Places to Paddle tm
Canoeing - Kayaking - Rafting

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Al V
St. Johns River from Route 192 to Lake Hell N Blazes, Melbourne, Florida USA
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Our Route Summary

  • Submitted by: Al Vazquez with some photos courtesy of Rob Walker
  • Date Submitted: 1/2002
  • Location: Melbourne Florida USA
  • Class: Typically flat water river with three large lakes that can have wind blown waves
  • Distance Paddled: about 16 miles round trip. Pay attention to wind forecasts as it can make a big difference the large, open lakes in this paddle.
  • Water Level: the main channel is typically navigable even during drought conditions. The day we paddled, the height gage reading was 3.12 feet.

  • Water: fresh
  • Wildlife: many alligators, bass, anhinga,, ibis, vultures, ducks, great blue heron, turtles, saw grass, hyacinth, hydrilla, and other water plants
  • Special Regulations: Because of the impressive population of large alligators, I would avoid this paddle during mating season in the spring and I would not take any small pets along on a paddle here.

Entry and Exit
Camp Holly
6901 U.S. 192

  • Directions:
    • Interstate 95
    • Exit onto Route 192 westbound.
      • Cross the St. Johns River Bridge
    • Turn south (left) into Camp Holly just after crossing the bridge
  • GPS: N 28 degrees 05.098' W 80 degrees 45.155'
  • Fee: $3 per boat ramp fee
  • Description: dirt beach beside worn cement boat ramps
  • Parking: adjacent unpaved parking
  • Facilities: restroom, informal dining (sign says "No shoes, No shirt, No Problem")
  • Handicap Access: probably OK, though it's muddy

What We Saw

Kayaking or canoeing the St. Johns River, one of only 14 American Heritage Rivers in the USA, is enjoyable not only for its spectacular natural beauty but also as a perspective on Florida history. Native Americans used the St. Johns River and its tributaries extensively for transportation. Before railroads or roads, the river later served as a major artery for paddle-wheel boats. The northern-flowing river begins in the marshes of Blue Cypress Lake and ends at it's mouth on the Atlantic in Jacksonville.

This is the first section of the St. Johns River that sees regular boat traffic. We paddled upstream (southward) from Camp Holly on Route 192 to the south end of Lake Hell N Blazes at the the very beginning of the navigable section in the Three Forks Marsh area. You may also kayak or canoe northward (downstream) from Camp Holly to Lake Washington.

Though this is a gorgeous paddle, be prepared for some airboat and motorboat traffic. Airboats love the swampy grassy areas along the shores of river. But we found every boater polite, friendly and careful to steer clear of us paddlers. I placed a bright, tall orange flag over my kayak to be more visible in case we paddled the high grasses. And take a loud horn to warn away boats.
The first two lakes you paddle after about a mile on the river south of Camp Holly is the large Sawgrass Lake and smaller Little Sawgrass Lake shown above. Both lakes have a clear main channel but have a huge bed of hydrilla and hyacinth covering most of the surface. Bass fishing is said to be outstanding throughout this section of the river.

At the southeast corner of Little Sawgrass Lake is a day shelter shown at right, a comfortable stop to get out and stretch. There are no facilities there other than a shelter and dock. Just northeast of the shelter on a short channel off the lake is also a landing that is a popular place for airboaters.

The 2 mile section of river connecting Little Sawgrass to Lake Hell N Blazes had some of the most stunning scenery, such as the Cypress trees and large flock of birds shown below. Ibis were everywhere.

Hell N Blazes is an impressive, large lake; the first Lake on the navigable portion of the St. Johns River. That's where we found several grassy banks frequented by alligators like the one I found walking into the water in the photo above. There are several side channels to explore, and supposedly a couple of primitive campgrounds that we did not find. We finally stopped for lunch on a mushy grass landing pictured at left about 100 yards south of Lake Hell N Blazes on west bank of the the main channel. The day we went, the afternoon wind helped us return northward.