Had a really great family adventure with an amazing guide, Stevie! He was so knowledgeable and…read morehelpful. The tour was so relaxing and we saw so many animals. Highly recommend!!

My friends and I visited on Feb 22nd and Ben was our amazing guide. He had a lot of interesting…read morefacts and information about the springs and all the animals we came across -- he also had great sense of humor! It was so cool gliding ontop of the crystal clear waters and watching the fishes and HUGE turtles swim beneath us. We were lucky enough to see a manatee and a bunch of Macaques (babies and adults!) that day too. So happy we all agreed on the 1:45 hr trip out to Silver Springs from Orlando, definitely worth the hype!

This is a secluded park and picnic area with a playground for kids. Also has a dock for Canoe and…read moreKayak launch area. A lot of cypress trees and oak trees. Super quote and peaceful. Benches along the way. Trash cans on site. Covered picnic tables. Open from dusk till dawn. Amazing quite place away from town.

My wife, Emily and I are local and wanted to try kayaking at our local park at Shingle Creek. Emily…read morehasn't ever kayaked on her own before in a single person kayak. Josh showed her how to do it, quickly and efficiently. Josh and Tia's knowledge of the creek, the wildlife, the vegetation, kayaking, etc. was truly awesome. They made our Labor Day special. We won't seen forget the experience and we'll certainly be back. Check out the Paddling Center at Shingle Creek!

We had a great time with the Paddling Center. Staff was helpful and courteous. We were especially…read morehappy with our tour guide who was very knowledgeable. He pointed out many items of interest. The experience could be done by beginners and experienced paddlers alike.

I've paddled the Emerald Cut a few times now. Initially I didn't like the idea of paying to launch…read moremy own paddleboard. However, it's only $10 now that I have my own life jacket (saving me additional cost of $5 to use one of theirs, as required). Well worth the low cost for some soul-enriching, communing with nature. I have never made a reservation. I normally arrive around 10:30, most recently on a Friday. Parked for free on Baptist Camp Rd. Just a bit of a walk from there with my inflated paddleboard, but I don't mind the extra exercise. You can unload your stuff closer, if preferable. There are port-a-potties available. You can count on there being a line in the check-in office. Various recreation supplies are available there for purchase. The process moves reasonably enough. A reservation will guarantee your entrance, however, and possibly aide quicker personal info collection. I always plan to do the Emerald Cut in roughly 3 hours round-trip, allowing myself several stops to enjoy the surroundings. You do run into (quite literally at times) novice paddlers along the way, which can be a bit tricky, yet not a real nuisance for me. In general, there's friendliness along the waterway. Slighty rowdy, party vibes in some spots, but also opportunities for solace and zen in various nooks. Encountering wildlife, fragrant elderberry, and other captivating flora along this stretch is always gratifying. It's a popular recreation destination for good reason.

Many tourists don't realize Florida is home to stunning crystal-clear spring rivers--perfect for…read moreswimming, kayaking, and tubing aka "hidden gems". My Hubby and I love kayaking, so we booked an excursion months in advance for Rock Springs through TripAdvisor. Our Tour Operator was Get Up And Go Kayaking located at Kings Landing in Apopka, FL. I LOVE saying Apopka ;) The good news: Apopka is a quick 1 hour drive from Orlando. Make sure you don't miss the turn to King's Landing, because the entrance is located on a narrow dirt road. You must drive past Kelly Park (which fills up fast). There is a Park Ranger located here who will guide you to King's Landing. As you get closer and if you see a parking spot, grab it! Check in is located in the Cabin like office where you will have to sign a waiver. If you do not want to take a clear bottom, guided Kayak tour, you can either rent or BYO Kayak versus taking a semi private, clear, guided kayak tour. NOTE: ONLY use their Sunscreen/lotion which is provided at no cost. It protects the wildlife and the Springs. We wanted the full experience as we have previously enjoyed renting clear Kayaks. Our guide for the morning was: Megan, who was fantastic! Full of energy, information and helpful tidbits about the Springs and its human and wildlife inhabitants. Our group was small and capped at 10. We paddled through both narrow and open stretches, and stopped to swim in the warm, crystal-clear water. One highlight was a banyan tree with an 8-foot natural "jump hole"--such a cool experience! It was a serene, memorable day, and fun fact: this is the very spring featured in the Visit Orlando commercials! Yeah, definitely take a day away from crowded Orlando to relax and enjoy Mother Nature! You will Thank Me ;)

Dino and Fernando, the husband/wife owners of SUP Eco Adventures, offer stand-up paddleboarding…read morewith fantastic instruction and group as well was private tours. My daughter, who was 10 at the time of this trip, opted for a private tour because she had never done paddle boarding previously. Both Dina and Fernando came along with us and gave us so much individual attention and instruction that there was no way we would be anything but successful. They customized our time together to suit my daughter's needs and comfort level and she left feeling like a pro with the confidence to come back. They also took some great photos for us. It was a fantastic experience and I was grateful for their careful attention. I cannot wait to go back.

My girlfriend was eager for us try paddleboarding together, so I decided to surprise her with a…read morepaddleboarding outing for her birthday. Looking online for options in the Melbourne, FL area, I found SUP Eco Adventures. It was highly rated on TripAdvisor, so I thought I would give it shot: I was not disappointed. We booked a morning tour, and possibly because it was close to the holidays, we ended up getting a private session with the amazing Dina! She was extremely friendly and made sure that we had a great time. Her instructions and tips for using the paddleboard were clear and concise, and she had us out enjoying ourselves on the water in no time. Our tour launched from Honest John's Fish Camp and took us through different channels on the Indian River. Dina was quite knowledgeable and provided us with plenty of background on the local vegetation and animal wildlife. The weather that day was amazing and the water was very calm. This made for an excellent experience for a couple of SUP newbies. Plus, we managed to spot some dolphins and a manatee on our tour! If you're in the area and looking for something to do, I highly recommend giving this place a try!

It was a great experience , the tour guide Tom was very knowledgeable and loved the animals dearly!read more

I wanted to go kayaking with my wife for the first time in a long time. I called Paddling Paradise,…read morethe associate was able to reserve a kayak for us within an hour's notice. Upon arrival, the associate provided a map of the Turkey Creek sanctuary, and provided my wife and I with an instruction on how to safely and effectively enjoy our kayaking experience.

Was able to book a spot that same day. Adrena (spelling?) took care of us and she was a great…read moreguide. Patient and funny - showed us around and my family and I had a great time. The waters out there was so beautiful, just as beautiful as I remembered when I went for my first time in Jamaica. Kayaks were clean and newish - navigation thru the waters was easy. My 5 year old daughter had a blast. It was super cool to see the fish swimming under water, at one point they were jumping up and out the water creating beautiful splashes and a few even jumped into other people's boats! The weather was perfect, the night was clear and off in the distance there was lighting strikes which made the whole experience and scenery that much more amazing. 100% recommend doing this during the season where you can see the bioluminscents!

incredible views of birds, dolphins and many manatees just inches away. they were happy to see us…read moretoo. no other distractions only nature and pure silence. I gave it a 4 rating cause the ad I had said 20 dollars per kayak but we were charged 20 each in one kayak.

The girl at the front desk was an air head when I first arrived I went inside because it was…read morefreezing and she made me walk around to the outside front of the building so that I could grab a clip board and walk inside which she could have easily handed me. That was weird Then she didn't tell us we had to pay for parking at the dock neither did the guy that was at the dock when we got there! I overheard him telling someone after we were done for the day he said that they can park at the rental place and walk so they don't have to pay but we were already unloading and done with our rental. We got back to the car and had a $50 ticket. I would be fine with paying but I didn't see any of the signs or where to meter even was. I also told her I wasn't swimming and she said to get in the water you have to have an wetsuit which costs extra and I kept saying I'm not getting in the water but I she just ignored me and then I saw SO MANY PEOPLE not in wetsuits so that was irritating. And the wetsuits were in terrible shape they had holes and stains all over it she handed it to me and I was like thins is what I paid $100 for ? And she was like yeah they are all old. This is a CRAP Buisness!!! Especially what you get for the price!! The manatees are cool and I recommend doing it but NOT using this company.

Pros: easy online registration and scheduling; Front desk…read moregirl for check in was great super sweet. Very nice and informative. We were a bit late and she extended our reservation. I was quite thankful. The kayaks were fun and we were left to our devices to explore. Isaiah was cool and very laid back. We were also a half hour late coming back and they were totally cool with it. Thank you! I can't believe I saw the baby manatees. I literally cried. Cons: I was surprised they just let us out with no real guide! It was cool but I'm surprised they trusted us. We kinda got lost the first 90mins and didn't know where we going but eventually we got to the area where the manatees were gathering. A bit crowded and I felt bad everyone so close to the protected species. Overall a super a cool experience. We went during manatee festival in January so it was a bit crowded but not overwhelming. It was a beautiful day with beautiful site seeing. Def recommend!