Chazz 6 — Chassahowitzka River Paddle — June 17, 2022

The Chassahowitzka River—usually just called the Chaz—is one of those Florida paddles that can be completely different every time. The main river is only part of the story. From the headwaters you can wander into canals, clear spring runs, narrow creeks, hidden swimming holes and, farther downstream, broad coastal marshes that eventually open toward the Gulf of Mexico.

For this June 17, 2022 paddle we launched at the Chassahowitzka River Campground, a perfect base for kayaks and paddleboards because the interesting water begins almost immediately. From the launch it is only a short paddle to the spring-fed headwaters and Seven Sisters, while Baird Creek and The Crack make a much wilder side trip farther downstream.

All photographs are clickable to view the full-size image.

Chassahowitzka River Campground Jump to route map

Seven Sisters and the Headwaters

Seven Sisters Springs is one of the natural first stops from the campground. The water here can be startlingly clear, especially compared with the darker tannin-stained creeks found elsewhere in Florida, and on a hot June day it is hard to pass up the chance to get out of the boat and swim.

Swimmers at Seven Sisters Springs — Swimming in the clear spring water at Seven Sisters near the Chassahowitzka headwaters.

The springs are close enough to the campground that the paddle starts feeling like an adventure almost as soon as the boats touch the water. The little residential canals, spring openings and side channels around the headwaters are worth exploring rather than simply hurrying downstream.

Swimming at Seven Sisters Springs — A relaxed swim stop in the clear water at Seven Sisters Springs.

Leaving the busy headwater area behind, the Chaz quickly starts showing its quieter side. Narrow runs branch away from the main river, and the water can shift from open sunshine to deep green shade in a matter of minutes.

Paddling a sunny spring run — Paddling a bright, narrow spring-fed run under a huge June sky.

This is exactly why kayaks and paddleboards are so much fun here. You can poke into water that larger boats cannot easily use, follow a promising side creek until it becomes too shallow, then turn around and try another branch.

Paddling a narrow Chassahowitzka side creek — Following one of the narrow side channels through grasses and low vegetation.

Even on a group paddle there are long stretches where the river feels quiet and intimate. The vegetation closes around you, the current is gentle, and it is easy to stop, talk and simply drift.

Paddlers resting in a shaded creek — A pause with the group in the shade along one of the quieter creek sections.

Baird Creek and The Crack

One of the classic Chassahowitzka side trips is Baird Creek. Once you turn away from the broader river, the scenery becomes increasingly enclosed and primitive-looking. Palms, hardwoods and low branches crowd the water until the creek feels more like a jungle passage than a river.

Narrow Baird Creek on the way toward The Crack — Baird Creek narrowing into a shaded, jungle-like corridor on the way toward The Crack.

Depending on water level, reaching the upper spring area can become a combination of paddling, dragging and walking. That is part of the personality of the place: you do not just paddle to The Crack—you work your way into it.

Kayaks gathered at a shaded landing — Kayaks pulled together at a shady landing where the water becomes too shallow to stay in the boats.

The route is especially fun with a paddling group because everybody ends up solving the same little obstacles—where to leave the boats, which channel still has enough water, and where it is easier to simply step out and walk.

Pinellas Paddlers at Baird Creek — A Pinellas Paddlers shirt among the palms and kayaks during the Baird Creek side trip.

In these upper reaches, clear spring water may be only ankle- or knee-deep. The boats gather under the trees while everyone wades farther upstream, and the whole outing begins feeling more like a combination paddle and water hike.

Wading beside kayaks in the spring run — Wading through the shallow spring run with kayaks gathered beneath the trees.

The spring-fed corridor here is one of my favorite kinds of Florida scenery: clear water over a pale bottom, palms crowding the banks, huge live-oak limbs overhead and shafts of sunlight cutting through the canopy.

Walking through a clear spring run — Walking the spring-fed shallows through a beautiful subtropical corridor.

The closer you get toward The Crack, the less this resembles a conventional river route. It becomes a narrow watery trail through the forest, and that sense of being tucked away from the main Chaz is a big part of the attraction.

Walking the jungle-like spring path — The route toward The Crack becomes more like a watery forest trail than a river.

The Crack itself is a secluded spring and swimming hole reached through Baird Creek. Its remoteness is a little deceptive—you are still connected to the main Chassahowitzka system—but once you are back in the trees it feels much farther away.

Wading under palms and hardwoods — Continuing on foot through clear shallow water beneath palms and hardwoods.

Low water can make the final approach slow, but it also lets you appreciate details that are easy to miss from a boat—the bottom, submerged roots, tiny fish and the way the spring flow moves through the narrow channel.

Group wading in shallow Baird Creek — The group working through one of the shallowest stretches of the spring run.

It is also a good reminder that the Chaz is not one single paddling environment. Within a few miles you can go from a developed campground launch to a swimming spring, then to water so shallow that carrying or dragging a boat makes more sense than paddling.

Walking through a shallow spring creek — A slow walk through clear water where paddling gives way to wading.

Boats can end up tucked into unlikely places along these side trips. That is one reason plastic kayaks are so practical here: roots, branches, shallow limestone and sandy bottoms are all part of exploring.

Kayaks among trees beside Baird Creek — Boats tucked into the woods during the side trip into Baird Creek.

Back Through the Creeks

Once back in the boats, the return through Baird Creek is a completely different experience. The same tight passages that demanded attention on the way in become a relaxed green corridor leading back toward the broader river.

Paddling a narrow green creek — Back in the boats, following a narrow green creek under an arch of vegetation.

Sunlight returns in patches, and the creek begins to open. These transitions—from dark shade to brilliant Florida sun—are some of the prettiest moments on the river.

Paddlers on a sunny creek — The creek opens again into sunshine with paddlers spread out across the water.

Live oaks, cabbage palms and dense shoreline vegetation frame much of the upper river. In places the branches reach so far over the water that they create natural tunnels.

Paddling under live oaks and palms — Paddling beneath spreading live oaks and palms in one of the prettiest stretches of the Chaz.

The calm current and protected side water make the Chaz friendly to kayaks, canoes and paddleboards. On the wider sections, standing on a board gives a great view down into the clear water and across the surrounding marsh.

Stand-up paddler on the creek — A stand-up paddler enjoying the calm water and blue sky.

June can be hot, humid and stormy, but when the sky opens up like this the colors are incredible—deep green vegetation, tea-green water, white clouds and almost electric blue overhead.

Blue sky over the Chassahowitzka creek — A brilliant summer sky over the spring-fed creek and surrounding forest.

The Chassahowitzka is also famous for wildlife. Great blue herons, egrets, anhingas, cormorants, ospreys, turtles, mullet and alligators are all part of the river system, and the quiet side channels can be especially good places to watch without disturbing them.

Palm-lined Chassahowitzka creek landscape — Palms, clear water and a wide Florida sky define the upper Chassahowitzka.

And then there are the manatees. The spring system gives them dependable warm-water habitat, particularly in cooler weather, but they can be encountered throughout the year. A manatee surfacing quietly near a kayak is one of those Chaz experiences that never gets old.

SUP paddler under blue sky — Standing high on a paddleboard for a better view through the clear creek.

With manatees, of course, the best approach is simply to slow down and let them choose the distance. The river is their habitat first, and a kayak makes it easy to watch quietly without chasing or crowding them.

Paddling a narrow spring-fed creek — Moving quietly along another narrow branch of the spring-fed river system.

There are enough little channels here that it is easy to spend most of a day exploring without ever feeling as though you followed one simple out-and-back route.

Paddleboard in a narrow channel — A paddleboard threading through a narrow, winding channel.

The River Opens Toward the Gulf

Farther west, the Chassahowitzka gradually changes character. The creek corridors widen, the sky becomes a bigger part of the landscape and the river begins transitioning from freshwater spring country toward a tidal coastal marsh.

Open creek under blue sky — The water widens beneath a vivid blue sky as the group works back toward the main river.

That lower river is another whole day's worth of possibilities. Side trips lead toward Potter Creek and Potter Spring, while Salt Creek branches north through the marsh. Each has its own mix of tidal water, spring influence and narrow backwaters.

Overhanging trees along the creek — Overhanging trees create alternating tunnels of shade and brilliant sun.

Keep going downstream and the hardwood forest gives way to broad marsh, scattered palms and open horizons. It is still the Chassahowitzka, but it feels completely different from Seven Sisters or Baird Creek.

Palms and marsh on the lower Chassahowitzka — The scenery begins to open into palms, marsh and the broader lower-river landscape.

On a longer day it is possible to continue toward the Gulf, passing old fish-camp country and working through a maze of tidal creeks and islands. Out there, tides and wind matter much more than they do near the protected headwaters.

Paddleboarder on open Chassahowitzka water — A paddleboarder crossing a wider, calmer stretch of the Chassahowitzka.

That ability to choose the day you want is what makes the Chaz such a repeat destination: a short spring-and-swim day, a Baird Creek adventure to The Crack, a Potter and Salt Creek exploration, or a much longer run toward the Gulf.

Kayaker relaxing on clear green water — A quiet rest on the kayak in the clear, green water.

A Perfect June Water Day

By the end of a summer paddle, getting back into the spring water feels pretty good. The clear, cool water is one of the reasons this river works so well in June, when Florida's heat can make almost any other outdoor activity feel like work.

Group selfie in the spring — A group selfie in the spring water—a perfect record of a hot June paddle.

And if there is a rope swing available, somebody is eventually going to use it. After hours of paddling, wading and swimming, there is something especially satisfying about ending the day by acting like a kid again.

Rope swing over the spring — Ending the water play with a rope swing over the spring.

One more swing, one more splash, and another Chassahowitzka paddle in the books. With springs, narrow creeks, wildlife, manatees, coastal marsh and the Gulf all connected by the same river system, it is easy to understand why this is a place worth coming back to again and again.

Rope swing at the end of the Chaz paddle — One more rope-swing run before wrapping up the day.

Where We Were on the Chaz

This map gives a good overview of the country covered by a Chassahowitzka paddle. The campground and Seven Sisters are at the eastern end, Baird Creek runs south toward The Crack, while the main river continues west toward Salt Creek, Potter Creek, the fish camps and eventually the Gulf. The photo-location markers also show how the day's pictures spread across the upper river and Baird Creek area.

Map of the Chassahowitzka River paddle area showing campground, Seven Sisters, Baird Creek and Salt Creek — Chassahowitzka River paddle map with the campground, Seven Sisters, Baird Creek and the route west toward Salt Creek.

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