I've paddled the Emerald Cut a few times now. Initially I didn't like the idea of paying to launch…read moremy own paddleboard. However, it's only $10 now that I have my own life jacket (saving me additional cost of $5 to use one of theirs, as required). Well worth the low cost for some soul-enriching, communing with nature. I have never made a reservation. I normally arrive around 10:30, most recently on a Friday. Parked for free on Baptist Camp Rd. Just a bit of a walk from there with my inflated paddleboard, but I don't mind the extra exercise. You can unload your stuff closer, if preferable. There are port-a-potties available. You can count on there being a line in the check-in office. Various recreation supplies are available there for purchase. The process moves reasonably enough. A reservation will guarantee your entrance, however, and possibly aide quicker personal info collection. I always plan to do the Emerald Cut in roughly 3 hours round-trip, allowing myself several stops to enjoy the surroundings. You do run into (quite literally at times) novice paddlers along the way, which can be a bit tricky, yet not a real nuisance for me. In general, there's friendliness along the waterway. Slighty rowdy, party vibes in some spots, but also opportunities for solace and zen in various nooks. Encountering wildlife, fragrant elderberry, and other captivating flora along this stretch is always gratifying. It's a popular recreation destination for good reason.

Many tourists don't realize Florida is home to stunning crystal-clear spring rivers--perfect for…read moreswimming, kayaking, and tubing aka "hidden gems". My Hubby and I love kayaking, so we booked an excursion months in advance for Rock Springs through TripAdvisor. Our Tour Operator was Get Up And Go Kayaking located at Kings Landing in Apopka, FL. I LOVE saying Apopka ;) The good news: Apopka is a quick 1 hour drive from Orlando. Make sure you don't miss the turn to King's Landing, because the entrance is located on a narrow dirt road. You must drive past Kelly Park (which fills up fast). There is a Park Ranger located here who will guide you to King's Landing. As you get closer and if you see a parking spot, grab it! Check in is located in the Cabin like office where you will have to sign a waiver. If you do not want to take a clear bottom, guided Kayak tour, you can either rent or BYO Kayak versus taking a semi private, clear, guided kayak tour. NOTE: ONLY use their Sunscreen/lotion which is provided at no cost. It protects the wildlife and the Springs. We wanted the full experience as we have previously enjoyed renting clear Kayaks. Our guide for the morning was: Megan, who was fantastic! Full of energy, information and helpful tidbits about the Springs and its human and wildlife inhabitants. Our group was small and capped at 10. We paddled through both narrow and open stretches, and stopped to swim in the warm, crystal-clear water. One highlight was a banyan tree with an 8-foot natural "jump hole"--such a cool experience! It was a serene, memorable day, and fun fact: this is the very spring featured in the Visit Orlando commercials! Yeah, definitely take a day away from crowded Orlando to relax and enjoy Mother Nature! You will Thank Me ;)

I saw the picture that showed one of their other locations so I was disappointed with this paddling…read moretrip. It wasn't very epic and would hardly count as an adventure. The person who helped us was friendly and the prices were reasonable. We had a good time. The scenery was OK.

This tour was awesome! Im so grateful for Roger allowing us to hop on a later tour for kayaking…read moresince we were late to our original booking. He was so friendly and didnt even stress about us being late. I booked 2 kayaks but ended up sharing one with my partner so it was a better experience for me in the water. It was such a leisurely experience and even though it was cooler and we only saw one manatee it was still pretty neat. We did see otters teaching their babies how to swim, alligators & tons of birds.

Amazing place. Fairly easy to get to and lot of wildlife. Few trails for hiking, no horseback…read moreriding. Beautiful lake. Picnic area and I think that's about it. Oh you can camp there and they do have Occasional hunting

This has to be one of the MOST beautiful state parks in Florida! Its 18 thousand acres occupy Lake…read more& Seminole counties. The park is managed by the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection. Opened 8:00 - 8:00 seven days a week, this is where you come for excellent hiking & wildlife observation. You'll also see lots of fishing & boating. There is; however, no water access from the North end, which is where you'll find the equestrian campsites. Afraid to lose my phone on the trails or in the water, the pictures are from the web; I did not take them, but wish I had. You've got to visit this gorgeous park. It's a very special state park. I cannot wait to return!

My experience with Otter Paddle Winter Park was incredible!! My 12yr old daughter and I paddled…read morethrough Lake Osceola and Maitland Lake. Mandy was such a beautiful soul. She was so calm, encouraging, and knowledgeable of the wildlife & nature. If you enjoy the outdoors and it's natural beauty I highly recommend this this tour. It was my 1st time on a paddle board, but Mandy's calming energy put me at complete ease. If time permits I would love to see some of the other tours offered by Otter Paddle.

This tour was so much fun! It was our first time paddle boarding. Mandy gave great instruction and…read moremade us feel super comfortable from start to finish.

Such a wicked spot. Enjoy the spring and rent paddle boards…read moreor just relax in a cabana or on the adirondack chairs along the water side. They have a full bar and a food truck, we got fish nuggets which was yummy with a cold beer.. After a nice bike ride along the trail we rode in for a quick stop but we will be back!

Extremely relaxing, students are respectful . I enjoy it always. The aura is so calming feeling.read more

I recently moved to Florida and of course I wanted to explore everything this state has to offer…read more Somehow I found Otterpaddle on Instagram and knew it was a tour I had to try at King's Landing. My teenage son and I had such a great first time paddle boarding! Trust me he doesn't find many things enjoyable anymore so I highly recommend if you are looking for something to do with your teens or with the whole family. We have to give a huge thank you to our wonderful tour guide Sabrina. She went above & beyond our expectations! (Took some great pictures as well!) She was very helpful, made our experience easy, smooth and most importantly enjoyable. We only wished we would've done a longer tour to get to head out even further in the water, but we will definitely be doing that next time when we come back since we don't own any paddle boards this tour is definitely something worth doing, especially if it's your first time like it was for us. The area has portable pottys as well as two regular restrooms to change before and after your tour. They also have a shop where they sell souvenirs and a few other items. Ps. You don't have to rent a locker, you will get a chance to put all your stuff away before your tour starts. If you are visiting they have camp sites that are ideal if you're looking to make a whole weekend out of it. I highly recommend it, I definitely can't wait to come back even though I'm two hours away it was definitely worth it!

Is it possible to give more than 5 stars!?!? Otter is great…read more I've done two of their stand up paddle board yoga. The locations are perfect. I love that we explore the area a little before yoga. Guides are amazing. And the photos come out amazing. Seriously 10 stars just on the photos hahah

Scotty B took my friends and I out for our very first time on stand up paddle boards a few years…read moreago. (We certainly ranged in skill level but all had an amazing time) I immediately signed on for private lessons and took my first romp out on the ocean. I felt safe and confident the entire time with truly skilled guidance from Scotty. I know a ton Of men and ladies that can surf, but really takes a special person to have the patience to teach. I just SUP'd and surfed on a vacation all by myself in Mexico. I have you to thank Scotty... Thank you for being excellent at your craft.

I love Maui B's! Scotty is so nice, friendly and knowledgable. He doesn't make you feel bad about…read moreyourself when you repeatedly fall into the lake off your paddle board. He takes pictures of you with his own camera, then adds you on Facebook and Tags you in the pictures, since if you had a camera, it would have been at the bottom of the lake. My boyfriend and I had a lot of fun paddle boarding with Scotty and we always talk about how we want to try it again. We found this over Groupon, and came on a date. This was a really cool date idea, totally different from dinner and a movie, and significantly more memorable. I would recommend Maui B's Paddle Boarding to absolutely anyone.