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Kayak Camping can be a lot of fun

Now that you have gotten some miles and experience under your belt, you probably want to try something a little more fun. As you paddle out in the Timucuan Preserve, you will have noticed that the area is dotted with literally thousands of uninhabited islands ranging is size from a few square feet to several acres. Most are inaccessible except at high tides and those that are sometimes are not very inviting as a place to pull off and do anything - especially camp.

You've probably seen quite a few, however, that are accessible and are very inviting and have obviously attracted campers in the past. As you get out to stretch your legs after a couple of hours of paddling you start to think that this might be a place where you would want to spend some time. Now you're thinking "how do I get started?"

First of all, let me say as I have stated elsewhere, I am no expert. In fact when it comes to camping, I had never camped outside of an official campground with hot running water and toilets until I started doing so from my kayak a few years back. Since I started this web page back in 1999, I have "Kayak Camped" only a few dozen times. Hopefully, my limited experience will help you get started with the basics.

Equipment Needed :

Tents

The Clark Jungle Hammock is ideal for Kayak Camping

I'll have to defer to those of you who are more experienced at primitive camping. I'm sure that there are lots of small light weight easy to assemble tents out there that will be more than adequate. I invested in a couple of Clark Jungle Hammocks and I cannot say enough good about them. They pack down to almost nothing and are lightweight. It allows you to minimize your sleeping bag needs, especially in the summer time. It keeps you up off the ground which is nice here in Florida where you don't really know what kind of critters are going to slither by. All you need are a couple of decent size trees within 10-15 feet of each other and you are set. In this part of Florida, finding a couple of trees is rarely a problem.

There are also, however, some very small lightweight tents available from some of the better outfitters so, really, it's a matter of personal preference. We recently bought a Northface 2-person tent that packed down pretty small so that we could have the option of camping on the many sandy beaches that line the rivers in Florida. We found out one thing about sand, however - it is very, very hard so for our 50+ year old bones - the Jungle Hammock is the way to go.

There are also some other "camp hammock" manufacturers but the Clark is the Cadillac and I know you won't be disappointed.

We also read a recommendation that we could buy some foam sleep sleep pads and cut them down to lay in the bottom of our hammocks and that has helped a lot. They keep the sides of the hammocks from folding around us and also provide insulation.

Sleeping Bags
I go for a lightweight, cheap fleece number that is surprisingly warm and rolls up in a very small roll. Again, since I don't claim any expertise here I will defer to those of you who know better.

Recently, we bought a pair of Northface bags that were rated for 32 degrees. That's plenty warm for Florida and we rarely even crawl inside them. They are so well padded that they make a nice soft mattress to lay on and they also pack down very small.

Stoves
I use a single burner propane stove that screws onto the top of the small bottles. They make them even smaller and more lightweight but this one is adequate. You have to plan your cooking a little more carefully when you only have one burner to work with. I haven't have any experience with the butane stoves but from what I understand the main advantage of those is the smaller size.

Cooksets
I have found that the aluminum sets are a pain in the butt. They get too hot too quick and are tough to clean. They make some really nice, compact stainless steel ones.

Cooler
I use a medium size, soft sided cooler that provides lots of room but will squeeze into tight spaces. I'll pack it with some small bottles of frozen drinking water then add some loose ice on top of that. It should keep things cool for at least 24 hrs, depending on the ambient temperature. If you bring along frozen meat to cook this will also help keep things cool.

Water
In addition to the frozen drinking water I use a small collapsible water bag that can hold up to a gallon of water. For an overnight camp, that is more than enough for cooking and drinking. For washing up, you can use the water available and then rinse with fresh water.

Meal Planning :
Keep it Simple - at least to start anyway. If you are traveling with several people in sea-kayaks your storage space will greatly increased and you can plan some more elaborate meals but when you consider space for keeping food cool etc. you might want to stay simple. A sample meal plan for me is to get a prepared meal like chicken to take with me for the evening meal the first night. In the morning, a packet of instant oatmeal is easy and hits the spot nicely. If I am going to stay out past lunch, I'll bring stuff to make a sandwich with. If you are going to stay out longer than one night you can bring frozen meat in your cooler and by the second night it should be ready to cook. Anything longer than that and you will want to start using dried foods or MRE's - something I haven't tried yet.

I've gotten a bit more elaborate as I get more experienced. Usually, I will bring along a grill top and a few charcoal briquettes and will dig a small pit to lay the grill across. A couple of steaks or chicken breasts and some sliced tomatoes make a great meal with little fuss. I've also started using "Backpack Pantry" dehydrated foods for some of my side dishes and so far they are pretty good.

Be A Responsible Camper
The popular buzzword out there is "Leave No Trace". Sorry folks, but there is a point where you can take the fun out of things. I've seen come LNT proponents actually tell people that they should take their feces and wipe them on rocks and then carry them out in the boat with them and dump them in deep water. Sheesh! It's a good thing we don't have many rocks around here. After what I've seen at some camp sites, if you are simply a polite, responsible camper, you will leave the campsite in a better condition that you left it.

Carry Your Garbage With You
It's not that hard to carry a garbage bag with you and carry out everything you brought in. While you're at it, carry some of the stuff your previous campers forgot about.

Dig a Privy
Believe it or not, I've seen campsites where people have not bothered to do the simplest thing. If you dig a small hole and cover it up when you leave we will all appreciate it.

Pay Attention to Fire Conditions
We've had a lot of problems with wildfires in Florida lately so pay attention to what they are saying on the news. If they are banning outdoor burning, don't build a fire. You don't want to attract attention to yourself and you don't want to be the one responsible for a wildfire.

Here's a punchlist that I use to make sure I'm prepared before I go out. You can print this out and modify it for your own use.

Planning Your Route :
I have to say something here. Just about anywhere you camp in this area, you will be doing so illegally. I'm not proposing that you flaunt the law but you do need to keep it in mind. In this country, all land belongs to someone or at least a government agency and if you make yourself too obvious, you are asking for trouble. Don't build huge bonfires, don't camp in sight of  someone's house unless you know them. There are lots of places out there that are far enough away from things that no one is going to hassle you. Basically, just use some common sense.

Here are the places that I can recommend, from experience, so far :

Cedar Point Creek -  N30.430700, W81.463026

Most of Cedar Point Creek, from Heckscher Drive to the south until you get to the Intracoastal, is devoid of camping opportunities. Just before reaching the waterway, however, is one of the most ideal camping islands I have encountered out in the preserve.

Of course this means that it has also been well used by power boaters but surprisingly, it is not as trashed out as some other islands in the area.

The island, which is located about 300 yards west of the Intracoastal along the south bank of the creek, rises a good 15-20 feet above the high tide line. The easternmost end has a sandy beach located below a four or five foot bank that can be easily climbed. There is a fairly large and level clearing here that gives a wonderful view across the water to the  northeast. There is a trail that leads a short distance to the back of the island where there is a narrow mudflat. There are other trails that appear to lead to the rest of the island and it appears that there are other clearings on the west end of the island but there is a lot of undergrowth and it would require some effort to get back into those areas.

The island is situated in a great location. It can be reached quickly by putting in at the ramp at the end of Cedar Point Road into Horseshoe Creek. Take the southern branch and once you are in the ICW it is about a 10 minute paddle to the south where you can enter Cedar point where it empties into the waterway. You can also reach it from Ft. George River if you are up to a longer paddle (approx and hour and a half) or from any one of the put-ins along Heckscher Drive to the south, including Cedar Point Creek. These will take you at least an hour or more.

One of the nice features of this island is it's view of the mudflat to the south. This mudflat is one of the ideal places to observe the bird life in this area as they gather to feed in the shallows. One prominent feature is a large pool that is inaccessible by water and is home to several dozen White Pelicans. There are two small streams on either end of the island that go deep into the marsh and get quite close to the pool without ever quite reaching it.

Here is my journal entry from my first camping trip there on 10/25/04.

Here are the photos I took of that trip.

Coon Keys - N30.440994, W81.424041

I've camped at the small island where Simpsons Creek begins at Ft. George River. So have a lot of other people. It's a great spot but during the warm weather months you can bet that someone else is going to be there ahead of you so I recommend going in the middle of the week. Due to the current situation, the island is eroding at an alarming rate and some of the trees that I hung my hammock on less back then are gone but there are still a lot of places to camp away from the water.

You can get to it from any of the access points along the FGR, although for leaving your vehicle, Alimacani is probably the best bet.

Here's the journal entry from my first camp trip at this location : 4/11/00
Here's the photos I took from that trip

On the opposite bank of Simpsons Creek, to the south, is another area that I have scouted out and finally got the opportunity to camp on it in May of '01. It has high, clear ground and has both open areas with trees for jungle hammocks and protected areas that would be ideal for tents. It has been used by others in the past but not as much as the other sites in this area. Part of the reason for this may be due to the fact that this is actually located in Little Talbot Island State Park property and is only a 1/4 mile up the bank from the ranger's residence. If you walk out on the point, you can actually see his dock in Simpsons Creek. The camping area itself is back behind some trees and if you are discreet, there shouldn't be a problem. The other drawback is that this is located right on the busiest point of the river and is a favorite spot for jet skiers and other boaters. I absolutely would stay away from this area on weekends. The rest of the time it is a great place - especially at night and early in the morning. 

You can access this site from the same locations as the above site.

Here's the journal entry from my first trip to this spot : 5/24/01
Here's the photos from this trip

As you head into Simpsons Creek, about a mile off of the FGR,  there is another large island that is part of Coon Keys that people have camped on, although I haven't done so yet. It looks very promising although it's proximity to the Talbot campground and Ranger's residence makes me wonder how people get away with it. It's located directly across from the entrance to Myrtle Creek which runs by the campground.

You can access this site from anywhere along the FGR or you can also put-in at the A1A bridge across A1A located north of the island.

Long Island - N30.482154, W81.423261

This is another location I camped at and I did so after admiring it for years. It's pretty obvious others have been using it too. It's a great place located at the very end of Long Island where Myrtle Creek and Simpsons Creek rejoin at Nassau Sound. Lot's of trees and very open under the hammock. Be careful lighting a fire here as you can be seen from the end of Little Talbot Island beach and the rangers do patrol at night.

Note: A few years after camping here in June of 2000, one of the rangers at Little Talbot e-mailed me to admonish me about including this in my list of campsites. As I have told people many times before - these sites have been used many, many times by power boaters over the years. Use your own judgement and common sense when decided where to camp. Refer to the disclaimer at the bottom of each page.

The best way to access this site is to put-in at the A1A bridge across Simpsons Creek. It is difficult to access at low tide but not impossible.

Here's the journal entry from my first camp at this location : 6/16/01
Here's the photos I took from that trip : Nassau Sound

Intracoastal Waterway - N30.413138, W81.453136

About a mile north of Sisters Creek, on the east bank, there is a large island that has been cleared out underneath the cedar trees. It's well above the level of the water and is a really pleasant place to camp and has been used by a lot of people. The entire island is amazingly clear under the cedar trees making it easy to hike around and explore. We found some beautiful, melted glass on our first trip here and we have since named it "Bottle Island", although the USGS maps call the chain of islands that this one if the northernmost of - "Shell Island"..

Since we first camped on it back in 2001 it has undergone quite a few changes. The hurricanes of '04 and the wakes of the Snowbird's yachts have eroded the barrier of cedars that used to hide the campsite. It is still one of our favorite places to camp since it so easy to get to and is rarely occupied.

You can access this site from anywhere that will give you access to the Sisters Creek section of the ICW. We have found it easiest to put-in at the Kingfish Park near the drawbridge and paddle north. This allows us to come and go without having to worry about the tides.

Here's the journal entry from my camps at this location : 5/04/01, 10/27/01
Here's the photos I took from that trip : ICW Camping

Another place that we have found as a pleasant place to camp on the ICW is about 1/2 mile south of the location above - on the west bank of the waterway and near Marker 82. The USGS maps call it "Sisters Island".  As you can see, on the north end of the island the bank cuts in to form a small cove and along this bank is a mudflat that you can cross that leads to a sloping hill of the island that faces the ICW to the NE. You can either camp here or continue up the hill where there is an ideal place to camp on the back side of the island - facing Hannah Mills. The entire island is amazingly clear and just about anywhere you choose is a great place to camp. Ospreys are almost always perched on the many dead trees that line the west bank of the island as well as many herons and egrets who gather there at dusk. One year, the Great Blue Herons chose this island as a nesting place but they haven't been back.

The only problem we found with this location is it's relative close proximity to Atlantic Marine and Hecksher Drive. The noise levels on the night we camped were unusually high.

You can access this site from the same locations as above.

Here's my journal entry from our camps at this location: 4/13/03
Here's the photos from our trip there: 4/13/03

Directly across from the above location, where Shad Creek joins the ICW and the southern end of the chain of islands mentioned at the top of this section, is a really great place. To get to the campsite, you enter Shad Creek and head for the large channel marker tower on the east side of the waterway. At high tide there is a shortcut before the tower but at lower tides you can go past the tower where you will find the entrance to a beautiful lagoon that leads right up to the bank of the island. The landing is a nice hard shell and sand beach and you can easily see into a large clearing under the cedars.

The easiest way to get to the ICW from the campsite is to head south out of the clearing where you will find a mudflat alongside the water.

This has been a well-used campsite by power boaters which is another way to say that it is fairly trashed out. At least you can say that the previous campers were thoughtful enough to throw most of their beer cans in a common pit making it easier for the rest of us to begin the cleanup process - which will take years.

Recently, this site was being occupied by some squatters who parked a large, unsightly barge in the lagoon and camped out on the island on weekends. The Nature Conservancy and the Federal Marshalls finally ran them off.

This campsite, like the one directly to the east, is close to Atlantic Marine and Hecksher so it can be noisy but its seclusion in the trees shields it somewhat. It is, however, a very popular evening roost for herons and egrets and they can be incredibly loud at times.

You can access this site from the same locations as above.

Here's my journal entry from our camps at this location: 7/10/03
Here's the photos from our trip there: 7/10/03

Browns Creek

About a mile from Heckscher Drive is a large island that people have been camping on enough to construct a chemical toilet. You can approach it from the NE where the channel curves around under a 10 foot bluff. The main area is fairly well cleared out but the rest of the island is very overgrown. The main drawback to camping here is it's proximity to the heavily industrialized areas of Blount Island, SJRPP and JEA's Northside Generating Station. Depending on wind direction, the noise level can be quite high although if the wind is out of the east it's cut down a bit. I haven't camped here yet and may never bring myself to actually do it - it's just too close to work.

Coming soon: Broward Islands, The St. Mary's River and the Suwannee River.