juniper creek

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.

I reviewed this under Juniper Springs recreation area, not realizing Juniper Creek was separate entity.We spent all of our time on the Juniper run. I have been to the spring before and have kayaked before but nothing like the Juniper run. The park staff is wonderful, especially Daryl, who helped us on the reverse rehaul (helping us drop our vehicle off at where the run ends and transporting us back to the start). He gave us some very important details. VERY IMPORTANT details before our trip. This is not a leisurely pleasure trip. It's a lot of work. In Daryl's words, it's a wilderness trip. I was on an ocean kayak with two children, 9 and 11. The 11 year old was good at steering in the front, the 9 year old in the middle was a tourist, taking our pictures for us. We completed in about 2.75 hours but it may take up to 4.5 hours depending on other variables. So for the details...take nondisposable items for water and food, but certainly lots of water. Either bring these or buy them in the concession area. We had to buy these plastic water bladders, and I wish I had brought more about an hour into the journey. August weather in Florida is hot, humid and you will need more water to drink than seems possible. Take more than you'll think you need. I do triathlons in Florida and despite being somewhat heat tolerant, I was getting seriously dry. You could drink from the spring, but the last I did that I needed metronidazole for a week to cure the whatever I picked up in the water. The run is quick at times, makes very sharp turns and you will run into a bush or two (or 15 in our case) along the way. Getting over the submerged logs can be tricky, especially if you're overweight like me. The stream is narrow at points, and if you're claustrophobic, could be an issue. There was so much thick brush that we had a hard time paddling because you couldn't lift your paddle without hitting something. There is a rapids, no big deal, just go straight and enjoy. It's about a 3 degree drop in elevation, not a heart-stopper. Everywhere is beautiful. We had a designated photographer, but taking your hands off the paddles sometimes to take pic could result in drifting toward the brush.There are gators. Stay observant and try to avoid the shores (my tip only). We saw an 8 ft. gator just watching us go by. My daughters were oblivious to its existence. I was not. They will not mess with you unless you provoke them or do something stupid so just STAY in your canoe/kayak, and all will be fine. The creepy part is that sometimes the shores are only 10 feet apart or less and veering into the brush and countless unseen critters (read snakes) only adds to the fun. Lastly, the take-out point is easy. After passing a bridge, you will see a take out point on the right, with small dock cut-away to park your canoe/kayak. This was a lot of work, very hot, dehydrating, a little scary at times and a great experience. My girls and I were so excited. I'm so glad we made the trip. If you want something more leisurely or if you've a beginner, do the Silver River trip only a few miles away. Still gators, but much more comfortable pace. Visited August 2014

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.

I had heard of the juniper run for years and always intended to give it a shot. Having a day off with my twelve year old daughter, I thought we would have a nice father daughter day and hit the run! I was wrong... The water and the surrounding forest are absolutely beautiful, but the run itself is so poorly maintained that the actual canoeing is what I would consider expert level. There are no signs or markings of any kind, several times we canoed down what we thought was the main channel only to find it blocked by fallen trees or debris and had to paddle up stream to return to the main channel. There were literally hundreds of fallen trees and obstructions throughout the run and in some cases you have two feet to manoeuvre a seventeen foot canoe through. Expect to do as much back paddling as you do forward. The actual run itself is unlike any river I have ever been on. There are numerous ninety degree bends in the river and some that actually exceed that. I read another review where the person describes the process as like 'pinballing' and this a very accurate description. Bang into one side of the shore and then bang into the other side a minute later. I love the outdoors and nature but I was thrilled to start hearing cars indicating that we were almost done. I was immensely proud of my daughter that she helped the entire time and only complained moderately. I run and work out regularly and I had to hit the aspirin the next morning. I'm still amazed that we didn't flip the canoe although we came very close several times. One the ride back I asked ranger if people ever get stuck out there. He responded 'Oh Yes', apparently it isn't an uncommon event for people to bring a cell phone and call the park saying that they are to exhausted to continue or that they have flipped the canoe over and can't get it upright. So overall, beautiful area and if you are fit adults over the age of eighteen and want a difficult but fun adventure...this trip is for you. If you intend on bringing children or are not physically fit, I would strongly recommend against it. But the park itself is wonderful and the staff are very friendly and helpful. I just wish someone would do a better job of maintaining the actual canoe run itself.Hope this helps someone.

The camping was disappointing because each campsite was so small. The water was ABSOLUTELY freezing and had a hard time enjoying it as much as I wanted. The water was beautiful though! The real great part of this place is the canoe run! It took several hours to complete and was a real challenge for us beginners, but well worth it! We stopped at an old broken down bridge (or whatever it was) and had lunch that we brought. (There were certain criteria to meet for bringing food and snacks, so be aware of that before you go). Being beginners, we were in the trees a lot and by the end of the trip we had a bunch of spiders crawling on us and in the canoe. (Pretty sure they were harmless though some people might freak out) Overall great experience that I would do again!

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.

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.

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

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.

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...

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.

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!

This is about as untouched a piece of inland Florida as you will find. Juniper Run is in Juniper Springs National Park and starts out as a shallow creek and meanders toward Lake George becoming a strong flow with a few beaches that are nice to stop and picnic on. Keep an eye out for gators. Mostly crystal waters can have fallen trees that make for some shallow going. Don't let this scare you because the convenient thing is that you only paddle down current and a van comes and fetches you and your canoe just shy of Lake George.Much of the way you are in a shady arc of trees, but there is plenty of sun, especially in the second half of the run. We have seen deer, otters, snakes, gators, bear and fantastic bird life. By far the scariest thing I ever saw was a 7'-8' rattle snake swimming on the surface. It looked so light on the water, a daunting predator.There is much to discover. Go.October is nice and we have had good rains this year. If you are sensitive to poison ivy, beware of low hanging branches with vines, the 3 leaved, reddish stem kind. Do scrub yourself down and your clothes too, with a soap made for this.

I've just read the first 10 reviews or so and agree with much that has been said. We brought our own canoe, an Old Town Camper. We were two paddlers and one passenger. The paddlers were experienced, and that is the key. Prior to leaving, I paid a very modest $6 to get my vehicle down to the take out site, seven miles downstream. If you're in your own canoe or kayak, this is a must. Then, you can take your time finishing up your paddle. It took us approximately 3 1/2 hours, with one short rest stop for lunch.This is a terrific paddle, with twists and turns..........constantly, except towards the end. And, yes, with a little wind and the modest current, you will probably get scratched by the vegetation. Be warned, that there are no "beaches" to get out and up on.And, as most of the reviews have stated: the scenery is beautiful.

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!