Kayaking the Aucilla and Wacissa’s Slave Canal

By Peter Clayton

Photo gallery below

Day 1: The expected thunderstorms never made an appearance as mostly blue skies and ideal temps greeted us when we arrived at the Days Inn just south of Monticello off I-10 by 11:30, where we checked in then loaded all five boats on Theo’s trailer so we could use Craig’s and Tom’s cars for shuttling. Next was lunch outside at The Rev Cafe in town overlooking the picturesque Jefferson County courthouse. By 2:00, we were on the Aucilla at Herndon’s Landing after the obligatory group photo.

The Aucilla combines many qualities: it’s fairly narrow with plenty of turns, a swift flow thanks to recent rains, banks which alternated in height but provided a wonderful array of trees, shrubs and plants most showing their new Spring growth, and, a few shoals to make it interesting. We saw one fisherman on the bank early on – our only such encounter. We completed the 4.7 mile run to the Old Railroad Bridge ramp in under two hours leaving time for our post-paddle libations at the motel followed by dinner at The Porch on the Green, a mile east of town. The Porch is in a 1922 restored home on 1.5 acres with plenty of seating on the porch or inside – we opted for the latter. Our delightful server – Bri – and good food brought us back the following night.

Day 2: At the motel at 9:15, we met up with David Ward, our guide for the Slave Canal, and reviewed plans for the day before setting off for the Wacissa’s Goose Pasture ramp. David is part of a Aucilla-Wacissa River group similar to our local Riverkeepers. He’s a native who recently retired as the Jefferson County Property Appraiser, and has extensive knowledge of local history and geology. Assisting him was Robert, a retired county game warden, also with considerable local knowledge that made this segment of our trip truly special. Phil, a friend of David’s from Jacksonville, and his buddy, Peter, from Mt. Dora, rounded out the paddling group.

On route to the ramp, we stopped in Avalon, a 24,000 acre farm/estate which Ted Turner owns and lives on. David explained that the red clay road we were on was part of the Red Hills, a geologic feature that ran south from Georgia to this high point in north Florida. Also, he pointed out visible remnants of the Camino Real, the Spanish colonial-era road connecting Pensacola and St. Augustine. The Slave Canal was dug by slaves of pre-Civil War planters in the area to establish a water route to get their cotton and other cash crops to major markets via the Gulf of Mexico by connecting the Wacissa to the Aucilla. There are videos on line, one narrated by Ward, explaining the history of the endeavor, as well as a paper-back book which Craig brought with him to help us appreciate this unique waterway. On the water, we stopped at one site which was a former Native American settlement where an archeological dig was halted once bones were uncovered.

The five mile paddle was through pristine wilderness, narrow and winding with a decent flow and lots of deadfalls plus several overhanging trees requiring the “limbo” – lying flat in your boat – to get under, and one which entailed our first ever portage, albeit short. All our crew managed the obstacles while staying dry, but Phil and Peter weren’t so fortunate – Peter dunked three times. We saw more water snakes, some fairly up close, than ever, but the obstacles limited other viewing as one needed to keep a close eye on the water. David showed us several areas where limestone rocks were piled on the bank, part of the original canal construction. We ended at the Aucilla where we had a short but strenuous upstream paddle to our take-out at the Aucilla Landing ramp.

David then led us on a short hike along the Aucilla River Sinks Trail where the river goes underground except for the sinks where we watched the water swirl then disappear in its journey south. This exceptional day ended at The Porch restaurant where David and Hal Bennett, a friend of Ellis’ who recommended David to us, joined us for dinner. Hal owns Johnston Meat Market, a 96 year old family business, and is opening a restaurant in Monticello next month. He regaled us with the history and growth of the operation which was quite amazing – a trip to visit the restaurant will be planned.

Day 3: The third day began with heavy fog which didn’t deter an early start – 8:00 – and ended with fantastic weather. Our route was on the Aucilla from the Old Railroad Bridge to Jones Mill Creek ramp – a 5.1 mile run highlighted by several shoals, one of which put water over the bow and in the boat for all but Craig. The beauty of this stretch was similar to Day 1’s except for a few homes/cabins and a much longer drive – 45 minutes each way – for the shuttle cars, hence the early start. Lunch was at Big Wood BBQ in Live Oak and we were home by 6:00.

Wildlife sightings included three bison along I-10, a large dead wild pig and several wild turkeys along the dirt roads to and from ramps, pileated woodpeckers, the water snakes, a few gators and, of course, the kingfishers which always accompany us along the rivers. Many thanks to our drivers – Craig, Theo and Tommy – and photographers for making and remembering this incredible experience possible.

Peter (the dry one)