Kayak the Little Manatee River at Night!
There’s a one-of-a-kind adventure waiting for you in Wimauma.
You can paddle down the Little Manatee River in the dark with other brave kayakers!
This unique experience is provided by Canoe Outpost. The Moonlight Kayaking Trips take place once a month from October to May. And luckily, I snagged a spot on the last trip of the season!
Here’s what you need to have before you head out, according to Canoe Outpost:
A flashlight or headlamp, preferably waterproof
A cell phone that’s either waterproof or in a dry bag
The ability to paddle and control the boat safely
A high degree of self reliance to deal with on and off water circumstances or weather that may arise and the ability to swim
This adventure is a deal: Single kayaks costs $54 and double kayaks or canoes cost $79. And you get so much more than just a kayak, paddle, and life jacket!
The experience of paddling in the darkness can be a little spooky at first, but we were able to navigate pretty well thanks to our headlamps. Oh, and our mosquito shirts were important too!
We also used flashlights to scan the the river banks and brushy areas to look for alligators. Their eyes glow red at night when light shines on them!
At the halfway point, we climbed out of your kayak and grabbed a burger inside a screened in pavilion at Little Manatee River State Park. There was also great live music and s’mores!
after about an hour, we returned to our kayak and kept paddling.
The river widens and gets deeper past Little Manatee State Park. We loved listening to the sounds of the night. While we were in a group of about 50 paddlers, we weren’t too close to anyone else so it really was a peaceful experience.
The Canoe Outpost team puts a flashing light on a sign where you turn to land and get on the shuttle. Everyone was quiet and tired as we rode back to the Outpost, but it was such a cool experience!
Tell me: Is this something you’re adding to your “Flucket” (Florida + Bucket) list? I sure hope so!
