River Styx
Cost:
$50.00 per person (includes kayak or canoe,
paddle, vest, shuttling and your guide)
Using your Own Boat
- $35. (many
paddlers with their own boats like to join us to learn
more about the history, archaeology and natural history of these
rivers,
not to mention the desire to avoid spending an unplanned night
lost in the swamp).
Group size:
1 - 14 people
Trip time: 5 - 6 hours
Skill level:
Intermediate
Difficulty: This is a
STRENUOUS TRIP. Many tight
squeezes between trees, over fallen logs and through overhanging
vines and brush make this more of a push and pull than an actual
paddle.
Dates
* See
calendar
for trips being planned.
Or,
Schedule your own
private
tour.
Call Adventure Outpost for details
(386-454-0611)
Location
To see this river's general location, go to the
River Locator Map
or
Click on link below for a local map and then use zoom and panning arrows to
explore the area.
Note: the red star is NOT our meeting place, but just a nearby town or landmark.
http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?formtype=address&searchtype=address&country=US&addtohistory=&address=&city=Micanopy+Junction&state=FL&zipcode=
Description
Experience the thrill of going where no one in their right mind has gone before. Actually, a lot of clear-thinking, otherwise normal people, venture into this large swamp, fully aware that it is more of a swamp than a river, and that most people who try to traverse it in one day usually spend the night in their canoe. But, for those of you who are prepared for a down and dirty romp in the swamp, a truly fantastic nature experience awaits you in the river Styx. Cypress swamps, hardwood swamps, and open marshes are home to many wading birds.
Wildlife
At certain times
of the year, there's a good chance of seeing large concentrations
and rookeries of species such as Wood storks, Anhingas, and
Double Crested Cormorants. Snakes and alligators are here too,
but in smaller numbers than one might expect. But there are
plenty of chiggers and other biting critters.
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History
In prehistoric
times, when water levels were higher, this swamp was an arm of
Orange Lake. One of north Florida's oldest and most impressive
mound and earthwork complexes is located here. By 1539, when De
Soto led his expedition through here, the nearby village of
Potano was the headquarters for the chiefdom of the same name
which covered the Orange Lake/Paynes Prairie area. The areas
richness of a kind of rock called chert, an excellent material
for making tools and weapons, made the Potanos the envy of
neighboring tribes.
Recent
Conditions & Trips
Notes
(Interesting
sightings or notes? Let us know and we'll post them here)
Sept. 27, 2004 - Post-hurricane report: There's plenty of water in the Styx, but true to her reputation, she's defying all but the most determined adventurers. The new challenge is in the lush new growth which took root in the muck which was exposed during the drought. Numerous trees have come down (storms?? stress from drought??) which is allowing much more light to penetrate the swamp floor than usual. In this ideal environment, a fantastic (though impenetrable) nursery of young red maples, elderberries, buttonbush, blackberry bushes, Virginia willow, and more, are rejoicing in their newfound home in the swamps with all of the optimism of youth. Great for them, bad for us. It will only be the most determined and physically fit clients who will persuade us to lead them on this journey for the next year or so. I strongly urge anyone who is not familiar with the Styx to find another place to play - for now.
December 5, 2006 - Recent lack of rainfall is bringing the Styx ever closer to drought condition. At present it is a slog. Lots of vegetation still in swamp from last drought, but much of that has died back with extended high water in the interim. If we get more water in the swamp before ground is exposed, die-off of low vegetation should continue and the way could be clear for some long - overdue "x-stream" paddling in the Styx swamp in 2007.
Summer, 2007 - Water levels have rebounded a bit, but this was still a VERY hard trip. We were rarely in our boats because the vegetation is still so thick that we had to pull through vegetation almost the entire way from the end of Camp's Canal to the slightly clearer "channel" of the last 1/2 mile. We joked that our boats probably covered more distance tipped sideways (the only way to squeeze them between knees, shrubs and fallen vegetation) than laying flat on the surface. In summary, don't be fooled by the higher water levels, this is still a very difficult slog (definitely can't be called a "paddle").
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