I could not agree more with the crew of Kismet. A cruise of the St. Johns River is simply not to be missed. In addition to the two attractons outline below, there are dozens of off-the-beaten-path anchorage which just beg to have a night spent on their tranquil waters.

Hi from Kismet:
Most . . . will pass Jacksonville, Florida on the way north in the spring and we would encourage those [cruisers] to take in the St Johns River. Yes it’s 140 miles from the ICW all the way south to Sanford but the trip is well worth it, take the time especially if you’ll only be by this area one time.
Two highlights during our trip up river were:
(1) Silver Glen Springs on the west side of Lake George at about mile 110 off the St Johns. This spring goes up 3/4 mile off of the Lake, the water is crystal clear, 72 degrees year-round and therefore great for swimming and inspecting or cleaning the bottom of your boat, we stayed 3 days. Before heading in we called the local Tow-BoatUS to check on water depths and local knowledge. Based on this we came to the spring’s channel from the south. We were advised to find the SLOW SPEED sign supported by a single post with 2 blue reflectors attached to it with two white stripes on the wood pole. We kept the sign to our starboard and headed diagonally towards the channel in 6 feet of water. Once at the mouth of the channel we found the deepest water to the north side of the channel. When you’re about two-thirds of the way in two sets of buoys split the channel, stay to the south here as there is a sand bar in the middle. Just past this split bow into sand bar (water 2 to 3 feet at bow) set anchor and put out a stern anchor. Well protected, scenic and best to visit during the week as the weekends can be very busy especially in the summer. We were there off-season and there was hardly anyone there.
(2) Blue Springs State Park at mile 141.8 on the St Johns. Proceed past the Park to G75 and pull into Snake Creek to your starboard. Where you find 7 feet of water drop and set your hook and secure a stern anchor. Dinghy back to the State Park and beach your dinghy. Then you can walk the park’s boardwalk back about 1 mile to the spring. Along the walk there are platforms to view the crystal clear Blue Springs where 101 million gallons of fresh water flows from the spring daily. Because the water her is a continual 72 degrees, year-round, it’s a manatee migration destination. We saw eight to ten while we were there along with fish and large turtles. In the spring, summer and early fall you can also swim in the spring area.
Go to our blog: http://www.favorsgreatloopblog.com to see a visual presentation of our trip on the St. Johns River (2009).
Jim & Lisa Favors – Kismet
Fathom 40 Fast Trawler