Everglades National Park: A paddling paradise
Here's everything you need to know about the trails, the wildlife and the fishing
E-Mail this story
Print this story
tool name
close
tool goes here
By Cara Cooper
Everglades National Park
Posted - Friday, August 08, 2008 06:30 PM EDT
What do bald eagles, dolphins, tarpon, crocodiles, osprey, Goliath grouper, alligators, pelicans, spoonbills, blue crabs, peregrine falcons, redfish, swallow-tailed kites, red shouldered hawks, snook and reddish egrets all have in common?
They're all critters I've seen up close and personal in Everglades National Park while canoeing. Some I've seen so close, they bumped my canoe (redfish), while others flew so close I could hear the swishing of their wings (spoonbills). I wasn't on some exotic backcountry sojourn, however -- I saw all these wonderful sights on day trips that are perfect for beginners and experts alike.
Depending on the season, the different canoe trails in Everglades National Park can offer different things. It's easy to explore the park by canoe or kayak to see wildlife up close and to catch some big fish. The places listed below are easy to access and paddle (weather permitting), and are fairly easy to find without getting lost. We'll start close to home and work our way down the park's main road to Flamingo.
Paddling essentialsPaddling Everglades National Park is a great way to enjoy the park. It's cheap, fun, good exercise and a great way to sneak up on wildlife and fish. In some places, paddling is the only way to get there due to extremely shallow water, especially in the winter. With some practice, you can explore off the trails to find your own secret spots for adventure.No matter where you go, don't forget the essentials for a day trip into Everglades National Park. Required gear includes a wearable personal flotation device or life jacket for each person and a sound-making device (think whistle) in case of emergencies. Bring along a gallon of water per person (you won't believe how fast you can go through water, even on a cloudy day), food, sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, an extra paddle, a waterproof bag for your gear and bug repellant or bug jacket; in summer and early fall, bugs on some of the mainland trails make paddling nearly impossible. A camera is also good for capturing the day of fun (or your biggest catch) and binoculars are useful for checking out birds or scanning for the next trail marker. A weather eye is very important, particularly when summer thunderstorms blow in from seemingly nowhere with gusty winds and dangerous lightning. In the winter, check the forecast for wind direction and speed. Paddling into the wind is a miserable way to finish to the day, so plan your trip so you are padding areas protected from the wind. If fishing, don't forget your licenses and fishing regulations, a de-hooker and something to measure your catch. Another good idea is to leave a float plan with someone who can notify park officials if you don't return on time. Leave a copy on the driver's seat of your car since that is the first place rangers will look if you are missing.
Marker 42/Dusenberry Creek, Key Largo
If you put in at Tarpon Basin on the bayside in Key Largo and follow the Intracoastal Waterway north to (red) Marker 42 at Dusenberry Creek, you'll discover an incredible little mangrove tunnel ready for exploration. Follow it and keep to the left when it splits and eventually you'll pop back into Tarpon Basin. This mangrove tunnel is wide enough for kayaking and canoeing, although fallen limbs from the hurricanes of 2005 can make it like an obstacle course in some spots.
This is a nice paddle when the winds are up and you want some shelter. You'll hear birds singing, maybe even see a manatee or blue crabs swimming by, and very likely you'll catch sea trout, snook and snapper. On the way, look out for fast boat traffic on the Intracoastal.
Length of tunnels from the Intracoastal to Tarpon Basin: less than a mile.
Trails on the mainland
From Palm Drive in Florida City, follow the signs for Everglades National Park to the main entrance. Be sure to stop at the visitor center on your way in to pick up trail guides for the Flamingo area paddling trails, or check them out online (www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/brochures.htm).
If it's the peak of the dry season (February through May), water levels can make some trails impassible, so it's worth asking about conditions before you go; call (239) 695-2945.
If fishing, you will need a freshwater fishing license from Nine Mile Pond north, and a saltwater license everywhere south of there. They are not sold in the park, so before you go stop by a local bait shop or visit www.myfwc.com for information on how to purchase one on the Web or by phone.
Be aware that the three little ponds along the road, Eco Pond, Coot Bay Pond and Mrazek Pond, as well as the Flamingo Marina, are all off limits to fishing.
If you don't have a canoe or kayak, you can sign up for a ranger guided tour (call (239) 695-2945 December to April), or rent one from the Flamingo Marina; call (239) 695-3101. Outfitters outside the park in Homestead and the Upper Keys also rent kayaks and canoes and lead guided tours year-round.
Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail (No. 1)
Nine Mile Pond is about 25 miles down the main park road from the entrance, and a few miles on the left after the Paurotis Pond turnoff (see map). This is a great paddle for seeing alligators, wading birds and turtles, and for experiencing Everglades wilderness (no motors allowed).
If the water levels are high enough, you can target freshwater fish like large mouth bass. The trail, which winds through mangroves and marsh, is marked with white posts. Halfway through there is a short cut (see trail guide), but windy days can make the route more difficult.
Length of the trail: A 5-mile loop (a four- to five-hour easy paddle), or with the shortcut it's 3.5 miles.
Hell's Bay Canoe Trail (No. 2)
About 2 miles south of Nine Mile Pond, you'll see the put in for Hell's Bay on your right. The canoe trail is marked with white posts and will take you through tight mangrove tunnels and ponds, and then small bays. There are three segments on the trip, Lard Can, Pearl Bay Chickee, then Hell's Bay Chickee.
Motors are prohibited from the put-in to Lard Can, and camping at the chickees requires a backcountry camping permit. Making the trek to Hell's Bay can be worth it for the fishing alone, but you might also see wildlife like alligators and mangrove crabs along the way.
Pay attention to the markers when you're out in the more open bays, otherwise you might feel confused by how all the mangroves suddenly look alike. Because it's such a maze in there, old-timers used to say it was "hell to get into and hell to get out of."
Length of trail: 3 miles one way to Lard Can, 3.5 miles to Pearl Bay Chickee, 5.5 miles to Hell's Bay Chickee (a six- to eight-hour round-trip paddle).
West Lake Canoe Trail (No. 3)
Roughly 2 miles south of the Hell's Bay put in, you'll see the entrance for the West Lake pavilion on your left. There is also a nice boardwalk trail here, as well as restrooms and picnic tables. Boats with motors less than 6 horsepower can explore West Lake, but beyond the lake, motors are prohibited.
Fishing can be great here -- sea trout, snook, tarpon, black drum and even the occasional jack. West Lake isn't affected by seasonal low water, but it can be particularly rough on windy days, so plan your trip accordingly.
Look for both alligators and crocodiles along the route and birds in the trees along the shoreline.
Length of trail: 7.7 miles one way to Garfield Bight, but paddling around and exploring/fishing West Lake itself is a great day trip.
Coot Bay (No. 4)
Coot Bay Pond is a little over 2.5 miles south of West Lake and is one of the entrances to Coot Bay. You might see (and hear) red-shouldered hawks, osprey, swallow-tailed kites (in the spring), crocodiles and wading birds while putting in. Remember, there is no fishing in the little pond.
Head to the back end of the pond toward the left and you'll find an entrance to a small mangrove creek that will require some slow maneuvering to emerge at Coot Bay. Along the shoreline, you'll likely find more birds overhead, and beneath the water you can find snook, redfish, mullet and lots of surprises.
You can also enter Coot Bay by coming up the Buttonwood Canal from the Flamingo Marina, but keep to the side of the canal since you share the canal with fast boat traffic. During windy days, Coot Bay can be more protected if you hug the shoreline, but don't underestimate how hard paddling into the wind can be.
Fishing along the shoreline, or where the canal and creeks enter the bay, are your best bets. Casting weedless-rigged bait or spoons or top-water lures will help keep you from bringing back Swamp Thing on the end of your line every time.
Length: Roughly 2.5 miles round-trip from Coot Bay Pond to the Buttonwood Canal, roughly 6 miles round-trip from the Flamingo Marina to Coot Bay, but spend as little or as much time exploring the lake itself as you'd like.
Florida Bay (No. 5)
You've reached ground zero for exploring the park's southern end.
Flamingo makes a great base if you want to camp and explore Florida Bay or the inland waters. Crocodiles, osprey, eagles, wading birds and fish abound here.
Unlike the other day trips mentioned above, exploring the marine waters of Florida Bay requires paying attention to the tides. Tide tables for Flamingo are for sale in the marina, or can be found online. Knowing the high and low is useful for paddling and for fishing. Some of the flats between the marina and the bays to the east are impassible even for paddlers on some low tides (-.1 or less depending on how loaded down your boat is).
For a quick trip and some great fishing, head out of the marina (off limits to fishing) and onto the nearby flats. Redfish and tarpon frequent these parts and quietly sneaking up on them will bring some excitement. Working the shoreline along the mainland or the tiny islands nearby can also produce snook. Length of trip varies.
For a longer trip, head east past Christian Point toward Snake Bight. You can fish the shoreline along the way for tarpon and snook with a weedless or top-water set up.
Timing is everything for this trip. Morning trips before a low tide are the best for birding, as you will find hundreds of birds such as spoonbills, white pelicans, ibises, herons and egrets feeding on the flats. You will also see bald eagles, brown pelicans, osprey and maybe even a peregrine falcon in the skies above. If you float along quietly, you'll see spider crabs, mullet, redfish and other denizens of the shallows.
You can go up the small channel on the western shore (more protected on windy days) or paddle straight east from Christian Point and follow the Snake Bight channel north. On the falling tide, you can fish the edges of the banks or the channels for snook and redfish. But watch out -- if you get too distracted by a school of redfish on a falling tide, you can be left high and dry even in a kayak. On the rising tide you can work the flats. Paddle quietly to hunt for redfish, tarpon, snook and small sharks.
Length of trip varies: Roughly 5 miles round-trip from the marina to the end of the western channel, a mile or two longer if you follow the main channel instead.
Cara Cooper is a Florida Bay outreach ranger for Everglades National Park.
