I’m looking for a good day trip on the western, Gulf side of the Everglades. Does anyone have a recommendation?
Always prepare for an overnight
Halfway Creek is a ten mile lollipop shaped trip.
Out of the Big Cypress Headquarters off the Tamiami Trail. Not very affected by tides which is a good thing
Another loop trip down from Collier Seminole State Park down the Blackwater creek and back through Mud lake… Tidal.
Out to Jewell Key and back to the Everglades City Rangers Station. About 12 miles round trip.
got more time? Or favorable wind and tides… out to Camp Lulu… about 20 miles round trip.
Check out my web site
– Last Updated: Feb-28-16 6:54 AM EST –
Lots of them here.
https://sites.google.com/site/flkeyskayaktrips/
If you have any questions about any specific one, just ask.
One of my favorits is "The Turner River"
jack L
details?
This is excellent advice. Thank you. Could you say a little more about Turner River and Halfway Creek–such as where to put in and take out, and approximate distances? Which would you choose and why? We’ll be able to do 10 or 11 miles, tops, I think. And we’ll be using rental boats, not our own. (We’ll be in Naples visiting grandparents.)
I don’t know how much more info
you need if you look at the site I posted above.
The directions to the put ins are there and complete descriptions to every trip you would want to do.
Half way Creek Barron river loop is a ten miler.
If you like mangrove tunnels do the Turner river, but the others have them too.
If you only have one day, do the Turner River, (but not on a weekend)
jack L
Turner River
We’ve decided to do the Turner River–on a weekday. If it goes well we try something else another day. Thanks so much for the advice.
Just a word on birds
If birdwatching is on your list of expectations don’t set the bar high
There is so much water in the Everglades this year that bird populations are widely scattered. It’s quite possible to paddle much of the grasslands now. The dry season is not
The birds that need to stand to feed are the scarcest. You may find the most in tidal areas
We found very few roseate spoonbill in the Everglades and tons further north
tides of leap
– Last Updated: Feb-29-16 7:51 PM EST –
Tides are against the Turner trip.
2/17 IS A GO
http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/map/
the station...on right screen...is Naples.
and
http://goo.gl/mybuHp
http://goo.gl/04OTF0
March maybe windy. Check with Weather Undeground’s weather history
Flamingo is a long drive. Camping is OK if the equipment is good for mosquito. If the wind cooperates, paddling out to the motorboat channel around a key r 2 is fine. The weather seascape can be spectacular.
http://www.charts.noaa.gov/PDFs/11433.pdf
If the tides an winds are reasonable a trip out to the Pelicans and back is 11 miles
They are all in the Southern glades
around Flamingo and the Keys.
Believe it or not even Flamingos, along with the Roseate Spoonbills.
Jack L
Nope
We camped at Flamingo three days before we took off.
Eco Pond was No Body Home Pond
However the osprey population is stunning.
We found the Roseates. Thousands of them at Merritt Island NWR.