Paddle: Juniper Springs Again

Earlier in our trip between, Christmas and New Year, we had paddled Juniper Springs run. On that day there must have been 25 boats at the put-in waiting to put onto the run. Today there was only one other boat at the put-in. It was a beautiful day, but the park was nearly deserted. Moral: don't run Juniper Springs during a holiday week. The put-in is just below the spring head and is only about eight feet wide at the start. The crystal clear creek runs through a lush canopy of palm and fern, over a white sandy bottom. About 2/3 down the run, the run opens up into a grassy marsh called the Juniper Prairie Wilderness. We saw many turtles and numerous birds, but no gators. Jim and Ann got a lot of practice making tight turns in their canoe, and mastered the art of bow and stern draws.