Yankee Town, Gulf of Mexico

Class: 1, open water, affected by wind and tides

Put-in: At end of SR 40A SW of Yankeetown east of boat ramp.
Take-Out: Same as put-in.

Directions: From Dunnellon, take 40 West through Inglis and Yankeetown. You will come to a 4-way stop. Make a left on 40A and follow it to the end. At the end is a County boat ramp and picnic area. ...Map of Area

Parking: Parking on side of road or Paved parking in picnic area.

Facilities: Restrooms, boat launch, picnic area.

Park Fee: none

Trip Time: 5-6 hours


The put in is at the end of 40A just east of the boat ramp where the Withlacoochee exits to the Gulf of Mexico. There is a nice little sandy beach here that is perfect for putting in kayaks. You can't miss it. There is a palm tree there that has a face carved into it. We were told that a man carved it there using a chain saw.

The main thing you have to watch out for here is the oyster beds. They can be razor sharp so you try to avoid them. During low tide you can see where they lie. Dolphins like to swim up in the channels to feed. It is quite awesome to see one go under your kayak and surface on the other side. The manatee are also known to use these channels for feeding, so there is a no wake posted. Pelicans are the most common birds seen here.

A great number of the islands are part of the wildlife preserve area, and some have signs posted to keep you from disturbing birds that are nesting. You can camp on some of the islands as long as you stay away from the posted areas. Also remember to take your trash with you when you leave. Try to keep our surrounding coastal areas as beautiful as they were when they were created.
Then there is the fun you can have fishing in the Gulf. It really doesn't matter if you catch anything or not, it is just relaxing being rocked by the waves.

The sunsets in the Gulf are ever changing. Not one looks the same and sometimes even the same one looks different from different vantage points.

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