Talbot Islands - Simpson Creek / PADL Launch
Northeast Florida · Duval / Nassau County · Simpson Creek / Myrtle Creek
A salt-marsh paddle between Big and Little Talbot Islands where the tide can turn the same launch into an easy glide or a hard workout.
Map position was derived from this record’s sources and is awaiting confirmation against the research directory.
Why paddle here
- Simpson Creek offers undeveloped estuary scenery and route choice toward Big Talbot bluffs or historic Fort George, with on-site paddling support.
Launches, parking and access
Where you actually put the boat in, how far you carry it and over what. This is the part official sources are worst at, so it is the part we say most plainly — including where we do not know yet.
PADL hand launch on Long Island
Main launch- Launch type
- Hand-launch ramp
- Access
- Public access
- Fees
$1 per person hand-launch fee at PADL; nearby park parking and entrance fees vary
High confidence- Parking
parking at PADL and Big Talbot access areas
High confidence
- Carry to the water
- Carry not yet measured
- Hand-launch ramp between Simpson and Myrtle Creeks. Carry distance not established.
Nobody has checked this yet.Report the carry — How far did you carry your boat from the parking area to the water?
- How hard that carry is
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Rate the carry — How hard was that carry with a loaded boat?
- Ground you cross
- Not yet recorded
Nobody has checked this yet.Describe the ground — What did you cross on the way — pavement, sand, stairs, loose trail?
- Boat cart
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Report cart use — Could you use a boat cart the whole way, or did you have to carry?
- Unloading
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Report unloading — Could you unload beside the water before parking, or carry the whole way?
- Restrooms and rinse
- Not yet measured from the launch
Nobody has checked this yet.Report facilities — How close are the restrooms and showers to this launch?
A concession hand-launch sitting midway between the creeks, which is why both the north and south routes start here.
Unconfirmed at this launch — can you help?
- Where exactly do you put the boat in the water here?Pin the launch — Where exactly do you put the boat in the water here?
Little Talbot campground Myrtle Creek launch
- Launch type
- Campground creek launch
- Access
- Mixed public and private
- Fees
Campground fees apply; not available to day visitors
High confidence- Parking
- High confidence
- Carry to the water
- Carry not yet measured
- Campground launch on Myrtle Creek. Carry distance not established.
Nobody has checked this yet.Report the carry — How far did you carry your boat from the parking area to the water?
- How hard that carry is
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Rate the carry — How hard was that carry with a loaded boat?
- Ground you cross
- Not yet recorded
Nobody has checked this yet.Describe the ground — What did you cross on the way — pavement, sand, stairs, loose trail?
- Boat cart
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Report cart use — Could you use a boat cart the whole way, or did you have to carry?
- Unloading
- Not yet assessed
Nobody has checked this yet.Report unloading — Could you unload beside the water before parking, or carry the whole way?
- Restrooms and rinse
- Not yet measured from the launch
Nobody has checked this yet.Report facilities — How close are the restrooms and showers to this launch?
- Rules at this launch
- Open to registered campers only
Recorded because it exists and is materially restricted: campers only, so most visitors cannot use it. Access is Mixed while the authority is the state park, which is a different question from who may launch.
Unconfirmed at this launch — can you help?
- Where exactly do you put the boat in the water here?Pin the launch — Where exactly do you put the boat in the water here?
- Was there parking, and had it filled up by the time you arrived?Report parking — Was there parking, and had it filled up by the time you arrived?
Routes
Difficulty belongs to the route, not the location. One place can offer a beginner loop and an advanced crossing.
Simpson and Myrtle Creek sheltered out-and-back
Not yet ratedOut and back· Timing mattersPut in at PADL hand launch on Long Island.
Park guidance is to pick your direction from the tide, choosing north or south on the incoming or outgoing. The tide decides the paddle here more than the distance does.
The source rates the location Intermediate as a whole and does not rate the creek option separately from the exposed extensions, so no difficulty is assigned to any of the three.
Help verify this route
Have you paddled Simpson and Myrtle Creek sheltered out-and-back?
- How difficult did this route actually feel?Rate the difficulty — How difficult did this route actually feel?
- What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation?Say what made it hard — What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation?
- How far was this route if you tracked it?Report the distance — How far was this route if you tracked it?
- How long did it take you, and at what pace?Report the time — How long did it take you, and at what pace?
North toward Big Talbot bluffs and Nassau Sound
Not yet ratedOut and back· Timing mattersPut in at PADL hand launch on Long Island.
Head north on the tide that favours it; the sound is not a place to be fighting the current.
Kept separate from the south route because they are different water in different conditions, and the source does not rate either.
Help verify this route
Have you paddled North toward Big Talbot bluffs and Nassau Sound?
- How difficult did this route actually feel?Rate the difficulty — How difficult did this route actually feel?
- What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation?Say what made it hard — What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation?
- How far was this route if you tracked it?Report the distance — How far was this route if you tracked it?
- How long did it take you, and at what pace?Report the time — How long did it take you, and at what pace?
South toward Fort George Island and Kingsley Plantation
Not yet ratedOut and back· Timing mattersPut in at PADL hand launch on Long Island.
Head south on the tide that favours it; Fort George Inlet runs hard.
The south-tip water-entry restriction applies to this direction only, which is one reason the two directions are not one route.
Help verify this route
Have you paddled South toward Fort George Island and Kingsley Plantation?
- How difficult did this route actually feel?Rate the difficulty — How difficult did this route actually feel?
- What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation?Say what made it hard — What made this route easy or hard — current, distance, wind, navigation?
- How far was this route if you tracked it?Report the distance — How far was this route if you tracked it?
- How long did it take you, and at what pace?Report the time — How long did it take you, and at what pace?
What conditions do here
How much each factor typically governs a trip at this location.
These are not live conditions. This describes how much each factor typically governs a trip here. Always check the current forecast, tide table and river level before you launch.
- Wind
- Plan around it
- Current
- Trip-deciding
- Tide
- Trip-deciding
- Boat traffic
- Minor factor
- Boat traffic: Low-to-medium in creeks; higher near inlets/sound
Planning
- Exposure
- Sheltered salt-marsh creeks, with much greater exposure approaching Nassau Sound or Fort George Inlet
- Seasonal
- Tidal timing materially changes effort and launchability. Myrtle Creek can expose oyster beds at low tide. Current Little Talbot safety alert restricts water entry at the south tip because of strong mixing currents where river meets ocean.
- Best time of day
- Time launch to favorable tide; daylight/morning preferred when wind is lighter
- Reservations & permits
- No self-guided reservation identified; guided tours/rentals may require advance booking
Hazards
Tidal timing matters
Tidal current
Tidal timing matters
oyster beds at low tide
Strong current
strong inlet/sound currents
Other
route selection
Wind exposure
wind
Other
south-tip water-entry restriction
Treat this as a tide-planned creek paddle, not a casual open-water launch. Stay in Simpson/Myrtle Creek for the conservative experience and avoid inlet/sound exposure unless conditions and skill are appropriate.
Amenities and craft
Craft suited to this water
Bringing your own boat: Yes
Amenities
- Restrooms — Yes - at PADL/park facilities
- Showers — Yes - beachside/campground facilities nearby; not necessarily at launch
- Picnic area
- Food nearby — Yes - snacks/drinks at PADL
- Drinking water — Yes - park facilities nearby
What you will see
Rentals and outfitters
PADL / Kayak Amelia
RentalsHigh confidence
PaddlePin tips
Keep to the sheltered creek for the calmest paddle, or head north toward Nassau Sound or south toward Fort George Inlet, where the water is more open and exposed.
High confidenceBest Time of Day: Time launch to favorable tide; daylight/morning preferred when wind is lighter
High confidenceSafety Notes: Treat this as a tide-planned creek paddle, not a casual open-water launch. Stay in Simpson/Myrtle Creek for the conservative experience and avoid inlet/sound exposure unless conditions and skill are appropriate.
High confidence
Been here? Help keep it accurate
PaddlePin is researched from official sources. Paddlers who have actually been are how it stays true.
Contributions are reviewed before anything on this page changes. PaddlePin stays the researched directory — your report is evidence we check, not an edit to it.
Sources
Where this information came from, and when we last read it.
- Primary source — Florida State Parks, read
- Secondary source — Florida State Parks, read
Nearby paddling
Northeast Florida · Duval County · Pumpkin Hill Creek
A quiet, wildlife-rich tidal-creek out-and-back of about three hours from a shoreline launch in Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve, with limited low-tide access and strong-current warnings that call for tide-aware planning.
Northeast Florida · Duval County · Hanna Park lake (60 acres)
A 60-acre protected freshwater lake inside Hanna Park with a hand launch, an adaptive kayak launch, rentals, restrooms, picnic shelters and a playground, and no tide to plan around.
Northeast Florida · Duval County · Dutton Island tidal creeks
A marked tidal-creek paddling trail of roughly one mile among unspoiled marsh islands, from a non-motorized launch with a floating dock, parking, restrooms and picnic facilities.