The Weeki Wachee is an iconic Florida river known for cool, crystal clear blue water, manatees, and the world famous mermaids that have performed for decades at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Thee Weeki Wachee is also a really popular river for kayaking, that can draw a lot of people here on warm weekends.
They Weeki Wachee River located in Hernando County, in the town of Spring Hill, which is about roughly an hour or so north of Tampa on Florida’s Gulf coast.
Kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River is something that a lot of people have always wanted to do, and it’s one of those places that the Florida tourism industry likes to show pictures of to draw people down here. It’s just one of those types of places. I’ve gone paddling on this river a couple of times in the last few months and I wanted to share some of my own thoughts and experiences so you know what to expect if you’re planning a day trip to go kayaking on the Weeki Wachee River..
Set your expectations
Depending on what part of the river you’re kayaking on, Weeki Wachee is one of those places where your expectations may be a little different than what you’re actually going to experience; at least on some parts of the river. Ever see one of those Expectations vs Reality travel memes? Yeah, sometimes this river can be a little like that. Most people when they think of the Weeki Wachee RIver are probably imagining a crystal clear blue river that they have all to themselves, with nothing but the sounds of nature surrounding them, and the only other company they have are manatees and birds. That might be true to the parts closer to the state park, but up in the parts of the river near Rogers Park, where most people launch from, it can look a lot more like a crowded lazy river ride at an Orlando water park. This entire stretch of river is usually packed with kayaks, small motorboats, and even jet skis. It is a no wake zone though, so you won’t have to worry about anybody speeding through here, but you might be playing bumper boats a few times.
Most of the river IS beautiful and just what you expect though. You just need to paddle a little further against the current to get there if you start from Rogers Park.
The atmosphere on parts of the river is more party than peaceful
The western end of the river is the most popular and crowded, and the atmosphere is definitely a lot more party than peaceful. Instead of that quiet little trip down a pristine river your thinking about, you might have to make your way through more of a tailgate party atmosphere. Paddling through here on a Saturday and you might get to experience all the sights, sounds and, uh… smells of Spring Break. I’m not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, because we all like to have a good time, but just know that before you go. My first time here, some guy in a mullet and cut off jeans came rolling through in Jet Ski playing “Panama” by Van Halen as loud as he could. It was actually kind of awesome to see the Florida Man stereotype right here in his natural habitat!.
But like I said before this is really only true for about the first miler so of river fom the Rogers Park and Kayak Hub launch spots in Spring Hill. Once you get further down the river, it becomes a LOT more peaceful.
Alcohol isn’t allowed
This one is going to be a big bummer for a lot of people, but despite what I just said, alcoholic beverages are actually not even allowed on the river. I know, I know. Bummer. Drifting along the river with a beer in your hand sounds like a little slice of heaven for a lot of us, but it’s actually against the law here and police do actually patrol the river on jet skis looking to enforce this.
Now with that said, you wouldn’t know it was against the rules by actually being out here. You will see quite a lot people here sipping on beers and other things from their boats or while parked along the shore, but the cops will either tell you to dump it out or even write tickets if you get caught, so be aware of that before you pack a cooler full of beers for the day.
Technically, you’re not really supposed to have any disposable containers on the river and they want you to bring refillable water bottles so that trash doesn’t get in the river. This law has definitely helped keep the river clean though. On both of my recent trips here, I don’t think I saw any litter floating in the water, so good job.
How to choose your launch spot
The river is lined by residential houses or forests on most of it, so there really aren’t that many places to launch your kayak from. Most of us really only have two options here. You can put your kayak in at Rogers Park in Spring Hill and start by padding east, up current toward the source of the river at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, or you can put in at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and start by floating downstream, with the current.
Both have their benefits, but if you put in at Rogers Park, you’ll be starting at the more crowded, more developed, and honestly, less attractive part of the river. It will be about a one and half mile paddle against the current until you get out of the crowded and residential part of the river, and into the more natural, unspoiled part of the river. The water starts a bit brown and muddy when you come from this way, and slowly gets clearer and clearer until it becomes that classic, clear turquoise color that the Weeki Wachee is famous for.
The best thing about kayaking from this direction, is that you get all the hard paddling out of the way first, so you can just float back to where you started at the end of your adventure. The bad part is that it takes a little while to get the good part, and the river can be really crowded while you do. If you have a lot of time and energy, it’s a 6 mile paddle up river from Rogers Park to the state park, but the good news is that the entire trip back is with the current. There are lots of little places to pull off and rest, and you’ll see a lot of other paddlers doing just that.
If you start at the source of the river, at Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, you’ll immediately be paddling in the clearest, prettiest part of the river, and you won’t be dealing with much crowds and noise until you get to the end. But you’ll start your day by floating downstream, and will have to paddle back up against the current to get back. That’s only if you take your own kayak though. If you rent a kayak at the State Park, they do offer a shuttle service that will pick you up at Rogers Park and drive you back so the entire trip will just be floating downstream.
I personally prefer to save the easier part for later, and would rather do more of the hard paddling early so I can just chill on the float back later.
Make reservations first
If you’re going to be leaving from Weeki Wachee Watchee Springs State park you’ll need to make a reservation ahead of time. They don’t take walkins, so you can’t just decide at the spur of the moment to drive in and go kayaking from here. This park also reaches capacity pretty fast, especially on weekends. Reservations are required if you’re renting a kayak or using your own. But if you rent, you can use that shuttle service they offer to drive you back, so you’re not paddling 6 miles back upstream at the end of the day.
If you’re renting from the Kayak Shack at Rogers Park, reservations aren’t required, but they’re still a good idea since this is a really popular spot and busiest part of the river. You don’t want to drive out here, only to find out they’re all out kayaks for the day or to sit around and wait for somebody to return one.
Weeki Wachee Springs State Park
https://weekiwachee.com/reserve
The Kayak Shack
https://weekiwacheekayakrental.com
There’s limited parking
If you’re launching from Rogers Park, there is a modest sized parking lot and an area to unload your own kayak, but the lot can get crowded and full, so try to get there early in the day if you can. If you’re renting a kayak from the Kayak Hub, they do offer parking there that’s included with your rental, but that lot can also fill up on weekends. You might even want to think of a backup plan for kayaking in another spot around here if the lot is extra full and you just can’t find parking. There’s a lot of great alternatives in the area that aren’t far away so your planned day on the water doesn’t become a bust.
Rental Kayaks can be uncomfortable
I love kayaking. It’s one of my favorite outdoor activities here in Florida. But I can also hate it if I end up in an uncomfortable kayak. If I ever end up in kayak without a lot of back support, It can actually be pretty miserable. That’s just me though, and the last time I was here with a big group, I think I was the only one complaining about it! Most of my friends and family didn’t have any issues, so maybe I just got a lemon or something. I own a tandem kayak that can convert to a single, with those nice comfy lawn chair style seats, but the first time here I let my wife use that while I ended up in a rental. And I gotta tell ya, I was really uncomfortable for most of the day in that thing. I have rented kayaks before, and usually I’m fine, but something about these were just really tough on me. Maybe it’s because going upstream you had to do a lot of constant paddling against the current, and it was crowded or something. But when I went back in my own kayak with the comfy seats, I could have easily stayed out there all day, no problem. So that’s just a little heads up if you’re somebody who needs a good back rest while paddling, because I really struggled to be comfortable with the rental kayaks.
There are lots of little places to rest, chill out, or swim
If you get tired, or just want to stretch out your day here, there’s a lot of little beaches and places to pull over to the side and rest. You can get put and swim in the river in lots of places too, but just be careful of other boaters. It’s really easy to run someone over, or get run over by a kayaker here. The water is crisp and cold all year round too, so it’s great for a dip in the middle of summer.
This is great if you start early and want to try and get all the way from Rogers Park to the state park and back again. No need to get worn out with all that upstream paddling. Just pull over every now and then, have a snack, have a swim, and get back at it.
Some of locals don’t want you there and can be a little grumpy
There’s been a bit of controversy and hullabaloo around here among some of the locals who don’t think the river should be open to so many kayakers and boaters who don’t live here. Some of them live right on the river and don’t really love that the water right behind their house is really crowded and loud on weekends. There’s even been some government meetings to talk about it, and maybe limit how many people can use the river every day. So just know that ahead of time so you can avoid being part of the problem. Respect the people who actually live along the river, and respect the river itself. Don’t leave garbage floating around, and maybe even bring a little bag along to pick anything up what you do find so you can leave it a little cleaner than you found it. When I was here, I thought the river was actually remarkably clean, especially since it gets so much use.
So just be nice to anybody you meet, pick up after yourself, maybe even others, and just don’t be another reason the city is thinking of limiting access to the river. We want to make sure everybody can keep enjoying coming out here.
There’s an ice cream boat!
This is honestly one of my favorite little features of the river. There’s a guy who sells ice cream and hot dogs from a pontoon boat that he keeps parked on the river. It’s such a fun and uniquely Florida thing and we always make sure to stop here. It’s a really popular spot, and his prices are really reasonable. So make sure to bring a little cash along! This spot is about a mile from the Rogers Park / Kayak Shack launch, and it seems to a place that most people seem to use as the turnaround point. Once you’ve made it here, the river becomes a lot less crowded, and lot more natural and clear. You won’t have any more houses along the river, and becomes the Weeki Wachee River you expected to paddle when you first decided to come here.