How to Kayak the Crystal-Clear Waters of Weeki Wachee (Not from the State Park)

KAYAKING THE WEEKIE WACHEE RIVER

The Weeki Wachee River is a gorgeous aquamarine-colored river located just 1 hour north of Tampa, on the west coast of Florida. Its crystal clear waters flow from the stunning Weeki Wachee Spring, which is the deepest freshwater cave system in the entire United States (at 400 feet!) This water is completely breathtaking and I couldn’t wait for our family to kayak and explore it!

Most people who want to visit Weekie Wachee go to Weeki Wachee State Park. That makes sense right? At Weekie Wachee State Park you can swim and snorkel in the spring’s waters, watch a Mermaid Show, have fun at Florida’s only spring-fed water park, see animal shows, go on a riverboat cruise and rent kayaks to go on a relaxing 2.8 mile float down the Weeki Wachee River.

This is all great, but on this occasion our family was wanting to kayak these stunning blue-green waters in a slightly more challenging way. We were also looking to enjoy our day far away from the crowds, because unfortunately Covid was on the rise yet again.

Below, I’d like to share with you what we found, so that you too can have an amazingly cool kayak adventure on this fantastic river.

WHERE WE STARTED OUR KAYAK ADVENTURE

For our family, our adventure began at Weeki Wachee’s The Kayak Shack.

This kayak rental shop is located in the town of Spring Hill, FL and it is across the street from a popular, public kayak launch spot at Roger’s Park. So if you have your own kayak, you would start at this park.

For us, the Kayak Shack was perfect because it is located about 5 miles from Weeki Wachee State Park and there were no kayak rental time limits like most places have. Here, you just have to launch between 8am and 12pm and you have to have the kayak back by 5pm. I loved this flexibility. This also meant that we could have a nice long day of kayaking these gorgeous waters.

Address Information:

The Kayak Shack – 5414 Darlene St, Spring Hill, FL 34607

Roger’s Park – 7244 Shoal Line Blvd, Spring Hill, FL 34607

TOP THINGS TO BRING KAYAKING

When kayaking the Weeki Wachee river, it’s good to bring

Water Shoes
Quick-Drying Clothes
A Sun Hat (This is my favorite sun hat when kayaking this river.)
A Towel (compact)
A Water Bottle
A Snack

For a Fun Splurge:

A Waterproof Camera – Take pictures under the water of possible manatees swimming by! (Manatees love this river and we’ve seen a bunch here!)

HOW TO KAYAK THE WEEKI WACHEE RIVER

When you first put your kayak in at the Kayak Shack or at Roger’s Park, just know that it will not immediately look like the picture above, with gorgeous aquamarine waters. The first 1.5 miles or so of your paddle are through a residential area and the water, to me, looks more like a typical river. But even in this residential portion, keep a lookout for manatees that may be swimming by. We saw a bunch here and we hope you can too!

Tip: Manatees primarily head up river, from the Gulf of Mexico, toward the warmer springs, like Weeki Wachee, when the temperature drops during the winter months. This is because the natural spring’s water temperature (and therefore the river’s temperature) stays a constant 72-74 degrees year-round. (Although, you can paddle with manatees along this river almost anytime of year.)

The manatee picture above is of one that swam under us after we had paddled about 2 miles up river. Here the water was becoming more clear and it was easier for me to grab a picture of it when it swam by.

TIPS FOR KAYAKING THE WEEKI WACHEE RIVER

It is about 5.5 miles along the river from the Kayak Shack/ Roger’s Park to Weekie Wachee State Park, one way.
At the Kayak Shack you’ll get a map of the river, but there’s really not many places where you could go the wrong way. And there are signs along the river at those places, telling you which way to go.
Know that you will be paddling against a small current as you kayak toward the spring. (I think the current is about 2-3 mph.)
- Yet, this also means that your journey back will be more of a float, and fairly easy as you can just ride with the current from the spring.
- Kids or beginner kayakers may have a hard time paddling against the current while going to the spring. (Our 14 year old, who had his own kayak, had no problem, but our 10 year old, even being in a kayak with my husband, completely pooped out after a few miles.)
- Our family kayaked up this river for 2 straight hours. For my husband and I, it was tiring but completely doable.
The first 1.5 miles of kayaking towards the spring is through a residential area.
- The remaining 4 miles towards the spring is where you will find the gorgeous crystal clear waters.

This beautiful blue-green, clear water is simply breathtaking!

The Weeki Wachee River is a constant 72-74 degrees year-round. This is because the water here is spring fed. (But this constant temperature is also why the manatees love it, especially in the winter.) So keep a lookout in case a manatee swims by you!

DID WE MAKE IT TO WEEKI WACHEE SPRINGS?

In short, no, we did not make it all the way to the springs. We paddled upriver for 2 hours and made it about 4.5 miles. We were within a mile from the springs, but our 2 youngest kids were tired and wanted to turn around. At that time we didn’t realized just how easy our kayaking back would be.

Our trip back to the Kayak Shack was incredibly easy. It was more about steering around the bends of the river than actually paddling. This portion of our kayaking adventure was so relaxing. It also gave us a lot of time to just take in all of the beautiful scenery that surrounded us.

When heading back, once you re-enter the residential area of the river, you’ll know that you have about 1.5 miles before you are back at the Kayak Shack or Roger’s Park. Signs in this area will help guide you back as well. (But if you ever feel lost, or are just wondering how much further it is, you can always pull up your exact location on the river, on your phone using the GPS on your map app, like I did!)

TOTAL TIME SPENT

In total this kayaking adventure took us 4 hours.

If you would like to make it all the way to Weeki Wachee Springs (and have a little time there), then I would allow at least 5 or 6 hours for your adventure.

Kayaking the Weeki Wachee River is an absolutely incredible experience! This is one of my favorite two spring-fed rivers to kayak in all of Florida. (The other is the Rainbow River by Rainbow Springs State Park.)

These two springs’ crystal-clear, gorgeous blue-green waters are simply magical. So, if you are ever traveling near either of these places, I highly recommend checking them out.

WHERE TO STAY NEAR WEEKIE WACHEE

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Spring Hill Florida
- Free Breakfast, Outdoor Pool
- For Larger Families: Sleeps up to 6 (rooms with 2 queens and a sofa bed)
- Book Online

Unique Lodging:

Pams Mermaid House with Riverfront Yard and Lanai
- Right on Weekie Wachee River, 2 bedrooms+ washing machine 1st floor apartment with river view, watch manatee swim past!
- Outdoor bar and small kitchen, firepit, lounge chairs, kayaks available
- Sleeps up to 4 people (1 queen, 1 full, 1 daybed)
- Book Online

Large Group Unique Lodging:

Bright and Fun Canalfront Bungalo with Kayaks and Canoe

Right on the canal to Weekie Wachee River, deck with picnic table, 2 bedrooms+kitchen, washer/dryer
4 kayaks, 1 canoe
For Larger Families: Sleeps up to 10 (1 king/ 1 Queen/ 1 Twin with Trundle, 2 Sleeper Sofas)
Book Online

POPULAR TOURS NEAR WEEKI WACHEE

Now you are all set to kayak the Weekie Wachee River (not starting from the State Park.) I hope this guide was able to answer any questions you had and helped you to know more about what to expect during your own adventure down this incredible river at Weeki Wachee.

Have a Great Trip on the Weekie Wachee River

with Your Traveling Feet!

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