I’ve been on the Juniper Springs run many times in my 16 foot kayak. I grew up canoeing. I learned how to swim well when I was a child. I know how to maneuver a boat in tight places and I know what to do if I tip over and end up swimming. I’ve seen descriptions of the Juniper Springs Run where it’s not recommended for beginning paddlers. With a few exceptions (like having the majority of a group being experienced paddlers), I think I agree. But if you can maneuver a canoe/kayak in tight spaces, you’ll be fine.

The run is narrow, very twisty, and the current can be at least 4mph. There are overhanging branches and submerged logs. If you do not know how to maneuver a canoe or kayak in tight spots, it can be tricky. However, if you can swim, it shouldn’t be a problem. I cannot understand the mentality of anyone who would engage in water sports and not be able to swim, but I’ve seen it.

I’ve seen people tip canoes and kayaks on the Juniper run and they are often city-folk whose idea of adventure is camping in the back yard. I’ve seen drunks tip their boats. I’ve seen kids playing around who’ve tipped their boats. And I’ve seen timid beginners tip their boats.

Tipping a boat on the run is not a problem unless you are the type of person who accounts for the reason that ladder manufacturers put labels on their product telling people not to step on the top platform, or the kind of person who doesn’t realize that you shouldn’t operate a chain saw with the blade facing you. People who engage in water sports should know how to swim, handle their equipment, and how to use common sense.

Kids, and poor swimmers, should wear life vests. People should know enough to not challenge the center of gravity of their canoe or kayak as they are dodging branches. I would not recommend taking the family dog. I would never think of taking mine. There is nothing particularly dangerous for me about the Juniper Springs Run, with one exception: One time I was in my sit-on-top kayak and came around a bend in the stream. There, on the bank, was an alligator that was over 11 feet long. About a week later I read in the newspaper that an alligator over 11 feet long had killed someone who was swimming in the area where I saw this particular alligator. On the day I was paddling, a number of people had passed this alligator and had no problems. I had no problems. But then, none of us were swimming at the time. A small child, or dog, in a canoe may have been tempting to this alligator. Alligators often sun themselves near the end of the run where the terrain flattens out and there are low-lying sandy banks. They swim up from Lake George to escape even bigger alligators (who I care not to meet thankyouverymuch). If it bothers you to have part of your anatomy pucker tightly (as did mine) upon passing within three feet of an alligator that large, you may want to think twice about this run. Although alligators are not usually as aggressive as are crocodiles, tipping a canoe around large alligators is not a good thing.

The water is 72 degrees year-round. There are no signs of man along the run as it winds through the Juniper Prairie Wilderness Area. It starts clear and shallow then becomes a bit deeper (at 6 feet tall I can still usually stand) and tea colored because of tannic acid from decaying foliage. The water becomes clear again about two-thirds of the way down the run as the stream moves out of dense forest and flows into the area of sandy banks and scrub bushes. The run becomes shallower, with a sandy bottom, near the end. There is a dock about halfway down the run where I often pull over for a picnic.

I always carry a cooler with snacks and drinks. I keep it stashed in the hold of my kayak. I’ve never had a problem with the rangers but requirements do change. The shuttle (fee paid in the park) runs continuously to take people back to the park from the end of the run at the bridge on FL 19. It’s a van with a canoe/kayak trailer. People paddle the run at their own pace and arrive at the end at different times. The shuttle makes runs when there are enough people so you may have to wait for forty minutes if it fills up before you get there or you may have great timing and be able to load right up. The run itself takes from 4-5 hours unless you are in a hurry to get from point A to B.

The Juniper Springs Run is a truly unique experience. It showcases one of the most interesting ecosystems in Florida, or the world for that matter. There is a campground in the park. My book on Florida Campgrounds rates it as one of the best campgrounds in Florida.