Exclusive Nature Escape Kayak Adventure On Blackwater Creek

This adventure truly immerses you in the wild, real Florida. We were actually the only people on our trip, which made the experience feel incredibly peaceful and secluded. Astrid mentioned that this particular adventure isn’t as popular as some of their others, and I honestly don’t understand why! It may not be the most traditionally “scenic” of their kayak adventures, but I actually think that’s part of what made it so special. It felt less like a tourist attraction and more like we were getting to experience Florida’s wilderness as it really is. Astrid was a wonderful guide—extremely knowledgeable about the area, wildlife, plants, and history. She shared the history of the Native Americans who lived in the area, explained the preserve we were paddling through, and told us about the special access to this part of the Seminole State Forest. Venture Outdoors is the only guide company with a permit to bring groups into this particular area, and visitors need a permit to kayak here on their own. We literally had the river to ourselves! She also explained why the water is black (actually red!) and how Black Creek got its name, which made the whole experience so much more interesting. We saw SO many alligators and tons of birds, and Astrid seemed to know the name of every single one! She even taught us how to get an idea of an alligator’s age and shared all kinds of little details about the wildlife that we would have completely missed on our own. She also taught us proper kayaking technique—we realized we had been using our upper bodies way too much! 😂 So we weren’t just out paddling around; we actually learned a lot. For the amount of time we spent on the water and the knowledge we gained about Florida’s wilderness, I thought it was an excellent value. The length of the adventure was just right. We’re generally active people, and we were definitely a little sore the next day, but not dead sore! 😂 If you’re not used to much physical activity, though, I’d expect to feel it the next day. There are some areas where you have to muscle your way through foliage that grows into the path, so I’d recommend pairing younger kids with an adult who can help them through those sections. But that’s part of the adventure!! Another really nice touch was that Astrid took pictures of us throughout the adventure, and we were able to purchase them afterward for a very inexpensive price. It was so nice to have actual photos of the experience without having to worry about taking them ourselves. I left my phone behind—prepare to get wet!! If you’re looking for a polished, touristy Florida experience, this may not be the one. But if you want to get out into the wilderness, learn about Florida’s ecosystems and history, see a ton of wildlife, and feel like you’ve discovered a part of Florida that most tourists never see, I highly recommend this adventure.

Jimi was incredibly knowledgeable, attentive and kept the 3 hour tour well paced, time flew by. Saw manatees, lots of crocs, vultures, kites, hawks and turtles, absolutely incredible

Thanks and appreciate it very much. Highly recommend to everyone especially the nature lovers like myself. Impressive with the knowledge and information provided by the guide. God bless!

Enjoyed a tour of the winding, backwater areas of Blackwater Creed with Jimi. He has a passion for enthusiastically sharing his knowledge of the outdoors, nature, geography and paddling the river. This is our second trip with Jimi and our family from Chicago enjoyed a quality nature adventure!

My guide Sue was amazing, she was easy going and informative about the specific wildlife and area. She kept a look out for wildlife and pointed them out if we didn’t see them first.

This kayak tour lives up to its name. It was a great, adventurous experience in the middle of a stunning, natural setting. The location felt remote and wild; the perfect antidote to Orlando's crowds and ugly buildings. We saw a variety of wildlife and learned a lot from our guide Jimi about the unique ecosystem of the Blackwater Creek area. Some of the areas that we paddled through were shallow and narrow and a little challenging to maneuver through, but we felt that it added to the sense of adventure. My nine year old son and I had a fabulous time and would do it again in a heart beat.

Such a beautiful pristine place. And having Astrid as our guide made all the difference! We felt as though we truly had gone back in time to old Florida. Lots of birds, turtles and gators to admire

Jimi was great! The creek was so beautiful it was breathtaking, we happened to go on a cold day but the view made up for the weather 1000%. It was a nice length tour that brought us to see some beautiful sites and lots of birds. Jimi was very knowledgeable too with lots of facts and plenty of curious questions answered. Definitely would re-do!

Hands down could not have been better! Jimi and Sue were both so informative and funny and just so nice to be around. The kayak ride was for my boyfriend and I to start off our Valentine’s Day and it seriously was a hit. Lots of wild life, a beautiful ride, and great guides. Can not wait to make it back in the near future for another ride!

Brilliant morning spent with Jimi - he was knowledgeable and great fun to be with. We would thoroughly recommend this experience - blows other kayaking trips out of the water!

Astrid and Brian were great. Highly recommened for the more personal experience! Defo be doing more in the future.

My wife and I went on a kayaking adventure with Venture Outdoors, booked via Tripadvisor, on 9th September 2024. This was during our two week holiday in the Orlando area. We chose the Blackwater Creek tour which took about 3 hours and our guides were Jimi and Susan. Susan pointed out that Jimi was our 'real' guide and she had joined us because she loved kayaking. Regardless, we were very fortunate to have the services of two great guides. We have kayaked a couple of times before in the Orlando area but this was the first time with Venture Outdoors and it was certainly different. We started off paddling upstream but it wasn't long before Jimi took us 'off piste' and through the undergrowth. It was amazing how the plants were just pushed aside, only to re-group behind us. There were the odd tree trunks to maneuver around or over which all added to the interest/excitement. And then we would be back on the river, before the next detour which kept the whole trip interesting. Both Jimi and Susan kept up a dialogue throughout the trip, pointing out plants and animals along the way and telling us a bit about the history. I felt as though we were miles from anywhere but Jimi pointed out that the Blackwater Creek area isnt really that big and that we were no more than a mile from a road. I have only kayaked about 4 times in my life but at no time did I feel uncomfortable or concerned. It was a terrific 3 hours and both Jimi and Susan looked after us very well. If you are interested in learning about Florida outside of the theme parks then I recommend taking a tour with Venture Outdoors. It seems a lifetime ago already!

Great organization - and very accommodating with respect to date changes and flexibility due to the weather. Jimi was an amazing guide - so knowledgeable about everything having to do with Blackwater Creek (and the entire Central Florida paddling opportunities). He's also an expert in wildlife and just about everything else that you would want to know during your paddle.

Brilliant. Simple to book and a great experience from start to finish. Really knowledgable guide. Lots to see. Well worth doing!

Great time! Absolutely stunning scenery. Quiet river with lots of wildlife and a wonderful guide. Highly recommend getting out of Orlando and spending 1/2 day with Astrid on the water.

Highlight of our entire trip! This was an amazing experience! Our guide Jimi was very cool and easy to get along with. He was patient and shared a lot of knowledge with us. I wish we would have booked more stuff like this and less Disney. If we ever return to Florida, we’ll be back. If you love outdoor adventure, you’ll love the Blackwater Creek Adventure! Thanks Jimi !

We loved the Small Group Blackwater Creek Scenic River Tour with Lunch. What a unique and amazing experience! Our river guide Jimi was fun and very knowledgeable telling us about all the plants and animals we saw along the route. We saw lots of wildlife including several alligators at a close (but safe) distance along the way. The river was peaceful and beautiful with very few traces of other people. I highly recommend this tour if you have previous kayak experience and love nature.

This was a perfect day! The scenic Blackwater Creek with Venture Outdoors is perfect to relax and enjoy the wildlife in harmony with nature. I was really overjoyed. Our guide Astrid's knowlegde about wildlife and environment is amazing; there was nor question unanswered. We also had fun during lunchbreak with the healthy food. Highly recommend Venture Outdoors. Elisabeth

We had a great , memorable experience. The scenery was breath taking. We saw many different animals , trees, flowers etc..Astrid our tour guide was fantastic.From the first moment she made us feel good and comfortable . She was very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. We really enjoyed her company and hope to have her on the next kayaking trip.I’ll highly recommend this adventure. Specially with Astrid.

The reptiles were out and close to see. It was cool. The fallen trees made it tricky to maneauver in some places but manageable.

It was a fantastic trip through Florida nature. Saw many local wildlife including alligators of all sizes, turtles, and many birds. Astrid is a wonderful guide. She is very knowledgable and is a very attentive to making sure everyone is having a great time and making sure os safety at all times. Also, provided a great lunch! Thank you so much for a wonderful day! I can't wait for the next one!

We thoroughly enjoyed our day on Blackwater Creek with Astrid! From the onset, she made sure to let us know that this is OUR tour--she was there to give us the experience we were looking for-our speed, our time, our interests. It was a day where we saw noone else but our group and the surrounding nature--fauna, animals, and birds in abundance. We stopped at a lovely spot for lunch and some delicious food that Astrid provided. She is knowledgeable of the area, safety on the river, kayaking expertise, and she is eager to help make this your best experience any way that she can. This was one of the biggest high-lights of our vacation to Florida and we heartily and highly recommend this be a part of your Florida experience! Oh, and she is also an excellent photographer, capturing some awesome memories for you as you sit back and enjoy your day.

Jimi (who always does the tour), guided us through the mangroves for four hours and taught us a lot about the nature here, the birdlife, the origins of the different water colors, the breeding grounds of the alligators. He showed us (and let us taste) what you can eat here and what you can only look at, took a snack break and helped us through the bushes. This tour has relaxed and enriched us, thank you Jimi.