Kayaking Fort Pierce Inlet
Krispykritter paddling across the inlet with a freighter directly in front of him
I decided to whisk Lady Kritter away on a mini vacation. I loaded the Subaru with our kayaks and gear and told Lady Kritter, “To get in, we’re going on a road trip.” I didn’t tell her at the time, but we were going kayaking on a section of the Indian River Lagoon located in the Fort Pierce Inlet State Park and Recreation Area. I have been wanting to do this trip since I first began researching the lagoon and the inlet. I found the perfect base camp to be a hotel on the inlet. From there, I could launch the kayaks and paddle across the inlet into the mangroves of the state park to view the variety of coastal habitats and wildlife.
The Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park in St. Lucie County is a half-mile stretch of white sand on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the inlet, with the western boundary of mangroves and shallow bays on the Indian River Lagoon. During World War II, this area was the birthplace and training ground for U.S. Navy Frogmen, forerunners of today’s Navy Seals. Many military personnel were stationed here for training of the D-Day invasion of Europe. Dynamite Point, located at the inlet, earned its name from the activities of the Navy Underwater Demolition (UTD) Teams. Ft. Pierce’s military connection dates back further than World War II. It was named for the U.S. Army fort built in 1838 during the Second Seminole War by Lt. Col. Benjamin Pierce. The fort was reached from the ocean through the old Indian River Inlet, a natural waterway located just northeast of Jack Island. When this inlet closed in the early 1900s from storms, a man-made inlet was cut at its present location in Ft. Pierce that leads to a small international port.
Ft. Pierce Inlet State Park actually consists of two separate areas. The smaller section, borders the north shore of Ft. Pierce Inlet and fronts on the Atlantic Ocean. The other part is the larger Jack Island Preserve 1.5 miles north of the park with trails and an observation tower.
The Indian River Lagoon is 156 miles long, with an average depth of 3 feet and is North America ´s most diverse estuary (an estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water where freshwater meets salt water within the same body of water). The lagoon is a spawning and nursery ground for many different species of oceanic and lagoon fish and one of the most diverse bird populations anywhere in America. Manatees and dolphins can be seen playing in the lagoon waters and sea turtles returning home to nest on the beach.
The Indian River Lagoon (IR) is actually a group of three connecting lagoons: Mosquito Lagoon to the north, Banana River and the Indian River. The IR lagoon extends south from Ponce Inlet, Volusia County to Jupiter Inlet, Palm Beach County. In essences a paddlers paradise.
The Sandhurst Hotel and Suites was chosen for our base camp for the next three days. Because of its location. The Sandhurst is located on the south side of Ft. Pierce Inlet on South Hutchinson Island.
The hotel is very kayak friendly and has a sandy beach to launch our kayaks. We could look across the inlet and see the state park from the pool deck and hot tub. Within walking distance there are some really good restaurants, a small but efficient supermarket, lounges, a fire station and a Coast Guard station. If the weather becomes unfriendly there are numerous area attractions to visit. West of the hotel and near the causeway bridge is the St. Lucie County Historical Museum and the St. Lucie Marine Center Featuring the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystem Exhibit. East of the hotel at the mouth of the inlet there is a small park where we watched anglers catch an assortment of fish on the rock jetty reaching out into the ocean. Nearby within 5 minutes of driving time is the Manatee Observation and Education Center, the National Navy Seal Museum, Heathcote Botanical Gardens, and historic downtown Ft. Pierce. 15 minutes away was the McLarty Museum and the Mel Fisher Treasure Museum from the Spanish 1715 Plate Fleet destroyed in a late June hurricane.
Lady Kritter and I decided on a plan to paddle in the morning and hit a museum in the afternoon.
I must CAUTION the paddler to carefully check the tides and know the weather for the inlet before paddling the inlet. The out going and in coming tide forcibly rip thru the inlet. The out going tide can be especially dangerous with the creation of surf waves and the potential of being carried out to sea. I would highly recommend having someone in your group carry a VHS radio for emergency communication.
Lady Kritter and I went over the map of the inlet. I showed Lady Kritter our handrails, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the intracoastal waterway to the west, the inlet to the south and the north causeway (A1A) to the north.The handrails are an identifiable long natural or man-made geographical feature used as a catch point to indicate the boundaries of your area. If we got misplaced in the mangroves these identifiable landmarks would let us know our location to get back to the hotel. The next thing we looked at was the tides. We found high tide was between 12 and 1 o’clock in the afternoon which was perfect. Lady Kritter and I would paddled across on the last segments of the tide coming in. I showed Lady Kritter on the map the intended route and where we would exit the mangroves near the intracoastal waterway. This put us in a good location to ferry across with the slow beginning of the out going tide. Safety meeting completed, we were set for our first day on the water.
Lady Kritter and I were up early and had one of the best hot continental breakfast I can remember. The Subaru was parked next to the beach so we could unload and load right from the vehicle. The morning waters were calm as we crossed the inlet to reach Coon Island. The aqua colored water was a pleasant change from the brown tannin inland fresh water paddles of central Florida.
Lady Kritter paddling in Tucker Cove
Lady Kritter and I enter into a small inlet that rounded to the backside of Coon Island and into Tucker Cove. The further we paddled into the state park the more apparent the bird life became. Huge Ospreys could be seen soaring above looking for a seafood meal, or found sitting on top of a branch munching out on a fish. Pelicans would dive into the water with a splash behind us, often starling us by breaking the stillness of the cove.
Lady Kritter and I followed the current of the tide around Boot Toe Point and into the green canopy of the red mangroves. Slowly and quietly we navigated through the mangrove waterway and watched Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, Louisiana Herons, Great Blue Herons, Ibis’, Kingfishers, Gulls and Terns perched in trees and the roots of the mangroves.
By early afternoon the wind was picking up and according to the tide table it was time to re-cross the inlet. The crossing was a little harder, battling the strong head wind, waiting for larger boats to pass and riding through choppy waves. Safely across we beached our kayaks next to the Smithsonian Exhibit for a great visit and picnic.
Day two began like Day one. Up early, breakfast and on the water. We watched the weather and was aware of a pending storm front coming in during the late afternoon. There was no wind when we launched and the crossing went smooth. We spent most of the morning exploring Shortey’s Slough, more islands and paddling under the green canopy. Birds surrounded us in flight, perched on branches and singing their songs.
Surrounded by the mangroves we were unaware of the wind buildup. Lady Kritter and I came out of the mangroves and was hit with a very strong and steady wind from the south. If we were to continue on our intended itinerary, the combination of the tide and wind blown current would create a challenge. I also had a feeling the wind would continue to build as the day progressed. I talked it over with Lady Kritter and we decided to change course and start heading back towards the inlet and the hotel. I was glad we did. As I turned my bow into the 20 mph wind it would split the choppy waves and cover me with wind blown spray. It was hard to hear one another speak from the wind so we paddled in silence. We stopped many times in mini coves giving us breaks from the wind and an opportunity to talk and rest. One last, long rest at the mouth of Tucker Cove and off we went across the inlet.
During the last rest stop we discussed the strategy about how we were going to cross the inlet. Once on the waters of the inlet, each of us knew, without talking, how to battle the wind and the waves, and negotiate the inlet and channel. Baring adversity, all we had to do was concentrate on a strong steady stroke. Safely across we spent the afternoon at the Pioneer museum under the causeway.
Strong winds from the overnight storm still lingered in the morning. We decided to pack up and head towards home on the beach route, A1A. We stopped at the McLarty Museum and by late afternoon arrived home.
Lady Kritter and I were pleasantly surprised with our kayak trip to Ft. Pierce Inlet. So much to see and do, I can’t wait to go back and continue where we left off.
Faver-Dykes State Park, Florida
Lady Kritter kayaking on Pellicer Creek
It was another two day weekend off from work which meant Lady Kritter and I were planning a road trip involving camping and kayaking. The weather report for the weekend had a front coming in with tropical rains and wind for Saturday night and Sunday. This was an ideal time to find a place where the landscape would work in our favor;sheltering us from the wind as we paddled and, windy enough to drive the mosquitoes into hiding.I immediately thought car camping would better fit our activities, give us added shelter if needed, and a bathroom and showers to warm up if soaked by the anticipated rain.
Going over assorted car camping locations in Central Florida, I found the perfect campground for kayaking and camping at Faver-Dykes State Park. Located 15 miles south of St. Augustine, near the intersection of US Hwy 1 and Interstate 95, Faver-Dykes contains a small full-facility campground, nature trails, picnic area, boat ramp and a canoe trail within 6,045 acres of pinelands, hammocks and marshes, in a natural state – “the way the first Europeans saw it when they arrived here”. A fresh water creek called Pellicer Creek runs along the southern boundaries of the park and empties into a salt water estuarine lagoon that is part of the Mantazas River.
Lady Kritter and I arrived at our campsite in the early afternoon surrounded by RV’s and tents. We discovered, during our initial walk to get the lay of the land, a small campground containing campsites with a full men’s and women’s bathroom in the center. The majority of the campsites were separated from each other with natural vegetation offering some privacy. Each site contained a fire ring, grill, picnic table, electric and water. Many campsites provided a soft base of sand to accommodate tents, ranging in size from backpacker tents up to large family tents. Our campsite was at the beginning of a curve and faced a wooded area where one of the two nature ‘s trailhead was located.
I knew the area was rich in early, North American history involving native Floridians called Timucuans, the French, the Spanish, the English, our forefathers the colonists and now the current occupation by Americans. To know that so much has happened in this area created a unique energy within me. Lady Kritter and I got caught up in this energy and decided to go on our own exploration and find some of these historic sites. A visitor can spend days in the area, visiting the oldest city on the North American Continent, St. Augustine. Or, climb the walls of the Spanish forts of Castillo de San Marcos and Mantazas, the French fort, Caroline (to the north), a lighthouse and several tourist attractions. We decided to visit the Fort Matanazas National Monument simply because, I have never been to the fort in all my past visits to St. Augustine. After dark Lady Kritter and I walked the nature trail to Pellicer Creek marsh and witnessed the surreal beauty of the landscape bathed in full moonlight.
Krispykritter kayaking on Pellicer Creek
The beginning edges of the cold front descended on us during the night. The wind picked up, the clouds rolled in and the air was thick with moisture. The next morning Lady Kritter and I were up early and one of the first visitors to enter the gates of Fort Matanazas National Monument located on Anastasia Island on A1A, north of the inlet. We visited the small visitor center found under a canopy of oak trees on the western shore of the island. Within the visitor center is a small gift shop and movie theater, showing a short movie on the history of the fort and how it got its name, Fort Matanazas. A path behind the visitor center leads down to the docks on the Matanazas River where a ferry will take you across to the fort. (For the schedule and times of the free-ferry go the fort’s website http://www.nps.gov/foma/). Lady Kritter and I easily made the first ferry across the water to the fort. As an added bonus, we had the pleasure of riding the ferry with a fort volunteer going to work dressed as a Spanish soldier. We had the soldier working, even before we landed, by each of us taking turns firing questions at him concerning the historic events of the area and life as a soldier. As we sat there, I felt I was actually having a conversation with someone from that period through the authenticity of the volunteer. I was impressed with the knowledge and physical appearance of the volunteer that helped bridge the gap between present day 21st century and early 17th century. Lady Kritter and I headed back to the peace and quite of our wooded sanctuary with enough information for brain overload.
The best way to cure brain overload is to head into the tranquil space of nature. Lady Kritter and I did just that in the early afternoon by un-loading our kayaks at the boat ramp to enjoy the water world of Pellicer Creek. We learned at Fort Matanazas that the upper section of Pellicer Creek was the source of fresh water for soliders at the fort during droughts. We paddled upstream to get an idea of how the land appeared to the soldiers during their quest for aqua.
The skies were threatening so we turned around and headed back downstream to to leave the remainder of the upper creek for another day of exploration. The threat of nasty weather diminished as we approached the docks. So, we continued to paddle down stream towards the brackish water of the lagoon. Lady Kritter and I stopped for lunch on one of the few dry pieces of dry land we could find. Shortly after landing, dark grey clouds behind us started closing in. I told Lady Kritter without hesitation, to pack up fast, get in the boat and head back towards the docks.
Once I was safely on the water, I looked back over my shoulder and could see a squall line of fast, dark moving clouds, heading towards our direction. Diagonal lines of rain extended from the clouds to the water’s surface and the air temperature was dropping. The wind was picking up speed creating small white caps on the water. It was now a race! Timing is everything and sometimes – luck – is added into the equation. The timing was bad because we didn’t get to eat our lunch, but we were lucky, because we made it to the docks dry and out of our boats just as the wind and rain unleashed their fury.
We went to Plan C. In full rain gear we loaded the boats onto the car and then, traveled over to the vacant picinic area. Being the only ones at the picnic grounds we had our choice of which pavilion was going to shelter us. Lady Kritter and I made our choice and finally ate our lunch sheltered from the down pour and windy spray. The rain never let up and we spent the remainder of the day mostly outside, enjoying the water world in our waterproof rain gear.
The rain and the wind continued throughout the night. We emerged the next morning from our tent and was greeted by a morning bathed in the freshness a storm leaves over the land as it departs. We were also sad because it was time to pack up and return to that caotic world referred to as – civilization.
Lady Kritter and I enjoyed our visit to Faver-Dykes State Park. During this short visit we wandered over nature trails and water. As an added bonus, we could immerse ourselfs in the history and attractions surrounding St. Augustine from a close distance and still enjoy the heartbeat of Mother Nature.