NOLI Suwannee River Multiday Kayak Adventure with Deb Briscoe - Oct 10-12, 2025
We are excited to once again offer one of our most unique and enjoyable NOLI offerings: the Suwanee River Multi-Day Kayak Adventure! The Suwannee River is a wild, blackwater river that runs through southern Goergia and northern Florida. Blackwater rivers are a type of slow-moving river that flow through forested wetlands and derive their color from the tannins that leach into it, giving it a transparent, darkly stained appearance resembling black tea. Most blackwater rivers are in the Amazon basin and the southern U.S., with the Suwannee being among the best-known in North America.
Our lead flatwater kayak instructor, Deb Briscoe, rates this as among the most enjoyable trips she has ever done because of the ease of the paddle down this beautifully unique river, with a sandy bottom and wide-open springs to paddle into that have crystal clear water that shimmer like small blue lagoons. Our route will take us from Lafayette Blue Springs State Park near Mayo, Florida and, over the course of three days, we will paddle roughly 27 miles to reach our takeout at Ivey Memorial Park in Branford, Florida.
We will maintain a leisurely pace, stopping often to take breaks, swim and snorkel in the springs for those interested. You'll even have the opportunity to jump from a high dive platform into a spring at one of the parks we encounter along the way if you so desire. And at Troy Springs we'll have the opportunity to see remains of the Civil War-era steamboat, which was scuttled in 1863 to keep it from being captured and is nestled in the shallow water of the spring. And along the way there are lots of opportunities to view wildlife such as waterfowl, fish, deer and armadillos. We are able to access all of these things from our kayaks, part of what makes this wilderness river trail system so special. The best highlights of all though remain the river and springs themselves.
Upon arriving you will be greeted by your guides and meet your fellow adventurers. We limit group size to 10 to make for a more personalized experience and to minimize our footprint. Our instructors will then lead you through a review of boats, gear and safety information and we will inventory your gear to make sure you have everything you need. Next, you will be outfitted to one of our top-of-the-line recreational kayaks, paddles and life jackets and we will load up our boats so that everything stays dry and is evenly distributed. Now the real fun begins as we take it to the water where your guides will lead you through a review of paddling strokes and techniques so that you safely get the most out of your experience before embarking downriver on our journey.
Each night we will stay at state managed river camps that have camp hosts on site and full amenities, including restrooms with flush toilets and showers. Upon arriving at camp each day we will be greeted by our very own camp cook who will have a cooler of cold drinks waiting for us followed by a delicious catered meal! Afterwards we can play cards, throw Frisbee or sit by the river and daydream. A few of our guides play music so you might even get to sing along around the campfire! We also stop on the second day at a local business that has a camp store and short order grill with lots of ice cream desserts!
So, if you're looking for a special destination kayak vacation where the weather is warm, the water is beautiful, the company is excellent and, best of all, the details are handled by our outstanding guides, look no further and join us for Suwannee River Muti-Day Kayak Adventure! Our last trip sold out and spots are limited so register early to reserve your spot. Age 10+. Cost is $795. For more information and to register go to
https://www.nolilearn.org/activity/suwannee-river-multiday-kayak-adventure--3-days.
Suwannee River Feedback:
"I signed up for this 3-day kayaking adventure thinking that due to the cost, I'd only do it once. But what you get for that price is INDESCRIBABLE. The river camps (that I like to call river shanties) are what I would imagine at a perfect camp. The cook....well, cannot be called...just a cook. We called him the River Shanty Concierge. ANYONE can cook, but he truly was over-the-top and when he said his only job was to make sure you had a great time...he was backing that up. The instructors are as helpful as you want them to be or as little as you want them to be and since I'm about as coordinated as...well, I was in a position to learn A LOT. The wildlife, the views, the springs and turquoise fresh pools to swim at multiple times A DAY....!!! I felt like I was on a TEN-DAY vacation. The only time it went by too fast was during that last ten minutes when we pulled our kayaks up to the last ramp on day 3....sniffle. I thought the cost was a lot, now I'm wondering how the hell they did all that for what I paid. I mean, this was just stupid, over-the-top, too much fun to pack into three days. Cannot recommend this enough."
- Julie A.
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