Sea Kayak Trips Bulletin Board

Just back from Everglades/Keys (lessons learned)

Posted By: Steve Hagan
Date: Saturday, 3 April 1999, at 7:32 p.m.

I've just returned from a week long trip to the Everglades and the Florida Keys, and I thought I'd share a couple of observations.

The first place I paddles was the 10,000 islands area on the west side of the Everglades, near Everglades city. This is a beautiful area; a mass of mangrove islands separated from the mainland by a bay about 1 mile wide. There were fish everywhere, a huge variety of sea birds, storks, herons and egrets. I also had the joy of paddling amongst a group of dolphins. Although largely sheltered by the winds attention should be paid to the tide table. Those of you who spend a lot of time arguing about whether or not one should chill the varnish before applying a 12th coat or not should be aware that the oyster bars just inshore of the islands could be trouble at low tide.

I next paddled the Turner river. An older guide book I had described this as one of the best trips in the 'glades. Either I was in the wrong area or the changes made to restore the Everglades have altered it. From route 41 you can only paddle upstream. The area is rotten with fish, aquatic plants and gators. It's kinda like paddling through a boiling pot, with dozens of large gars and bass splashing out of the way of the boat. The gators tended to submerge before I got within about 10 feet, however. The problem with the trip is that it becomes weed-choked after about a mile. Also, there is a gravel road that paralles the river, spoiling the tranquility.

I camped at the Hell's Bay chickee. A chickee is a wooden platform the park service has set up in several of the bays in the mangrove (southern) portion of the Everglades. This chickee is reached by a 6 mile paddle through the mangrove tunnels. These passages are channels about 5 to 20 feet wide that winde from pool to pool in this brackish area. A tremendous trip, although a little tough on a strong tracking boat without a rudder (I took my Pygmy Osprey). The mosquitos and biteing flys can be terrible, although I was little troubled by them during the day. Night was a different matter. Within about 10 minutes of the sun going down they were out in force. Plan on being in your tent when its dark. The chickees must be reserved, in person, 24 hours or less before your trip. Also, be aware that on most of the chickees 2 groups can camp. I was lucky, but if you want solitude you might want to choose your site with care. Plan to go very slow through the first 2 miles of the trail, due to the sharp turns and narrow channels. I found a double ended paddle ok, although it did get caught in the trees on either side of the channel at some points. The channel, by the way is pretty clearly marked by pvc pipes.

I also spend some time in Key Largo. Although the area is oriented towards diving, there are some nice paddle trips. I enjoyed paddling out to the smaller keys, putting my kayak up in the trees above high-tide and snorkeling around the mangrove roots. I think the best way to reach the reefs is just to drop the 25 bucks and take a trip on a dive boat. If you plan on snorkeling try to find a trip that is snorkel only. Also, there is very little public access to the water in Key Largo (I understand it is a little better further along). Try to ensure that your hotel has water access in the area you want to paddle.

The drive: I live in the Chicago area. For me it was a day and a half drive. My Yakima rack worked great, even at 85 miles an hour!

Anyway, I had a blast and would recommend the trip. See you down there next year!

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