Paddle: Dora Canal

We met some new paddling friends, John and Susan, just before we left TTO a week or so ago. Our respective schedules didn't mesh, so we weren't able to paddle with them at that time, but they did offer us a few suggestions for paddling venues. They were off to paddle the Dora Canal, which they had never paddled, but they had been told it was very nice. The Mt. Dora Chamber of Commerce says the Dora Canal is "the most beautiful mile of water in Florida". Well, I don't know about that, but we did enjoy it. Historic Dora Canal connects Lake Dora to the south and Lake Eustis to the north. It is only about a mile long, but there are several other side channels to explore. We put in at Summerall Park near the south end of the canal. The canal is encased in a tunnel of bald cypress, live oak and spanish moss. Once you get past the few houses at the Dora Lake end, it is very scenic. Portions of the movie "The African Queen" were filmed here. All the usual birds were abundant and are used to seeing folks on the water and are not very bashful. We also saw a few pretty fair sized gators. The only really negative aspect of the trip was the motor boaters and tour boat operators on the water. A few, particularly the tour operators, were rude and obnoxious. The canal is also a connector for a number of interconnected lakes in the area and sees a fair number of sport fishing boats. I wouldn't want to be there on the weekend.

The Dora Canal cannot be characterized as a major paddling destination, but we were camped only about 10 miles away. It was certainly worth the drive and a nice way to spend an afternoon.