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Browns Creek
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Click on an Area of the Map to go to the
description of the run |
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Browns Creek is located approximately five miles west of the Intracoastal Waterway and is actually the very southwestern edge of the part of the Timucuan Preserve that lies north of the St. Johns River. It's a very shallow creek in most places but features a very wide open area on the southwestern edge of Pelotes Island that is exposed to northeasterly breezes off the ocean and therefore almost always has choppy water. It features several large, uninhabited islands known as "Browns Islands" and one small, inhabited one known locally as "Brueners Island" or on the USGS maps as "Round Top" which is connected by a causeway to Andrews Island. One of the biggest features is the Dale Joyner Preserve on Pelotes Island which is administered by St. Johns River Power Park which is another prominent feature to your west. Pelotes Island curves around the northeastern part of Browns Creek and is a great place to watch for Herons, Ospreys and Bald Eagles. To see the photo galleries associated with my trips to Browns Creek and the links to the journal entries click here. Browns Islands Run
(Western Edge)
This can actually be divided up into several different runs depending on which island you want to go to. The main island is the one just north of Heckscher drive and can be reached in less than 10 minutes. The only real difficulty is crossing the channel where the main creek and the branch that runs to the south. Sometimes the current here can be swift and the water choppy. Once crossed, the water that runs along the south side of this island is very deep and usually calm. The island features several places to get out and you can see evidence of people camping in some places. You can paddle quite a ways around these islands to the west and north but you can only paddle completely around them at the highest tide. I usually approach them from the east. If you do go to the west there are a lot of paths that head toward JEA's and SJRPP's property and you can even find the one that leads directly to the SJRPP runoff pond which is an excellent birding spot. On the NW corner of the first island there is a little turn that leads up to the island that has a very deep hole. I encountered a pod of manatees here one afternoon playing around. The next island to the north is the smallest and least accessible. There is the remnants of an old dock on the SE side. Directly to the east is fairly large island that has a great place to get out and rest that can be approached from the NE. It has been well cleared and camped on so often that the locals have built a chemical toilet. If you follow the same path to the NW, you will see another island that is the largest in the chain and there is a fairly new looking boardwalk that leads from nowhere out into the water. I suspect that this is used for shrimping. There are several smaller islands on the western side of Browns Creek and there are a lot of paths that you can follow that will take you along the SJRPP Preserve property. You can usually spend an hour or two in this part of Browns Creek and be able to see all that I mentioned above. It's a very reliable paddle that can be accessed at low tide. You don't have to worry much about PWC's but it is a very popular spot for fishermen. Shrimper's
Creek Run (Middle Section)
Shrimpers Creek is aptly named. I've actually had the little buggers jump in the boat with me. You won't find the name "Shrimper's Creek" on any map that I've seen and I only know it by that name because of the study that was done on the Pelotes Preserve. The creek connects Browns Creek to Clapboard creek. To get there you make a 180 turn after the put-in and take a the first cut through the marsh that angles to the NE. If you miss that cut you can go on past Bruener's Island and take either the next cut or go all the way to where Browns Creek runs along Pelotes and head north. As you head north, there are several choices to make as you try to find the entrance to the creek. If you are hugging the north bank it will be the second major stream to the left. If there is a current, it should be the one with the strongest pull. Once you find the entrance, it's a bit tricky to find the path that leads to the bridge. I almost always pick a turn that is too soon or too late. The correct one actually doesn't look like it will take you where you want to go. It's a smaller stream that kind of cuts back in the opposite direction but once you get in there it will quickly become obvious that you are on the right track. Once you pass under the bridge you can follow the stream out into Clapboard Creek where you can either head east to explore the northern side of Pelotes or head west toward Buckhorn Bluff and the headwaters of Clapboard Creek. Look at the picture above to see the routes I mentioned. This is a nice little paddle and it only takes you 30 minutes or so to get to the bridge. Once you get into Clapboard Creek you are now in the main part of the Timucuan Preserve and have limitless options. I haven't paddled this at absolute low tide but I think there is just enough water to do it all the way. Pelotes
Island Run (East Section)
This run is actually several runs. On the eastern edge of Browns Creek, there are three major streams that angle NE toward Pelotes Island. The one that is due east is probably the most interesting as it runs close to Pelotes and goes around a couple of small islands - one of which is known as "Junior's Island". The longest run is the one that heads almost due north and goes up into the SW bend of Pelotes. There is a large Osprey nest and a pair of them are usually in the area. You should only try this on an incoming tide as the area closest to Pelotes can be quite shallow and it's easy to get turned around in there. You want to allow yourself some time to get lost and still get back out.
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