Econlockhatchee River Kayak Tour
Overview
Come paddle the 8-miles through the mysterious, moss covered cypress forest of the Little-Big Econ State Forest. Somehow escaping the uncontrolled growth dominating Orange and Seminole Counties, the tightly winding upper portion slowly becomes a widening, lazy river. The high sandy banks will shade you with enormous live oaks, pine, pal and ancient cypress. A light lunch will be served picnic style at the Boy Scout Bridge on the Florida Trail.
Inclusions
- Professional Guide
- Bottled water
- Lunch
What to expect
Itinerary
Meet and greet at the Little Big Econ canoe launch, load up, and start paddling. Instruction will be given for those new to the sport. We stop for rests every hour or when the need arises.
Stop At:
• Little Big Econ State Forest, 1350 Snow Hill Rd, Geneva, FL 32732-9054
• Econlockhatchee River, Orlando, FL
Meet and greet at the Little Big Econ canoe launch, load up, and start paddling. Instruction will be given for those new to the sport. We stop for rests every hour or when the need arises.
Stop At:
• Little Big Econ State Forest, 1350 Snow Hill Rd, Geneva, FL 32732-9054
• Econlockhatchee River, Orlando, FL
Additional information
- There is no minimum age however all participants must know how to swim
- It is recommended that you bring a swimsuit, towel, waterproof camera and wear clothes that can get wet and possibly dirty
- Not wheelchair accessible
- To ensure a proper size kayak is available, please provide your individual heights and weights at the time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- Face masks required for travelers in public areas
- Face masks required for guides in public areas
- Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
- Social distancing enforced throughout experience
- Gear/equipment sanitized between use
- Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized
- Guides required to regularly wash hands
- Paid stay-at-home policy for staff with symptoms
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Ticket delivery
You can present either a paper or an electronic voucher for this activity.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start time of the experience.
krankl1
October 2023
I cannot praise Bill and Geena enough. A great day out seeing the real Florida. From the comms before the trip, the great local knowledge, the food, and the spectacular river, every aspect was excellent. Lots of wildlife photo opportunities too.
I cannot praise Bill and Geena enough. A great day out seeing the real Florida. From the comms before the trip, the great local knowledge, the food, and the spectacular river, every aspect was excellent. Lots of wildlife photo opportunities too.BarbarainIthaca
December 2021
We did the Econlockhatchee paddle from the Little Big Econ Canoe Launch to Snow Hill Road. We parked at Snow Hill, and the Adventures in Florida van driver picked us up there, right on time, then drove through the back roads to get to the upstream canoe launch area. Along the way, he told us ab...
We did the Econlockhatchee paddle from the Little Big Econ Canoe Launch to Snow Hill Road. We parked at Snow Hill, and the Adventures in Florida van driver picked us up there, right on time, then drove through the back roads to get to the upstream canoe launch area. Along the way, he told us about the history of the area (e.g., celery farms, hurricane Hugo). At the launch, it was a short carry of the kayaks down to the river. The kayaks were excellent -- well-maintained, comfortable seat backs, good paddles, and life vests appropriately sized and in good shape. The first part of the paddle was in narrower waterways, and required a bit of maneuvering in some areas to get through downed trees. Only once did we need to get out and pull the kayaks across a bit of sand bar. Our driver had provided guidance to watch the sand bank areas in the sun for gators, and to bear toward the outside of the turns to go around the sandy shallower areas where gators might be sunning or hanging out. We saw quite a few gators along the route -- often slinking into the water as we approached, or flopping in with a big splash. A few stayed on the bank as we went by, and we gave them our respect and a wide berth! Saw lots of bird life as well. Lovely float, very quiet except for bird and other nature sounds. And at the end, our driver arrived to pick up the kayaks just as we got to the Snow Hill pull out, and handed us some freshly-baked ginger cookies! Marvelous day.kjj23
December 2021
My wife and I rented kayaks and did the Little Big Econ Canoe Launch to Snow Hill Road float. It was the best part of our week long trip to the Orlando, FL, area. The river is beautiful and wild. Once away from the launch site, you don't hear any traffic or human-generated noise, just the soun...
My wife and I rented kayaks and did the Little Big Econ Canoe Launch to Snow Hill Road float. It was the best part of our week long trip to the Orlando, FL, area. The river is beautiful and wild. Once away from the launch site, you don't hear any traffic or human-generated noise, just the sound of your paddle cutting through the water, birds in the trees, and an occasional splash from an alligator plunging off the bank upon your approach. Some of the alligators were quite large, but our van driver told us ahead of time if we steer wide around the river bends and give the gators some room they won't be an issue. We also saw herons, cormorants, anhingas, a red-shouldered hawk, pileated woodpeckers, and some very large turtles. The white sand beaches and the large overhanging live oaks were particularly picturesque. Our shuttle driver was on time at both ends of the trip, was friendly and knowledgeable about the river and surrounding area, and even gave us fresh-baked cookies at the end of our trip. I highly recommend this trip and Adventures in Florida.KayJazz
November 2021
We wanted a kayak tour that had a bit of adventure and WOW, did we hit the jackpot! GINA, guide extraordinar was the best ever. She was so accommodating to make sure the right tour fit our request. Gina got all the kayak equipment ready and gave us instructions on land before pushing off. She ...
We wanted a kayak tour that had a bit of adventure and WOW, did we hit the jackpot! GINA, guide extraordinar was the best ever. She was so accommodating to make sure the right tour fit our request. Gina got all the kayak equipment ready and gave us instructions on land before pushing off. She even had sunscreen & bug spray if wanted, nice touch. Gina is well versed in kayaking, birds & wildlife and an all around great person. We navigated the Econ River with her great guidance. We saw a fair amount of alligators and at first we were... speechless and then we just got use to them. Mid way through our adventure we pulled on shore and had a nice break, snack a bit of yoga stretches to make we stayed limber. We all had fun, made memories and now have great stories to tell. Just do it! Thanks Gina from your TX & NJ MINI friends.jhochstetler
October 2021
While staying in Orlando we wanted to spend more time learning about the ecological system than theme parks. This trip helped accomplish that. Our guide, Bill, has an environmental studies background and was extremely helpful answering the plethora of questions we had about the varied flora and f...
While staying in Orlando we wanted to spend more time learning about the ecological system than theme parks. This trip helped accomplish that. Our guide, Bill, has an environmental studies background and was extremely helpful answering the plethora of questions we had about the varied flora and fauna. The pace of the trip was great - nice and casual, perfect for a vacation. We saw quite a few gators along the way and as Bill stated, they are more afraid of us as we are of them and tend to slide off the sand and into the water in order to hide. We were even treated at our lunch stop to a momma manatee and her calf floating around us for 30 minutes or so. I would certainly book this trip again when in the area and would encourage anyone else to do the same.DebBlue4
August 2021
The hosts were amazing and very knowledgeable. They made us a great lunch and had lots of interesting information during the beautiful tour. I would definitely recommend using them!
The hosts were amazing and very knowledgeable. They made us a great lunch and had lots of interesting information during the beautiful tour. I would definitely recommend using them!