Kayaking Whiskey Creek - John U. Lloyd Park - Dania

As I mentioned earlier, this blog might lean heavily towards kayaking adventures since the purchase of my new Sea Eagle 370 kayak. Whiskey Creek is a little known route I never gave much thought to in the past. It's about a 2 1/4 mile, one way trip from the launch site at the North end of John U. Lloyd Park and extends South to the Dania Pier. Four and a half miles with a stop for lunch is a little over 3 hours for me and makes for a pretty good day. Kayaks can be rented at the park but if you bring your own, it's best to launch at the boat ramps. Once you clear the bridge, you are on the Whiskey Creek and past point where motorized boats can navigate.

It only takes a few minutes to launch the kayak so the boat ramp was not a problem. One minute I was staring at enormous cruise ships and the gantry cranes that load the container ships in Port Everglades. Three minutes later I was paddling down a lazy river with just the sounds of nature. On the East side were hundreds of beach goers but the Sea Grape trees and Mangroves block out everything including sights, sounds, and the smell of sun tan lotion. In just a hundred feet, I left the black water of the intracoastal waterway and into the crystal clear water of the river. Well, salt marsh really.  Fish were all around and in every size and shape. A Spotted Eagle Ray passed right under the kayak and there were even a pair of Horseshoe Crabs so close I could have dipped my hand into the water and touched them. I parked the Kayak in a little Mangrove cove to enjoy a drink and a snack. As I was relaxing, a Heron flew in and had his lunch too. This was the easiest and most pleasant kayak trip I have yet taken. Perfect for those that want to give kayaking a try.

A couple of things you should know about Whiskey Creek. It is directly in the flight path of the Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood airport, a little disruptive to the peace and quiet that you will enjoy for most of the time you are paddling. You should also check the tides as some sections are about ankle deep at low tide. The nice thing is, if you manage to fall out of the boat, you can likely touch bottom even at high tide. If you don't find kayaking appealing, the main draw of Lloyd Park is the beach. A must see if soaking up the rays is more your thing. I like the longer, more challenging kayak adventures but few I have been on have as many fish and birds viewed so easily from the boat. This would the perfect trip to unplug your children for a while and introduce them to nature then follow up with a picnic in the sand and surf.

Low tide - Whiskey Creek - Dania