(Keywords: Hiking, Paddling, Boating - Florida)

Everglades National Park

Featuring:
Ten Thousand Islands

florida everglades kayak paddling There are literally thousands of islands within a day's paddle from Everglades City. Although some of the islands are landmasses respectfully called keys, most are clumps of mangrove trees rising out of coral reefs, oyster beds, and sandy shoals. Only a few of the islands have enough beach to let you get out of the boat and stretch out your legs. You'll know where to go by downloading the free GPS Map detailed below.

Update: This area took heavy damage during Hurricane Wilma. For more information regarding closures and restrictions, contact the Park Service.

Click on the binoculars to see a demonstration ExpertGPS displaying Sandfly Key hiking trail, and adjacent water passage. everglades_expert.jpg (Approx. 104 KB) opens in a new window.

GPS Map

Download the free GPS Map in GPS eXchange (.gpx) file format, which can be read and transferred to your GPS using free GPS software. (The .gpx file will appear in a new window where you can File > Save as... on your computer)

GPS Map Details

File Name: everglades.gpx (84 KB)
File Size: 28K
Revised: 16 April 2002
Datum: WGS84
Class A1 and B1 Data
Waypoints: 31
Route and Tracks

Wilderness Waterway (Everglades City to Lopez River)
Rabbit Key Pass
Sandfly Pass
Indian Key Pass
"Le Mans" Backcountry Route to Picnic Key from Indian Key Pass
Halfway Creek Canoe Trail
Turner River (incomplete)
Concho Billy Hiking Trai
Sandfly Island Hiking Trail
Canoe Trail connecting Halfway Creek and Turner River

More Info

Beach camping is only allowed on Tiger Key, Picnic Key, Rabbit Key and Pavilion Key. A backcountry chickee (described in next paragraph) is available near Kingston Key and a ground site is located at Lopez River. A permit from the Park Service, obtained no more than a day in advance, is required for camping at all backcountry sites.

Chickees are 10' x 12' wooden platforms, elevated above the water, with a roof and walkway to a porta-potty. The park service maintains these camping platforms in areas where no suitable land exists. A good thing about Chickees is that they insulate you from certain undesirable wildlife encounters, but they come with their own set of hazards...

Tip: Getting onto a chickee at low tide is one skill you should practice, or at least think through, before attempting. If there is a ladder, it is likely in poor condition. Persons attempting this feat solo should always look around to make sure no one is watching. Always pack your gear in dry bags* to avoid catastrophe.

From either Everglades City or Chokoloskee, the outer keys are accessed through three main channels: Rabbit Key Pass, Sandfly Pass, and Indian Key Pass.

Word of Caution: Extreme tides obscure barriers to navigation and produce stiff currents through the passes. Poor planning may result in exhaustion from trying to make headway only to run aground short of your destination. Obtain, use, and keep with you, a local tide table and nautical chart (NOAA #11430).

I highly recommend a good pair of polarized sunglasses to help you see underwater obstacles and sea life.

For trip options from Everglades City/Chokoloskee to points south and east. Check out the Guide to Sea Kayaking in Southern Florida by Nigel Foster* which includes details about multi-day trips on the Wilderness Waterway beyond the Lopez River.

The saltwater ecosystem of the Ten Thousand Islands boarders with Mangroves and Coastal Marshes (see links below for adjacent areas, including the Coastal Prairie). The patient observer will see osprey, manatee, dolphin and loggerhead turtles. One critter you may grow weary of seeing is the raccoon, which has a reputation for bandit behavior.

Do not leave food unattended. Store food in a secure compartment on board your boat or in a hard-sided cooler. Storing food in porta-potties, is not always a convenient (let alone sanitary) use of shared camp facilities. Raccoons are known to chew through plastic to get at fresh water. A bear box is probably overkill, but you will need some kind of critter resistant container if you plan to be camping.

In the Everglades, the bugs are downright oppressive except in Winter. Best time to go is December through February. If you can be flexible during marginal months, plan your trip after a cold front has come through. In summer, you'll go insane without a toxic slathering of DEET insect repellant. Better yet, wear a Baja Shirt* and Bug Netting*.

Put-ins available to the public are extremely limited in this area. Outdoor Resorts of Chokoloskee and the Barron River Marina in Everglades City charge a fee for parking and use of the boat ramps. The Everglades National Park's Gulf Coast Visitor Center does not charge a fee.

For a full-service outfitter, I recommend North American Canoe Tours. Operated in conjunction with Ivey House Bed 'n' Breakfast in Everglades City, NACT provides kayak and canoe rentals, naturalist-guided tours, shuttle service, and private boat launch in addition to first rate accommodations (They don't pay me a commission for this link, but if you make a reservation, please say you heard about them through the Travel by GPS web site anyway).

For more info, rules and regulations regarding the Everglades National Park, see the Park Services' web site at:

www.nps.gov/ever/visit/

Adjacent GPS Maps:

Everglades Coastal Marsh; Paddling through Mangrove Tunnels

Everglades Coastal Prairie; Self-drive Birding and Hiking in Big Cypress Country

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