“Over the first weekend in October, the 5th Annual Hidden Coast Paddling Adventure is expected to attract close to 100 keen paddlers to the coastal region of Florida’s Hidden coast to experience the area’s unique combination of fresh and salt water environments. This marks the fifth year for this event, which has primarily been developed by a group of committed volunteers working together.
How it all began – On February 16, 2010, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) held a workshop in Steinhatchee with the object of stimulating regional interest in paddling as a recreational option for attracting tourism. After the event, a number of individuals from Steinhatchee, Suwannee and Cedar Key began talking about the possibility of a paddling festival for the entire Hidden Coast.
After a couple of years of a multi location plan, the group decided to hold the event in one location, and rotate the location, each year. The result was that over the weekend of Oct. 5-7, 2012 about 80 paddlers attended a well-planned event in Suwannee that included a full schedule of guided paddles, plus social events, all-day non-paddling events (speakers, workshops, excursions) and booths at the Suwannee Community Center. Paddlers stayed over the weekend in Suwannee and the event gave participating businesses a good cash boost.
Last year, using basically the same model but with many tweaks and adjustments, the event came to Cedar Key and was a resounding success. The event grew, not just in the numbers of those attending, but in structure, visibility and long-term viability.
October 2-5, 2014 – Hidden Coast Paddling Adventure – This year the Hidden Coast Paddling Adventure (HCPA) has moved up the coast to Steinhatchee/Jena and has expanded to include a Wednesday-Thursday 10-mile paddle with primitive overnight camping on Butler Island off Horseshoe Beach. The Steinhatchee Falls and River are the centerpiece of the event. There will also be a “Sunset to Moonlight paddle” to the mouth of the river, where it flows into the Gulf of Mexico.
Good Times Motel & Marina, in Jena, is acting as the event headquarters with a meeting area, full restaurant, hotel rooms, and primitive camping within walking distance. This allows HCPA to offer an “all inclusive” registration fee, that covers all paddles and land events, three nights of primitive camping, and all meals, excepting the Saturday night dinner. Other area overnight accommodations are available and will be listed on the website. Since this is an environmentally-conscious event, part of the registration fee will go to help support the American Kestrel Fund, which works to protect one of our most admired small birds of prey, whose population is on the decline.
Register Now! – Online registration is open, so go to the website HiddenCoastPaddlingAdventures.com. Remember, to insure the high level of safety and excellence, registration is limited to 100 paddlers. Each year we have more and more returning to the event, so please register early.
Submitted by Kay McCallister, co-chair of the 2014 Hidden Coast Paddling Adventure. (Kay and her husband, Russ, have been very involved with all the Hidden Coast Paddling Adventures. They own Suwannee Guides & Outfitters, helping paddlers on the Suwannee River, and Big Bend. They are also active in the Florida Paddling Trails Association and Dixie County Tourism Development.)”
For more information about the Hidden Coast Paddling Adventure or next year’s event, check out their website, hiddencoastpaddlingadventures.com.
