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Florida

Back to Nature: Kayaking the Waterways of Florida

Program No. 22647RJ
The Florida coastline boasts beautiful nature reserves and some of the finest kayaking in America. Kayak through mangroves and wetlands to search for wildlife with expert naturalists.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
Select your type of room
Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Feb 4 - Feb 9, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Feb 11 - Feb 16, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Mar 3 - Mar 8, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Mar 10 - Mar 15, 2024
Starting at
1,999
Dec 8 - Dec 13, 2024
Starting at
1,849
Jan 26 - Jan 31, 2025
Starting at
1,949
Feb 9 - Feb 14, 2025
Starting at
2,099
Feb 23 - Feb 28, 2025
Starting at
2,099
Mar 2 - Mar 7, 2025
Starting at
2,099
Mar 9 - Mar 14, 2025
Starting at
2,099
Dec 7 - Dec 12, 2025
Starting at
1,949
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
Filling Fast!
Feb 4 - Feb 9, 2024
Starting at
2,489
Filling Fast!
Feb 11 - Feb 16, 2024
Starting at
2,489
Mar 3 - Mar 8, 2024
Starting at
2,489
Filling Fast!
Mar 10 - Mar 15, 2024
Starting at
2,489
Dec 8 - Dec 13, 2024
Starting at
2,259
Jan 26 - Jan 31, 2025
Starting at
2,399
Feb 9 - Feb 14, 2025
Starting at
2,639
Feb 23 - Feb 28, 2025
Starting at
2,639
Mar 2 - Mar 7, 2025
Starting at
2,639
Mar 9 - Mar 14, 2025
Starting at
2,639
Dec 7 - Dec 12, 2025
Starting at
2,399

At a Glance

The mangroves, wetland canals and abundance of wildlife make Florida’s Space Coast one of the premier kayaking sites in America. Join expert naturalists and kayak instructors to explore this sublime wilderness on a kayaking adventure suitable for all skill levels. Search for an array of wildlife and learn what makes this unspoiled ecosystem such a thriving habitat. Kayak through wildlife sanctuaries and nature reserves, including the remarkable 1,000 Islands and the Turkey Creek Sanctuary. Discover why this region of Florida is known as the Space Coast with a visit to Kennedy Space Center.
Activity Level
Outdoor: Spirited
Walking up to 2 miles a day and kayaking 3-4 hours a day in breezy conditions on coastal paddles. Kayaking is appropriate for beginner and intermediate levels.
Small Group
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Kayak with naturalists through Florida’s mangroves to view wading birds, dolphins, ospreys and manatees.
  • Bask in the gentle glow of Cocoa Beach's comb jellies by moonlight during a nighttime paddle.
  • View the Saturn V rocket and watch a recreation of the Apollo 11 moon landing on a field trip to Kennedy Space Center.
Featured Expert
All Experts
Profile Image
Emerson Fales
Emerson Fales is a Miami native who enjoys being outdoors in Florida. When not leading programs, he is a middle school substitute teacher and high school girls' soccer coach. He has spent as much time kayaking, biking, and walking around Miami and Florida as possible since becoming a group leader in 2009. He enjoys showing people the natural wonders and human-caused eccentricities of Florida.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Emerson Fales
Emerson Fales View biography
Emerson Fales is a Miami native who enjoys being outdoors in Florida. When not leading programs, he is a middle school substitute teacher and high school girls' soccer coach. He has spent as much time kayaking, biking, and walking around Miami and Florida as possible since becoming a group leader in 2009. He enjoys showing people the natural wonders and human-caused eccentricities of Florida.
Profile Image of Johnny Layton
Johnny Layton View biography
Johnny Layton has been leading programs for Road Scholar since 2017. From the Florida Keys to Alaska, Johnny has led programs in 11 states and four countries. When he is not ensuring Road Scholar participants are having an amazing experience, you can find him in the sky crisscrossing the USA as a flight attendant or as a driver/guide on the Historic Trolley Tour at home in Asheville, North Carolina.
Profile Image of Anita Allen
Anita Allen View biography
Anita Allen grew up in Indiana and now lives in Coral Springs, Florida. She earned her BA in zoology and MAs in environmental science and geography. She worked for many years in environmental protection and water management along with assisting with sports specialty travel groups around the world. Anita now leads groups for Road Scholar in Florida. When not leading groups, she enjoys running, kayaking and taking photographs.
Profile Image of Ashley Konan
Ashley Konan View biography
Ashley Konan, a dedicated advocate for nature, has called Florida home for a decade. Having earned a B.S. in animal science from the University of Vermont, Ashley has traversed a diverse professional landscape, serving as a zookeeper at three different zoos, leading kayak adventures on the Indian River Lagoon, and contributing to the preservation of the Wekiva Wild and Scenic River system. Ashley's academic pursuits continue with a master's degree through Project Dragonfly at Miami University.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
North Brevard County, FL
by John T. Manning Ed. D
The early pioneer settlement of LaGrange Community in Brevard County in 1858 pre-dated the missile launches on North Merritt Island by just one hundred years. During that span of time, the northern part of Brevard County underwent significant growth and development--homes were built, land farmed, businesses established, and churches built. The citrus industry provided North Brevard with a productive agricultural economy that remained strong until the advent of the space age. With the federal government's purchase of the land north of the port of Canaveral in the 1950s, the Cape Canaveral Missile Test Center was established. Later, when more land was needed, the Kennedy Space Center was built on North Merritt Island. Many North Brevard towns, communities, and homesteads disappeared when the governmental acquisition of land forced residents to relocate, but it was this new era of technology that helped shift North Brevard from the farm age to the space age.
Explorer's Guide Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach & Florida's Space Coast
by Dianne Marcum
Visitors and residents alike will enjoy exploring Brevard County, a recreational paradise where the high-tech space program exists alongside amazing natural areas like the Indian River Lagoon estuary; the most diverse marine estuary in the U.S. Comprehensive listings make this your most informative and entertaining vacation-planning tool. Full-color photographs throughout
Canoeing & Kayaking Florida
by Johnny Molloy
ompletely updated yet again, the latest edition of Canoeing & Kayaking Florida is the most comprehensive guide to the best of Florida's unique streams, springs, creeks, and rivers. Engaging and concise, yet filled with carefully selected details vital to any successful Florida paddling adventure, Canoeing & Kayaking Florida spares readers encyclopedic fluff in favor of practical, no-nonsense information. With expanded regional maps and revised river maps, Canoeing & Kayaking Florida is simply the best and most informative Florida paddling guide available.
Birds of Central Florida: A Guide to Common & Notable Species (Quick Reference Guides)
by Larry Manfredi
Birds of Central Florida covers the area from Ormond Beach south to Sebastian on the east coast and from Crystal River south to Punta Gorda on the west coast. This waterproof guide beautifully illustrates 124 species of birds that can be found in Central Florida. Red-cockaded Woodpecker, Florida Scrub Jay, Brown-headed Nuthatch, Wood Stork, Snail Kite, Limpkin, Mangrove Cuckoo, Gray Kingbird are some of the “specialties” included in this guide. This pocket-sized guide features color photos in a side-by-side format that makes it ideal for field use. It includes common and scientific names, length, wing span and season when these birds can be seen. Nature enthusiasts of all ages will enjoy using this guide.
A History of the Kennedy Space Center
by Kenneth Lipartito
This first comprehensive history of the Kennedy Space Center, NASA's famous launch facility located at Cape Canaveral, Florida, reveals the vital but largely unknown work that takes place before the rocket is lit.
Cocoa Beach, FL (TAN) (Then and Now)
by Wade Arnold
Cocoa Beach welcomes millions of visitors every year, but the city has always managed to keep a small town atmosphere. In 1940, it was a cozy little waterfront town with less than 50 people. A few years after World War II, America’s space race began, and the city was never the same.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.