Recreation

Kayaking
Silent Sports Outfitter
2301 Tamiami Trail
Nokomis, FL 34275
941-966-5477
Open 8:30-5 daily, except Thursdays (closed)
Silent Sports Outfitter is our friendly neighborhood kayaking and watersports business just 3 miles north of Floridaloha on the west side of US 41. It provides everything you need for kayaking or stand-up paddleboarding, with rental programs and equipment for people at all experience levels. Take the kayak on your own vehicle, or arrange for delivery. Take a beginner trip at nearby Oscar Scherer State Park (just 4.5 miles north of Floridaloha) or an intermediate trip at Blackburn Point (5 miles from Floridaloha.) Single or tandem kayaks available, overnight rentals available. Guided tours of Myakka River and other locations available, too. Ask for Mary and tell her Floridaloha sent you. Check our blog for special tours and rentals, keyword kayak.

Download their brochure here.

Biking

• Legacy Bike Trail

Hiking

• Deer Prairie Creek Preserve

A 10,000-acre tract of conservation land maintained by Swiftmud, the Southwest Florida Water Management District. Hikers, cyclists and horseback riders can enjoy more than 75 miles of trails that wind through the woods and along the river. According to the Herald Tribune’s Thomas Becnel, “It is a beautiful spot to visit, but it’s no place for beginners. There are no bathrooms, drinking fountains or any other park amenities. It’s easy to get lost in a tangle of sandy trails. And you have to walk more than a mile to reach the prettiest parts of the preserve. Having said all that, I loved my afternoon visit. Traffic noise faded as I walked south of the entrance near Interstate 75. Huge oaks began to shade the trail, which curved along with the Myakka River.”
For more information on the Deer Prairie Creek Preserve, visit the Swiftmud website or call the Sarasota County Natural Resources Department at 941-861-5000.