Kayak & Canoe Marina at Anne Kolb Nature Center
West Lake Park's marina rents kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards for exploring three marked, color-coded trails that wind through mangrove tunnels and across the open lake — also open to visitors launching their own non-motorized craft.
What's here
- Three marked routes: a shorter trail through dense mangrove vegetation, one crossing the open lake, and a longer, more scenic route heading north toward the nature center.
- Single and double kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards are available to rent by the hour, with a photo ID and deposit required.
- The marina keeps a shorter, weather-dependent schedule than the nature center itself — call ahead to confirm it's open before you drive out.
- Wildlife along the water regularly includes osprey, herons, ibis, kingfishers, and the occasional manatee.
Good to know
Call the marina directly for current rental rates and same-day availability — pricing and hours shift with the season.
Three Marked Paddling Trails
The marina's three color-coded trails give paddlers a choice of distance and scenery. The shortest stays inside dense mangrove vegetation, winding through narrow tunnels that put paddlers close to the trees on either side, while a second route crosses the open lake for a more exposed, straightforward paddle.
The longer, more scenic route runs north toward the nature center itself, giving paddlers a view of the observation tower and exhibit hall from the water — a different perspective on the same buildings most visitors only see from land.
Wildlife on the Water
Paddling puts visitors at eye level with the mangroves rather than looking down from a boardwalk or the observation tower, and wildlife sightings along the water regularly include osprey, herons, ibis, and kingfishers working the shoreline and tunnels.
Manatees turn up in the lake and channels often enough that paddlers should keep an eye out, particularly in the cooler months — a reminder to keep a respectful distance and let them move at their own pace.
Getting to the Marina
The marina keeps its own separate, weather-dependent schedule rather than the nature center's daily hours, so calling ahead before driving out — especially outside the Saturday through Monday window — is worth doing rather than assuming it's open.
Rentals cover single and double kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards by the hour, and a photo ID plus deposit are required to check one out. Visitors bringing their own non-motorized craft are also welcome to launch from the marina.
See the rest of the park
Kayak & Canoe is one of 6 featured areas at Anne Kolb Nature Center.