It was a hot day, so the spring was a welcome refresher and another chapter of Florida Paddle Notes.Portions of the following information were taken from Florida Geological Survey Bulletin 66.
We enjoyed a short stay, cooled off, ate some lunch and headed back to the launch. It was quite refreshing and for the most part clear. Having arrived at the docking area near the spring, we managed to tie up 11 kayaks and walk over to the spring. Along this short stretch we saw several Egrets, Scarlet Rose Mallow, Broadleaf Arrowroot and a small alligator with eyes just emerging from the thick Duckweed. There is minimal flow coming from the spring and the creek is often clogged with Duckweed. It is just less than a half mile up Mud Creek to the Mud Spring. The creek’s entrance is is about 300′ wide but tapers quickly to about 50′. Mud Creek and Mud Spring… Paddling up Mud Creekīy the time we reached the entrance to Mud Creek we were hot and looking forward to getting to the spring.
Rounding this bend in the river, we paddle southeasterly for a little of 1 1/4 miles across Mud Creek Cove to the entrance of Mud Creek, 29☂7’28.30″N, 81☃9’54.43″W. Across the river from this point is where the Ocklawaha River flows into the St Johns River as well as Bear Creek. The paddle takes us in a southwesterly direction about a mile to Beecher’s Point. It was a basically calm day on the river with not much head wind to deal with, which is always a welcomed treat when on that river. The St Johns River is about a 1/4 mile across at the launch on Palmetto St.
We all had our water blasters for cooling off later when the temperature starts to rise…and it did! BY 10.30 am we were all the the water and heading out following the eastern shoreline of the St Johns River. It was a beautiful, sunny morning and we had a pretty good size group from Putnam Blueways and Trails. There is a larger boat ramp 1 street south on Elm and is used for the larger boats with trailers. The kayaks were staged on the grass to the right of the public boat dock and that is where we also launched. We arrived around 10:00 am at Bryant’s Wharf Boat Dock at the end of Palmetto St. The Paddle Route… Mud Spring Paddle Map ( click to enlarge )īryant’s Wharf launch… Readying for Launch – Bryant’s Wharf Rest Areas: There are restroom facilities at Mud Spring. Mud Creek starts out at 300′ wide and quickly tapers to 50′ at the spring.Ĭurrent – Tidal: The current along the St Johns River is below 1 mph as it is called a lazy river, dropping only 30′ in its entire length of 310 miles! The flow out of Mud Spring is minimal. Width and Depth: This is an open expanse on the St John River, which is 1/4 mile across at the launch site. Can be a bit tiring if you have to fight the wind on the St Johns River. Paddle Distance: One way to Mud Spring is 3.15 milesĭifficulty: Easy. Launch point: The launch for this paddle is at the Bryant’s Wharf Boat Dock, located at the end of Palmetto St. Location: Mud Spring is located in the Welaka State Forest, 1.5 miles south of Welaka Fl. Mud Spring is the head of Mud Creek which flows southeast for just under a half-mile into Mud Creek Cove, part of Little Lake George which is part of the St Johns River. An average depth of the spring is about 4′ deep. Mud Spring is a 4th magnitude spring, surrounded by the palms and palmettos of the Welaka State Forest. The boil is in the center of an oval-shaped pool roughly 85′ x 65′.
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