Peaceful Blueways Beckon Canoeists and Kayakers

Bob Minthorn, a volunteer helping research the best trails for the Hillsborough County blueways guide, is an avid kayaker.

While most of the focus on boat access emphasizes power boats that need dedicated facilities to launch, local agencies in Tampa Bay are quietly creating nationally renowned blueways that make the regionâs spectacular rivers and bayous more easily accessible by canoe or kayak.

Manatee Countyâs ãPaddle Manateeä guidebook created in 2002 was one of the first in the nation and won a series of awards from state and national planning organizations. ãWe were working on a master plan for greenways but didnât have a lot of money to buy land,ä notes Troy Salisbury, then greenways coordinator for the county. ãSomebody asked Îwhy not do a paddle trail?â using public waters, so we did.ä

The longest in the world when it first opened, the Manatee trail was eclipsed last year by trails through the Everglades. Revisions to the guidebook, underway now and expected to be complete later this summer, should allow Manatee to take back its top ranking, he adds. ãWeâre looking at new trails, particularly running along the islands from the Sarasota line to Anna Maria,ä Salisbury said. The new book also will include GPS locations and maps that highlight attractions along the trails.

Success in Manatee encouraged both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties to begin creating similar guides that will eventually connect to create a regional blueways system. More than 60 volunteers are currently rating potential trails in Tampa and Hillsborough County to develop a guidebook and companion website that details the trails from different perspectives, said Mary Helen Duke, greenways and trails coordinator for the City of Tampa.

ãWe want a lot of different perspectives from ages, experience levels, and different types of watercraft because open-water kayaking is very different from river kayaking,ä she said. ãPart of what is coming out of this effort is the identification of good canoe and kayak launch facilities ö not everyone wants to start at a marina, but they still need parking, signage and restrooms.ä

With parks and preserves like Weedon Island, Fort DeSoto and Boca Ciega, Pinellas County has a great start on a blueways, but plans to expand it as part of the updated comprehensive plan. ãWeâd like to have something more formal in place,ä said Liz Freeman, the countyâs planning section manager. ãThere are a lot of access points but they can be expanded and weâd like to promote them outside the area rather than to just the people who live here.ä

Promoting blueways and kayak trails offer significant tourism opportunities, Duke adds. ãItâs one of the fastest-growing sports in the country, plus itâs typically a high-income sport popular among people who like to travel.ä

Still, designing the blueways trails is a labor of love for participants. ãItâs a lot more work than most people think, though,ä Salisbury said. ãAnd when we come back sore from paddling all day, we get no pity whatsoever from wives and coworkers.ä