrape along the bottom of your boat. (noticed new gouges along the bottom after run) It took us about 3 hours to finish the run. Would I do it again? - Probably.

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  morpheme

  I just can't agree with the reviewer who told beginners to stay away. If you are fit and not timid you can do this trip and have a lot of fun. I've never kayaked before (I've never paddled anything other than a rubber raft…), am female and small (5ft, 105 lbs), went alone and first thing in the morning (so no one else was around). I had a great time. Yes - the river is twisty and windy, especially at the start and there are lots of low hanging branches. Being a novice it took a little time for me to get it all figured out and yes, I bounced off of branches and banks a few times, but never, never felt like I was going to tip. I did get stuck on a submerged branch once, but a little work freed me and off I went again. The water is crystal clear and usually only a few inches deep. I might have worried once or twice had I not been told that it was impossible to make a wrong turn. I do wish I'd had a map just to know how far along I was and to show the take out - I nearly missed the take out, as it was unmarked and totally unremarkable. Fortunately someone was there and yelled over to me, so no harm no foul. The route is gorgeous. I went on a weekday, in the off season (it was February) and first thing in the morning. Steam was rising off of the river, really magical. I was *totally* alone the whole time. I didn't even see another boater until the take out dock - he was putting in to go down to the lake and then just before the shuttle left a couple of canoes showed up. I never saw any alligators, just turtles. It took me about an hour less time than the park estimates, so I had a bit of a wait for the shuttle van.

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  dreadnought222333

  This canoe trip is fantastic, but it requires a degree of skill. Don't take little kids, and don't try to learn canoeing here. It is narrow and full of logs. We say a snake, many turtles, and a small alligator, plus many birds and fish.Do this canoe trip while you have the freedom to. We are from Seattle, and this would not be allowed in a lawyer-filled state like Washington.

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  23russellb

  Juniper run is an adventure not to be missed. The run is the prettiest run in Florida. If your idea of adventure is the log flume ride at Disney stay at Disney. I have paddled it in the rental canoes and in my own kayak many times since the 60's. It is challenging but I think anyone with basic paddling skills that does not get into a hurry should be fine. I have taken plenty of novices paddlers along with me without any problems . Assume you are going to get wet and pack accordingly. You are paddling with the current so it is more about guiding the canoe then it is about hard paddling. You will most likely see large gators, birds, lots of turtles and whitetail deer. Also you can't bring any disposable items at all. No plastic bags, coke cans, bottled water, aluminum foil etc. this is not a problem Think Tupperware and canteens. You will be inspected/searched by very nice but strict volunteers. The run is truly “old Florida “ at its best. Remember once you start there is no way off the river until you get to the end so if it rains you get wet...enjoy it!

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  MrsDetail

  Juniper Creek is beautiful! It is clear, narrow and winding with abundant vegetation along its banks. In places the vegetation forms a canopy over your head - gorgeous! Due to the necessity of navigating many curves and tight turns, Juniper Creek is recommended for intermediate paddlers.

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  990manuelak

  We did this canoe trip on a quite cold day in January 2014. The friendly statt inquired about our canoe skills. Since my husbands paddles regularly we were good to go. Our backpack was inspected for disposable containers so you must know that there are absolutly no disposable containers on the river. The river itself had a quite low water level and sure, there are a lots of logs in and around the river. But my husband steered around really well, my job was just to sit in the front and enjoy. (he says it is a lot easier to steer a slow moving canoe around the curves!). The trip took us 3,5 hours and the shuttle service worked really well. Only the wildlife was a little on the slow side, probably because of the cold. We only saw two turtles...

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  R0nnB

  Juniper Run is a great little trip. We've been countless times. I have done it in a canoe, but recommend a kayak. You will have to do some slick maneuvering and ducking, but it is totally worth it. We have taken friends that were not experienced kayakers and they had a blast and had minimal troubles. The gators are great although at times they can seem a bit too close. They are used to seeing humans, you will not be there lunch if you do not mess with them! Get there early, it can get crowded and early means you miss afternoon thunder boomers.

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  Mooseman_9

  Crowded except weekdays in the winter. New concessionaire has instituted multiple searches for disposable items and alcohol. Prices gone out of sight. The process for renting a canoe or paying for a ride back is so cumbersome and lengthy, plan on getting there a minimum of an hour earlier than you think you need to. The spring run is apparently no longer cleaned out of debris from fallen limbs and where chain saws have clear small paths through the little winding stream, so there are multiple places in curves where it tends to pile up and canoes tend to run into it. It is a much more technical paddle than it used to be; consider a kayak. It is still a gorgeous place to paddle, but there are signs of the water not being nearly as healthy as it used to be. I didn't see anywhere close to as many fish (more turtles than ever, if that means anything), birds, other wildlife, and interestingly enough, not nearly as much of the eel grass that water creatures love.The ride itself is a little faster now. Maybe the flow is more. Seems narrower in lots of places, but it may be the new rule that says NO STOPPING. Kind of tough if it takes you 5 hours. The little dock at the half way point is no longer there

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  S8833PPsarahs

  Going on this trip was BY FAR the worst experience i have ever had in my entire life. Three of our members almost DIED trying to get down this thing. First of all, there was absolutely no warning about the conditions of the river at this time and the possible danger involving entry. Because it had been raining recently, the river was high tide, therefore the trees, limbs, ect. were blocking the whole way down the river especially because it is small and narrow most of the way down. The first 2 miles were beautiful, but after that things got terrible. Canoes were flipped into the water invested with leeches and aligators while the current ripped away our personal items such as sunglasses, hats, shoes, even the rental paddles. The current was so strong my father was almost swept under his flipped kayak to drown, I got pinned imbetween braches and the canoe almost sufficating, and my sister was cut by a huge limb on her head that could have been a very serious injury. Small children had a high risk of dieing on this trip. We bleed, we cried, and screamed the entire way. It was a nightmare, and i dont recommend this trip for anyone no matter how experienced you are with nature and/or canoeing.

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  NancyD440

  Even for experienced canoe paddlers, this trip is awful! The staff do not do a good job at telling you what to expect! The run is 7 and half miles/4+ hours of torture! The waterway is so consumed with debris from fallen trees and foliage that you ram into it hundreds of times! We tore up our hands and finished with cuts, bruises, ripped out hair, and a had a miserable time. Worse canoe trip ever! Don't go!