This is the third of three trips we did while vacationing in Amelia Island during the week of Memorial Day, 2016. This trip started and finished in Yulee, FL, which is a very short drive from Amelia Island, and was different from the other two trips in that it was a true black water river, with no coastal feel to it at all. This was all creek, all the time, and after passing some houses in the first few minutes, you feel like you're deep in the woods, removed from civilization. It's a classic out-and-back, and no current, so anybody in any boat can handle it. The mouth of Lofton Creek is actually at the Nassau River, but this route is much farther north than that, using a public boat ramp on SR200, in Yulee, Florida. For much of it's length, farther south from this trip, the scenery is marsh. This creek is influenced by the tides, but has a range of 1 to 1 1/2 feet. The creek twists and turns farther south, closer to the Nassau River, and is a few miles inland, so I wasn't worried about much, if any current, and from what the friendly person at Kayak Amelia told me, water height is always fine for paddling. She said she just prefers high tide "...to be farther away from the alligators."
I mentioned Kayak Amelia in another post, and want to give them another plug. Both of the two folks we chatted with were very pleasant and eager to help, even though they knew we brought our boats. Stop by their Fernandina Beach gift shop if you get a chance, or check out:
So, here's the trip-we did 9 1/3 miles or so, but turn around when you want:
The launch/take-out:
From the launch, we went north, under the bridge. You'll paddle past some nice creekside homes and decks and docks, but before too long, you're in the woods. We saw roses, azaleas, magnolias, a huge cypress-and some small ones--live oaks and countless other varieties of trees and shrubs leaning over the creek. The creek also had its share of very green water plants, many flowering. Early on, a pair of alligator eyes and nostrils drifted across the creek, but disappeared before we could get close. The sounds of the forest were all around, and the further north we went, the more I wanted to just stop and listen and take it all in. At one point, something was running alongside us on land--I only caught a blur of deer brown, and the gallop sounded like a deer's gallop. I suspect we spooked him, and his sound disappeared within a few seconds.
On the return, we spotted two tiny gators on a log, but they disappeared before I could even reach for my camera.
This route, north of the bridge, is better described with pictures, rather than words:
In the image above, the coffee colored water, shady banks, and bright blue sky gave my camera a workout.
The narrower the creek got, the more mirror-like the water became, so wannabe photographers may end up taking excessive amounts of pix...I mean photographs.
The narrower the creek got, the more mirror-like the water became, so wannabe photographers may end up taking excessive amounts of pix...I mean photographs.
We reached a fork in the creek, and went left, so I don't know how far we could have gone if we'd gone right. But, the route we took got more and more "deep woodsy", with many more low hanging branches and obstructions. Just around the 3 mile mark, we hit a tight spot, and decided to turn our sea kayaks around while we could, and head back. We passed a very nice couple and a tour group of 10 or 12 paddlers on our way back. We weren't ready to stop, so we continued past our starting point for another two miles or so, and then turned back.
South of SR200/A1A, the creek quickly opens up, and the banks begin to get more marshy, rather than swampy--marsh grass and fish, rather than tree roots and gators. You pass some very nice homes, and see a lot of trees along the banks. It's more open and exposed, and the variety of trees is less, but it's still quite pleasant. Down here, the water is a muddy brown, instead of coffee brown.
This was a very pleasant trip that allowed us to really check out and disconnect from our normal hustle and bustle. This is a popular route, and almost every local tour company leads tours here. I recommend it.
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