Posted on Sunday, 10.17.2010 Canoes and Kayaks in Miami - Things to do in Miami If you combine South Florida’s perfect weather with its interesting waterways we are left with many things to do in Miami. Even with this expansive list of outdoor activities and recreational fun, Miamian’s are always picking up on new trends. Lately we have seen many locals and tourists with their canoes and kayaks in Miami. Almost every direction you look you will see couples and families with their canoes and kayaks in Miami’s waterways. So if you and your loved ones are thinking of new things to do in Miami why not dust off your canoes and kayaks in Miami to explore the local waterways? If you don’t own a canoe or kayak there are a few places you can rent them at a great price below. Canoe and Kayak Rentals
| South Beach Kayak www.southbeachkayak.com (305) 538-1771 1771 Purdy Avenue Miami Beach, FL 33139 | Sailboards Miami www.kayakingmiami.com (305) 361-7245 1 Rickenbacker Causeway Key Biscayne, FL 33149
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The city has some of the best paddling waters for canoes and kayaks in Miami and they are all located within a 1 ½-hour drive of Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Here are five of the region's most interesting waters:
Oleta River State Park 3400 NE 163rd Street North Miami, FL
This free-flowing, un-channeled river runs for about six miles from the Sunny Isles Bridge through Maule Lake north to Ives Dairy Road. Most of the river is lined with homes, but there is a ½-mile stretch between the Sunny Isles and Diefenbach bridges that’s perfect for canoes and kayaks. You might be fooled into believing you're in the Everglades. You will see 1920s mangrove trees, ospreys guarding nests, jumping mullet and if you are lucky a manatee. You can rent a canoe or kayak from Blue Moon Outdoor Center in the park 305-957- 3040. Gables Waterway Coral Gables, Fl
This manmade canal in Coral Gables was blasted out of the city's limestone foundation in the early 20th century. You will be able to look into the backyards of one of the region's richest neighborhoods. Check out opulent yachts and sport fishing boats parked at some of the priciest Miami real estate. You will see many birds including egret, ibis, heron, cormorant, anhinga and kite. A highlight for some paddlers is to head west toward the Biltmore Hotel to pause and admire the resort's soaring tower. You can launch your own kayak or canoe beneath the Metrorail tracks at Riviera Drive and Ponce de Leon, or join a Miami-Dade Parks Department eco-adventure tour, 305-365-3018. Bear Lake Canoe Trail Everglades National Park
This 1.6-mile run through the heart of Flamingo in Everglades National Park has spectacular scenery and wildlife. A small group of South Florida paddlers used tools employed by the 1920s dredging crew that carved out the Homestead Canal to re-open this deadfall-blocked waterway in 2009. Paddlers will see just about any Everglades-dwelling creature on this trip including alligators, crocodiles, flamingoes and pygmy rattlesnakes. Long sleeves, long pants and insect repellent are suggested on this trip. You can launch your own paddle craft or rent a canoe or kayak at the Flamingo marina, 239-695-3101, but you will have to transport it to the put-in yourself. East River This beautiful paddling trail is 1 ½-hours and runs to the hidden put-in on Tamiami Trail just a few miles west of State Road 29. For about five miles, the East River winds through narrow mangrove tunnels and small open bays through the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve to empty into Fakahatchee Bay at Daniels Point. Some of the tunnels are so narrow that kayak paddles have to be broken in two to navigate; in others, paddlers must pull themselves hand-over-hand using red mangrove boughs. You will see shaded cathedrals of greenery draped with orchids, bromeliads and ferns open into scenic rookeries with a variety of bird life. Stop at a small turn-of-the-century island settlement, Daniels Point, for a lunch break. Call 239-695-4593 for tour information. Loxahatchee River Palm Beach County
The Loxahatchee is more like two rivers flowing ten miles from the C-18 canal in central Palm Beach County northeast to Jupiter Inlet. Go upstream through the shady cypress forest of Jonathan Dickinson State Park, a highway for alligators and otters and shelter for birds. Pass over two small dams to a dilapidated boat dock, a few huts and abandoned animal cages in the middle of the woods. This is the former home of South Florida's own real-life Tarzan figure, Trapper Nelson, who lived off the land from the 1940s until his mysterious shooting death in 1968. View many red mangroves, cypress trees and osprey scanning the waters for a fish dinner. You can launch your own canoe or kayak at Riverbend Park, 9060 Indiantown Road, Jupiter or rent a paddle craft from Canoe Outfitters, 561-746-7053.
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