The Wacissa River is one of Florida’s wildest and most diverse rivers, with numerous springs and abundant wading birds. The river is a magnet for wildlife and a recreation hub for swimmers, snorkelers, boaters and anglers. This well-loved river offers rewarding excursions for beginning paddlers or families with children. The upper river can become crowded with boats and paddlecraft on weekends; the lower river tends to be quieter.

he limpkin, now absent from many of Florida's rivers because of poor water quality and habitat loss, is still found on the Wacissa. Apple snails are this wading bird's main food source and clusters of the snail's pink, pearly eggs cling to aquatic plants and tree trunks along the water's edge. In the spring, zephyr lilies and wild irises brighten the landscape. In late summer, scores of swallow-tailed kites gather in the cypress along the river before their migration to South America for the winter. Dozens of wading birds hunt small fishes and frogs at the water's edge. Eagles, wood ducks, coots and mergansers are commonly spotted in the cool months. Alligators are plentiful all year.