We had an amazing time on the ecotour with RiverWitch Kayaking. My family and I did the two-hour…read moremorning tour, and Ursula was fantastic. She is incredibly knowledgeable about the local ecosystem and all the plants, birds, fish, mammals, and everything that lives within it. She truly is a master naturalist, and her enthusiasm made the experience even more engaging. The boat launch was easy to find, and the kayaks were in excellent condition--clearly well maintained. They've really thought of everything to make the experience smooth and enjoyable. It was also an easy drive from the Mt. Dora area, and we're already looking forward to going back again!

RiverWitch Kayak Rentals is the best outfitter I've worked with in a long time. We are new to the…read moreSpace Coast, having traveled south for a quick vacation, so we just took a chance on RiverWitch. They got us on the water in a beautiful spot, with instructions on seeing incredible wildlife within minutes. We paddled for hours, eventually floating into a dolphin pod that played around our boat. We saw millions of birds in the mangroves, and enjoyed the serenity of the river adjacent to their shop. Apparently they will deliver, too, so there are many options. I can't say enough great things about the quality of the boats, the natural setting, and the people who work there. Anna from Connecticut

Is there is a paradise in Florida it must be Black Point Drive and it's soundings! This is a…read morepeaceful place with an enormous amount of wildlife, mostly birds but you might also encounter from Alligators to Bobcats! There are no tables or benches to do picnic, it's like a scenic drive though, it takes about 30-45 min to do the whole thing nonstop, but it you take a few stops it can easily be about 2 hours (to half a day) of peace and beauty...!

This is actually a very cool drive-through Park. There are…read moretrails cut through the area and filled up above the swampy area so she may drive on them. is there a few different stops where you can stop and walk on different trails. The amount of wildlife encounter here is pretty interested. I was able to see a lot of different birds the birds are used to the cars slow stand that lets you take pictures of them. Supposedly there's also a lot of alligators you can see out here. with polarized sunglasses you can also see a lot of fish swimming around when you're walking. Their educational sign boards all over the areas you walk around in. This is all so very close to cape Canaveral where they launch rockets and space shuttles. There's a few spots that would make a great observation deck. The only negative part is it the road is narrow and hard to pass other vehicles. sometimes you get stuck behind somebody going very slow to go around area.

Had an amazing day out in the boat just hanging out on the island ! We launched from Cassen Park in…read moreOrmond and had a nice ride out. Waterways weren't too congested today , saw a lot of dolphin which is always nice

I got my toes in the water, ass in the sand Not a worry in…read morethe world, a cold beer in my hand Life is good today. (Zak must have been thinking of this place when he wrote those lyrics) The ultimate sand island in the middle of Ponce Inlet where the water is warm and clear and the drinks are ice cold. This piece of paradise appears at low tide and provides the perfect venue to drop anchor and jump in the water. There's never a shortage of boats, music and sunshine. This would be the reason you own a boat if you live in NSB cause that's the only way to get to this party. When the tide starts rushing in it's time to go and the island sinks below the surface and nothing but great memories remain. You should be jealous LOL :-)

This is a beautiful National Park! I come here to surf and see the adorable gopher…read moretortoises--please be careful driving, because they often are right up near or even on the road and a protected species in Florida. The benefit of it being a National Park (technically, National Seashore I suppose) is it is pristine, you can't drive your car on it, and it is just a more natural experience. Speaking of which, what this seashore is also known for is having one of Florida's few nude beaches: Parking Lot #5 at the very end on the NSB side is the area reserved to be nude. To be clear, you don't have to be nude here but the only people normally on this part of the beach as secluded as it is are nudists and people fishing. If I'm here, I do strip naked because otherwise walking around in a swimsuit seemed a bit creepy when people are trying to sunbath nude. If you don't want to see naked people, then just don't come to Lot #5--all the other lots are clothing-required. (For the NSB side: if you enter the lower part of the seashore I think it also has a nude section, not sure.) There is also a visitors' center and apparently an exhibit of the town of Eldora which was an orange grove-centric settlement until the Great Freeze of 1894--which ended the prospects for orange-growing here and most places north of Orlando. One of the houses of Eldora remains and is now a museum and the last resident of Eldora, Doris Leeper, was apparently quite a lady--an artist and environmentalist who helped this quiet stretch of seashore become a National Park. So there's a lot to see and enjoy here for sure--certainly a great break from the overcrowded beaches of Daytona and increasingly, NSB as well. Be aware the sand here is kinda smushy: you'll sink in a bit, it can be tough to walk on and hard on feet: sneakers or watershoes or flipflops are recommended.

I had never heard of the Canaveral National Seashore until I visited friends in Port Orange. The…read morepark was beautiful as it sits on the Atlantic coastline. There's one point of the park where you can see the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Halifax River on the other side. We stopped along the road to watch an armadillo grazing. He seemed unbothered by us lol! There's also an old home on the property called The Eldora State House. This is a museum but unfortunately it was locked so we could not check it out. But the grounds around the home were beautiful. And it had a nice front porch with several rocking chairs overlooking the water. There is much to do at the park including swimming, surfing, camping and hiking. And if you are military or retired military you can get into the park free of charge.

You're gonna want to get out here and jet ski with Thomas, the owner. Don't have time? It's a…read moregreat day to "stay home with the flu." Don't have the money? Sell a kid. Or a kidney! Whatever! You gotta get out there! The area is gorgeous, the jet skis are fast, and you'll make the kind of memories your kids will talk about for decades. Thomas was great on communication, he went out with us and stayed nearby (but out of our way) to make sure we were safe. Once we had our fill of ripping around he took us the long way around some awesome scenery. Definitely worth the money.

Great people, Great jet skis!! These skis are well maintained and newer, not busted and limping…read morelike other places around here. We had a great time! There was plenty of storage for shoes, phones, key fobs. Our guide took photos for us and sent them all in a link, so we didn't have to risk our own phones. Great price on really nice jet skis. Some in our group saw manatees and dolphins.

Nice boat launch, plenty of parking& areas to fish off dock. Beautiful views of the water.And…read moreyou'll probably see some dolphins and or manatees swimming by.

Love this little park! Just the right amount of parking spaces. Restrooms nearby. Boat launch…read more There is plenty of parking for trucks and trailers too. They have a dock overlooking the water that you can also fish off of. Playground for the kiddos. Plenty of beach area for swimming and for launching kayaks. The boat ramp was pretty active with decent sized boats coming in or launching so we felt more comfortable using the beach. Out in the water we saw jellyfish, dolphins, crabs, hermit crabs, oysters, and lots of fish. There are a lot of sandbars and oyster beds out here so it's a good idea to have water shoes so you don't slice your foot open on an oyster shell. You can manage without them if you're really careful, but I don't recommend it. We had to get out a couple times and carry our kayak over a sand bar. We saw some in a small boat have to do the same. If you are kayaking be mindful of the motorboats and stay by the shore. Bug spray! We forgot to bring it. it wasn't terrible but I think we were fortunate. Fishing. We didn't go fishing but fish were literally jumping out of the water all over the place. If I owned fishing gear I would absolutely fish in this area. We did see a few out fishing. Even heard someone exclaim "another one!!!" With great excitement from across the bay. Haha. If you enjoy bird watching, you'll enjoy going through the nearby mangroves.

A small but beautiful park on mosquito lagoon built around a large shell indian mound and home of…read morethe family who saved it. There's a short walk circumnavigating the park and small gift shop with interactive learning display and interesting movie. Wonderful vistas of the lagoon with birds and butterflies about. Might could spot a dolphin or manatee. Makes for a peaceful respite and is also a great place for pictures. Fun Florida on a tankful sort of thing to do. Our indigenous people wintered here for thousands of years before their decimation as evidenced by the large Indian mounds or middens they left behind. The mounds are dumps of the accumulation of years and years of harvesting efforts from along the shore. Shells, broken bits and baubles, tools, etc. Most of them have been plundered for road and rail construction but this one remains, saved by the pioneer family who built their home atop it.

A whole bunch…read moreof clams The Seminole Rest Trail is an archaeological site that consist of several huge mounds of shells left over by the Timucuan and Ais tribes. The dates vary but the site was used and was occupied from at least 2,000 BC until about 1550, when the Europeans brought diseases and other bad stuff that decimated the tribes. The largest mound is call Snyder's Mound and was probably a clam processing place where the clams were shelled and dried and then moved to other places for consumption. They reasonable ask people to stay off the mounds but two very cool buildings from the last century sit on top of the mounds and help protect them. They is a roughly one half mile trail that goes around the park and gives not only cool views of the mounds and buildings but also the unfortunately named Mosquito Lagoon with it's huge aquatic birds and lovely wild flowers. The park is complete with a paved parking lot, clean bathrooms and most of the trail is wheelchair accessible. Sure, it's not the most exciting place in the world but gives a quiet glimpse of the past. A cool place for anyone interested in history, archeology of just wants a short walk in a very pleasant place.

4 stars for a solid Par 3 golf course…read more Whenever I'm trying to get in a quick 9 with the family or work on the short game, I head over to Willow Lakes. Located off US 1 near 46 in Mims, this RV resort has a 9 hole golf course that is generally kept in pretty good shape. I arrived with the family recently to play 9. While you can book on GolfNow for a couple bucks less if you prepay, it is easier generally to walk in. The reason for 4 stars rather than 5 is 1) I've had to wait for a while for an attendant on days where nobody else is playing, and 2) $22 for 9 holes with IDP nearby for 9 full holes at $25 means the prices here are a little higher than one would expect. Neither of these issues take away from the friendly service you do get when checking in, fun holes like the 4th hole that goes over water, and greens that are generally in solid shape. Overall, Willow Lakes provides a nice place for beginners, families, and those working on their short game to grab a quick round.

The course was decent but the workers were unfriendly. Particularly the pro shop owner. He was just…read morebeing rude while we were enjoying time on the course. We will definitely not be returning.