Thomas Creek will always have a special place in my heart. John Pemberton took us here on our maiden voyage a few weeks ago. I had never heard of Thomas Creek. It forms the border of Duval and Nassau counties, and is quite long. Although it doesn’t empty into the St. Johns, I count it as one of our premiere North Florida creeks that is superb for kayaking. The launch facility at the end of Ethel Road has a large restroom with flush toilets, picnic area, and nature trails. The creek runs east/west (sorta) from the launch and we headed upstream (west) just like our inaugural trip. The creek is wide with plenty of twists, turns, and overhanging trees.
We were fortunate that the sky was a bit overcast, with the sun darting in and out. This made our shooting time much longer and allowed us to paddle for 2 hours before turning back. We made it up to the correctional facility picnic area…for those of you who know where that is please remember we paddle s-l-o-w-l-y. Thomas Creek is one of those places you can return to time and time again.