Best Kept Secret for Fun and Adventure in Flagler County

Flagler County is full of beautiful outdoor experiences — the coquina rock shoreline at Washington Oaks, the ancient hammock trails at Princess Place, the oceanfront campsites at Gamble Rogers. But there is one adventure here that most people — even long-time residents — have never heard of. It runs right through the Intracoastal Waterway in the heart of the Hammock, and it involves a kayak you can see straight through. Get Up and Go Kayaking's clear kayak eco-tours at Bing's Landing are Flagler County's best kept secret for fun and adventure — and once you have done it, you will understand immediately why Denise Fernandes calls it one of the most memorable experiences in the entire county.

Clear kayaking is exactly what it sounds like: a guided tour conducted in 100 percent transparent kayaks that allow you to see directly into the water beneath you as you paddle. Beneath the surface of the Intracoastal Waterway, the Hammock's estuarine ecosystem is teeming with life — and the clear hull of the kayak gives you a front-row seat to all of it. This is the full guide to what makes this experience so special and why it belongs on every Flagler County bucket list.

01 What Is Get Up and Go Kayaking?

Get Up and Go Kayaking is the highest-ranked kayak tour company in the world according to TripAdvisor, and it operates the only clear kayak eco-tours in Flagler County. Founded in 2016 in Florida, the company has expanded to more than 20 locations across the state and beyond — from the Florida Keys to Crystal River to Rock Springs Run — but its Flagler location holds a special distinction: the guide who leads tours here grew up in Flagler Beach and Palm Coast, spending years surfing the local breaks and paddling the Intracoastal before becoming a professional surfer and returning home to share what he knows about these waters with visitors and locals alike.

That local expertise makes the Flagler experience particularly rich. The tours depart from Bing's Landing — an eight-acre county park on the Intracoastal Waterway that is itself worth knowing about — and navigate through the winding creeks, mangrove tunnels, and open Intracoastal channels of the Hammock area. The guides know where the dolphins come to feed, which creek bends hide the best concentrations of shorebirds, and where the mangrove roots shelter juvenile fish, rays, and the occasional manatee. Each two-and-a-half-hour tour is small-group, limited to 10 participants, which keeps the experience intimate and the wildlife undisturbed.

02 The Clear Kayak Experience

Paddling in a clear kayak for the first time is genuinely disorienting in the best possible way. The hull is completely transparent — made from polycarbonate, the same material used in aerospace applications — and sitting inside one feels almost like floating directly on the water's surface with nothing between you and the ecosystem below. In the Intracoastal's shallow, tidal waters, that view is extraordinary. Stingrays glide beneath you. Schools of mullet scatter at the kayak's shadow. Blue crabs pick their way across the sandy bottom. Fiddler crabs line the mangrove edges at low tide.

The guided tour route moves through several distinct habitats — open Intracoastal water, narrow mangrove-lined tidal creeks, and the sheltered coves of the Hammock's estuary — giving participants an experience of how dramatically the ecosystem changes over a short distance. The guides narrate throughout, pointing out wildlife, explaining the ecology of the Intracoastal estuary, and providing context about the history of the Hammock and the role Bing's Landing has played in Flagler County's natural and human history. By the time you return to the dock after two and a half hours, you will have a genuinely richer understanding of the place you live in — or are visiting — than when you set out.

03 Who It Is For

One of the genuinely pleasant surprises about the Get Up and Go Kayaking experience in Flagler is how accessible it is. The clear kayaks are wide-bottomed and highly stable — they are significantly more stable than traditional recreational kayaks — and no prior paddling experience is required. The company describes the tours as suitable for all skill levels, and the guides are trained to ensure every participant feels safe and comfortable on the water from the first stroke. Children who are old enough to follow basic safety instructions are welcome, and families consistently cite this as one of the most memorable activities they have done together in Flagler County.

The tours run daily, weather permitting, and operate year-round — with each season offering something different. Winter tours provide exceptional wildlife viewing as birds concentrate along the waterways. Spring brings the return of migratory species and active fish populations. Summer mornings on the Intracoastal are glassy and warm. Fall brings cooler air and dramatic skies. There is genuinely no bad time to be on the water in the Flagler Hammock. Reservations are required and fill up quickly on weekends and during holiday periods, so booking ahead is strongly recommended.

04 Bing's Landing — Worth Exploring Before and After

The tours meet at Bing's Landing County Park — and the park itself is worth arriving early to explore. This eight-acre park sits on the Intracoastal Waterway within a maritime oak hammock, and it has a history as rich as its natural setting. Previously the site of the Mala Compra Plantation, the former estate of Brigadier General Joseph Hernandez — Florida's first representative in the U.S. Congress and the state's first Hispanic member of Congress — the park contains an active archaeological dig of the plantation site alongside its modern facilities.

Bing's Landing's current amenities include a state-of-the-art boat launch, a fishing pier extending over the Intracoastal, picnic pavilions and grills, a playground, and an interpretive exhibit about the park's archaeological and natural history. Entry to the park is free, and the combination of history, nature, and Intracoastal views makes it one of the most pleasant places to spend an hour in Flagler County even without a kayak tour. For residents who have not yet discovered it, Bing's Landing is exactly the kind of quiet, underappreciated local gem that makes Flagler County such a rewarding place to explore.

05 How to Book

The Flagler County clear kayak tours with Get Up and Go Kayaking launch from Bing's Landing at 5900 North Oceanshore Boulevard in Palm Coast. Tours run approximately two and a half hours and are capped at 10 participants per group. The price is $85 per adult. All equipment — including the clear kayak, paddle, and safety gear — is provided. Participants are advised to wear comfortable, quick-dry clothing, bring water, apply sunscreen before arrival, and wear shoes that can get wet. Booking is available online at getupandgokayaking.com or through the booking links referenced on the company's social media channels.

The company's Flagler-specific booking line and social media pages provide up-to-date information on tour availability, weather cancellations, and any seasonal schedule changes. Tours can sell out on popular dates, particularly Friday through Sunday mornings between October and May when the weather in Flagler County is at its most reliably perfect. When in doubt, book earlier rather than later — this is one of those experiences that tends to produce a waiting list the first time someone mentions it to a friend.

Meeting Point: Bing's Landing County Park, 5900 N Ocean Shore Blvd, Palm Coast, FL 32137

Booking: getupandgokayaking.com/locations/florida/flagler

Phone: (904) 701-3272

Instagram: @getupandgokayaking

Facebook: facebook.com/GetUpAndGoKayakingFlagler

Flagler County's Best Kept Secret — Now You Know

Whether you have lived in Flagler County for twenty years or are visiting for the first time, put this on your list. And if you are thinking about making Flagler County home — about what it means to live somewhere with this kind of outdoor access built into the fabric of daily life — reach out to Denise Fernandes. She can show you not just where to kayak, but where to live so that adventures like this are part of your regular weekend.