Guided Eco-Tour: Kayak Through Cypress Forest
5.0
303 Ratings
Kissimmee

Immerse yourself in the outdoors on this expert-led eco-journey. This beginner-friendly kayak trip, demanding no prior experience, allows you to traverse the breathtaking cypress forest. Spot indigenous creatures like alligators, roseate spoonbills, hawks, frogs, egrets and others on your adventure!

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

This 2-hour guided tour starts and ends at The Paddling Center at Shingle Creek, located directly off of Hwy 192. Here, you will start on Shingle Creek, which are the headwaters of the Everglades.

After a safety briefing and instruction on kayaking, you will quickly enter an ecological gem that is rated one of the top paddling trails in Florida by Johnny Molloy, author of “Canoeing and Kayaking Florida.”

Within 20 minutes you enter an old-growth cypress forest that is both serene and stunningly beautiful. Your guide will tell you all about the rich ecology and history of Shingle Creek.

All guides have ACA Instructor certification, as well as First Aid, CPR & AED certification.

Young children, as young as 4 years old, can participate in the tandem kayak which has a jump seat in the back for them to sit and enjoy the experience.

Points of Interest

  • The Paddling Center at Shingle Creek

  • Shingle Creek Regional Park

What's Included
  • Local guide
  • Water
  • Kayak rental
  • Dry Box
  • All fees and/or taxes
  • Life Jacket
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Gratuities
Additional Information
  • We recommend you wear shorts, light shirt / top, sandals, hat and bring sunblock
Location
4266 W Vine St
West Vine Street
The Paddling Center is located at 2nd entrance to Shingle Creek Park, immediately past Marker 15 sign.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(303 Ratings)
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Christina_g
Sep 23, 2024
Perfect intro into Orlando wetlands! - Easy float through Shingle Creek enjoying local flora and critters. Our guide, Ryan, was knowledgeable in the area history and wildlife and made the trip casual and fun. We even got our gator pic of a rogue juvenile.
Review provided by Viator
Penny_k
Sep 13, 2024
Fantastic guides and a beautiful scenery! - Our tour guides were fantastic! Very informative and it was absolutely beautiful. I would definitely do this again!
Review provided by Viator
Cynthia_c
Aug 28, 2024
fun on the water - I had never kayak before the guide was very informative and I really enjoyed the experience. i hope to bring my family out to enjoy this.
Review provided by Viator
Samantha75
Aug 23, 2024
Outstanding… you’ve got to do this!! - If you want a break from the hustle and bustle of the parks, this place is perfect. 2 hours of peace and quiet, so much to see and enjoy. We even saw a 12ft alligator called George… don’t worry apparently humans are not his food so we just sailed by. Josh the tour guide is what really made this such an epic experience, his knowledge and enthusiasm about the place was incredible, such a knowledgeable and lovely guy. Highlight of the trip with our 2 girls 9 and 10yrs
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mark_b
Aug 18, 2024
Great experience! - Well worth the time, highly recommend! Didn’t see the local gator, but still had fun. Enjoyed the nice way float on the way back.
Review provided by Viator
Wellstrips
Aug 10, 2024
Phenomenal! - Phenomenal trip and fantastic guide. Easy trip for kayakers beginner's. Easy going down the river but a bit challenging comping back agains current. Love the canopy and the information receives about the ecosystem. Thank you.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Enat3
Jun 29, 2024
You Need to Do This - We wanted my teens to have a "Florida experience" on our family vacation and I'm so glad we chose this kayak tour. Our guide, Ryan, was fun, knowledgeable, helpful if you aren't familiar with kayaking, and a great conversationalist. We saw fish, many turtles, osprey, and a mama alligator in the distance (we were told she was guarding her nest, so we needed to keep our distance). My teens thought it was the highlight of our vacation, even more than our experience on our cruise. I highly recommend booking a tour in the morning time slot and not the afternoon due to heat and weather. I'm glad the staff recommended that change for us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sonyasky
Jun 17, 2024
Awesome Kayaking and Excellent Guide - A friend and I went on this kayak trip and had a fantastic time. Not only was Shingles Creek a gorgeous ecosystem, but the information provided by our guide was quite amazing and so interesting! Josh, our guide, told us about the old settlements that were around the creek area, and also told us about the cypress trees and industry we knew nothing about! All so very interesting!!! THANKS, Josh!! Great trip and lots of fun! I recommend this trip for anyone who can get into the kayak. Not strenuous, but fitness helps.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Excursion09181318827
Jun 15, 2024
Kayak adventure in Orlando - My friend and I decided at the last minute to go on this adventure and we are so glad we did!! Josh, our guide was a very informative and entertaining! He told us all qbout the ecosystem of the cypress forest and history of Shingles Creek. It was a great time even though it rained on the way back. It's Florida. When in the Orlando area, this is a fun and exciting thing to do!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Gerald_f
Jun 3, 2024
A wonderful experience even for us older generation - This was the first time we had experienced kayaking, but the staff had taken care of everything we needed down to water to drink. The scenery was lovely. It was a very enjoyable experience and we don’t plan waiting another 75 years to experience kayaking again.
Review provided by Viator
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September 2024
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