Trip Overview
Honest John’s Fish Camp really is old Florida, like really old Florida. It began as a government homestead in 1887. Robert T. Smith and his brother Charley came from southwest Georgia seeking a new life after the ravages of the Civil War. They were farmers and raised beans, sweet potatoes (yams), collards and later citrus. Their produce was shipped to the White House during the presidency of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Robert (Uncle Bob) bought out his brother's interest in the homestead, married a Missouri gal named Elizabeth (Bessie) Wells, built a cracker house in 1899 and started raising a family. Honest John was the third child of eight. He disliked farming and became a commercial fisherman.
Today, the fish camp is home to some of the best kayaking in the Indian River Lagoon. We routinely see dolphins before we even launch herding mullet in the cove. Manatees are also very common as are lots of different birds and even an occasional green turtle.
The paddle is about 6 miles roundtrip - expect to be out for about 3.5 - 4 hours.
