2-Day St. Augustine Historic Waterways Kayak

St. Augustine has been continuously occupied by European settlers since 1565 — 55 years before the Mayflower. The Spanish built their coquina-stone fort here, then a watchtower 14 miles to the south, then a whole colonial city oriented around the water. Almost all of that waterfront history is still sitting there, visible from a kayak, in a way it simply isn’t visible from the tour-trolley route.

The Matanzas River runs 18 miles down the Atlantic coast of St. Johns County as the spine of the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s tidal, brackish, and flanked on the east by Anastasia Island and on the west by saltmarsh. Paddle it and you’ll pass within 200 yards of Fort Matanzas — an 18th-century Spanish coquina watchtower that looks exactly like what it is: something that has been standing in the salt air for 300 years, watching the inlet. There are roseate spoonbills in the grass flats in winter. There are manatees in summer. There are almost no other paddlers, on almost any day.

Overview

The Matanzas River and its surrounding tidal creek network offer 2–3 days of accessible flatwater paddling within a few miles of one of Florida’s most-visited cities. The water is brackish tidal estuary — no whitewater, no significant open-ocean exposure, manageable current on a tidal schedule. Wildlife density is high: bottlenose dolphins, manatees (May–October), roseate spoonbills (November–March), osprey, brown pelicans, and the occasional great blue heron standing motionless in 3 inches of water like it’s made of stone.

Best time: November through April. Summer is hot (water and air both in the high 80s), the no-see-ums and mosquitoes are active at dawn and dusk, and afternoon thunderstorms are a daily variable. Fall through spring gives you manageable insects, mild air (50s–70s), and the peak window for spoonbills and migrating shorebirds.

Difficulty: Easy. Tidal current adds mild complexity — you’ll want to check the tide chart and plan your route accordingly — but there are no exposed crossings, no surf zones, and the Intracoastal Waterway provides a navigable corridor even if your route planning is loose.

Base: St. Augustine proper. Downtown hotels and Airbnbs within 2 miles of the main put-ins. The Vilano Beach and Crescent Beach areas offer quieter and often cheaper lodging closer to the southern section.

Rental logistics: Several outfitters operate in the area. Ripple Effect Ecotours (904-347-1565) runs guided paddle tours on the Matanzas and offers rentals. Anastasia Watersports inside Anastasia State Park covers the Salt Run section. Budget $40–65/day per kayak depending on craft type.

Day by Day

Day 1 — Matanzas River, Fort Matanzas, and the grass flats

Put in at the Fort Matanzas National Monument visitor center boat ramp on SR A1A, roughly 14 miles south of downtown St. Augustine. The NPS manages this area and the ramp is free — no permit, no fee, no registration.

Paddle south from the ramp along the western shore of the river. The channel here is 200–400 yards wide and tidal — check the NOAA tide chart for the St. Augustine Inlet (station 8720587) before you go. On an outgoing tide, the current runs south; plan to paddle north on the return when the flood comes in.

The fort is directly across from the ramp, on the Rattlesnake Island side. Fort Matanzas was built by the Spanish between 1740 and 1742 from locally-quarried coquina limestone — the same material as Castillo de San Marcos in downtown St. Augustine. From a kayak you see it at water level, the way the soldiers who garrisoned it saw incoming ships: squat, grey-white, surrounded by spartina grass, with the inlet visible just to the south. The NPS ferry crosses from the mainland to the fort and is free — if you want to tour the interior, pull your kayak up and take the ferry.

From the fort area, paddle south toward Matanzas Inlet — the actual tidal cut that connects the Matanzas River to the Atlantic. The grass flats on the western shore of Rattlesnake Island concentrate wading birds: tricolored herons, snowy and great egrets, and in winter, roseate spoonbills working the shallows in their improbable pink. Spoonbills filter-feed by sweeping their spatulate bills side to side through the water — you can get within 30 feet if you approach slowly and don’t make sudden movements.

Return north on the flooding tide. Total paddling: 6–8 miles round trip, 3–4 hours moving. Back at the ramp by early afternoon.

Evening: downtown St. Augustine. The Castillo de San Marcos is 6 blocks from the waterfront parking and one of the more impressive surviving Spanish colonial forts in North America. Walk the seawall at sunset, eat at one of the restaurants on St. George Street, spend the night.

Day 2 — Anastasia Salt Run and the tidal creek system

Drive 5 minutes south on A1A to Anastasia State Park (entry ~$8/vehicle). The Salt Run is on the bay (western) side of the barrier island — a 3-mile tidal estuary loop sheltered from wind by the dune line. Rent from Anastasia Watersports at the park kiosk.

Paddle the loop counter-clockwise, timing your departure to catch an incoming tide for the second half. The Salt Run is narrower and quieter than the Matanzas — mangrove edges, jumping mullet, and a small sandy point mid-loop where you can beach the kayak and swim.

After the Salt Run loop (2–3 hours), drive or paddle the short distance south to the North River tidal system — a series of narrow brackish creeks behind Anastasia Island that few tourists ever see. The North River channels run through hammock and saltmarsh that feel remote even though they’re 5 minutes from A1A. Watch for bottlenose dolphins following the tidal flush — they move into these channels on flooding tides to work the mullet.

Return your kayak, clean up at the park bathhouse, drive back toward St. Augustine. Total paddling: 5–7 miles across both sessions.

What to Pack

• Sit-on-top kayak: Available from Anastasia Watersports and Ripple Effect. For a wider river like the Matanzas, a 12–14-foot touring sit-on-top handles tidal current better than a recreational hull.
• PFD: Required on Florida waterways. Most rentals include one. Wear it.
• Dry bag: The Matanzas has Intracoastal boat traffic — motorboat wakes can be 18 inches. A dry bag for your phone, car keys, and food is non-negotiable.
• Binoculars: Compact 8x25 minimum. The spoonbills and fort views justify a decent pair.
• Tide chart: Download the NOAA tide chart for St. Augustine Inlet before you go, or use the Tides Near Me app. The tidal range here is 4–5 feet — it materially changes where you can paddle and how hard.
• Sun protection: Hat, sunscreen SPF 50+, sun shirt. November–March still has intense midday UV.
• Bug spray: DEET 30% or higher, especially for dawn/dusk sessions November–April. Summer biting insects can be severe.
• Water: 2 liters per person minimum. No freshwater access on the river.

Getting There

St. Augustine is 55 miles south of Jacksonville on I-95 (Exit 318 to US-1) or via US-1 directly. From Orlando: 110 miles northeast, about 2 hours.

Day 1 put-in — Fort Matanzas: Fort Matanzas National Monument, 8635 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080. Free parking. GPS: 29.7186, -81.2365. Drive A1A south from downtown (about 14 miles) — the visitor center is on the left (west) side before the inlet.

Day 2 put-in — Anastasia State Park: 1340 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080. Entry fee ~$8/vehicle. Kayak rentals at the park kiosk, no reservation required.

Honest Caveats

Tidal current is real here. The Matanzas River has a 4–5 foot tidal range funneled through a constrained inlet. On a strong ebb or flood, current in the main channel can reach 2–3 knots. That’s comfortable with it, exhausting against it. Check the chart and go with the tide, not against it.

Intracoastal boat traffic on Day 1. The Matanzas River is a designated section of the Intracoastal Waterway. On weekends especially, motorboats and sailboats transit the channel. Stay in the shallower edges near the shore, not the main navigable channel. The wake from a 30-foot powerboat hitting 20 knots will flip an inattentive sit-on-top paddler.

The fort is not accessible from your kayak alone. You can paddle within 50 feet of Fort Matanzas, but you cannot land on the island directly. The NPS ferry is the only legal access to the fort itself. The ferry runs on a schedule and can be weather-cancelled. If touring the interior matters to you, check the NPS website (nps.gov/foma) before the trip.

Summer heat and insects. June–September air temperatures regularly reach 93°F with high humidity, and afternoon thunderstorms are nearly daily. The no-see-ums are active from dusk to shortly after dawn. This itinerary works in summer with early starts (launch by 7:30 AM, off the water by 11:30 AM), but it’s genuinely uncomfortable compared to November–March.

No camping on the water. Unlike the Peace River or Everglades paddle routes, there is no legal camping along the Matanzas River or Anastasia Island beach. This is a hotel-based trip, not a backcountry experience.