Paddling the Everglades Part 4: Some information on the campsites

In the Everglades National Park, there are 3 different camping sites; beach, backcountry ground sites, and chickees. Chickees are free standing wooden platforms that span about 14 by 12 feet. Some are double platforms connected by a walkway where a port-a-let sits off from the center of the walkway. The Pearl Bay chickee is a bit larger (15 X 15 ft) than the others and is handicapped accessible, making this chickee a bit more comfortable in terms of space allotment. Most of the chickees are double and each platform is limited to one party and no more than 6 people. I’ve stayed on a chickee platform with 2 tents and four people. If you include chickee camping, make sure you are comfortable in confined quarters with other people. Chickee camping can be quite fun and allows you to stay in some beautiful backcountry bays and rivers. But a word of warning to kayakers, loading and unloading from a chickee can be difficult especially with low water levels. You can have a > 4-ft distance between the water line and the chickee platform and this makes getting in and out of the kayak challenging. No doubt, chickees are more canoe friendly.

Among my favorite chickee sites, primarily for the view, are:
Lane Bay: It's a single chickee overlooking Lane Bay and gives you the ultimate peaceful experience in the glades
Hells Bay: At sunset, the view can't be topped
Rodgers River: It's actually on a bay and offers one the best open views in the middle river area of the park

The backcountry ground sites can be the most interesting, the most remote and the most lively, all depending on the site and the time of year. Getting on and off the backcountry sites with your boat can be easier than a beach site that is highly influenced by the tides. Most of them have docks, so these sites are accessible to and quite popular with powerboaters. Some of the backcountry sites are quite small, like Lopez River or Willy Willy, and you may have to share it with several other people from 2 other parties. One last point, Camp Lonesome and Willy Willy can be very difficult to get on and off from a kayak or double canoe if the dock is being occupied by powerboats. Little ground space is left around the docks for a kayak or canoe to access the land directly from the water. We had to cut several low lying branches and clear some brush at Camp Lonesome where we were 2 kayaks and 2 canoes sharing the space with 2 powerboats.

Although the backcountry campsites can get cramped, they can also offer you the best camping experiences. If you are interested in the human history of the Everglades, there are several campsites that help tell the story. Most of these sites sit on a shell mound, built by Calusa Indians. Later, these sites were inhabited by European and American homesteaders 100 years ago or so. Perhaps the most famous site is The Watsons Place, previous home to Ed Watson, a notorious character in the Everglades a hundred years ago. Outlaw that he was, Watson was also a shrewd businessman, landowner and farmer who became quite successful. However, it is also believed that he killed several people, which led to his murder. What ever the story is, staying at the Watsons Place is interesting and it's located on the beautiful Chatham River. Several old pieces of farm equipment are still scattered about. This site as with a few others has a cement structure that once served as a cistern or foundation for a home.

Probably the biggest issue with the backcountry sites is the presence of mosquitoes and no-see-um bugs. Some sites are buggier than others, Broad River being the worst of them. Don’t let this deter you especially during the winter months when the bugs are as bad (between Dec and April) and with a nice breeze, you can generally have a bug-free evening.

Among my favorite backcountry ground sites are:
Lopez River: the river is magical; it’s not unusual to hear the tell-tale sound of the dolphins as they blow through their air holes while passing through with the tide in the evenings.
Watsons Place: for nostalgic reasons (I always have fun there), but also because the Chatham River is awesome.
Darwin’s Place: because it is near Gopher Creek, one of the most remote and beautiful areas in the Everglades.

The beach campsites are the essence of camping experience in the Everglades. These are what people primarily come here for; to sit on a beach at sunset, get a campfire going, and listen to the waves coming on shore; a classic Florida scene.

Getting on and off the beach with your boat makes beachcamping more interesting. Unlike the backcountry sites, tidal influences are significant. Leaving or pproaching a campsite at low tide can mean dragging or carrying your boat for dozens of feet. On the other hand, coming into a gulf side beach, like Picnic Key, with 20-25 knot westerly winds can be precarious as the crashing waves push you violently toward the beach. But, this is not as nerve wrecking as getting into the water under the same conditions or having to do so in a canoe.

Once you are safely on shore, finding a camp site above the high tide line is necessary. You also want to make sure your boat is safely above that line as well. Choosing the best campsite location depends on several factors including wind direction, storm predictions, location of other campers, and shoal length. Wind direction should be considered when deciding on which side of an island to camp and also which island to camp on, when choices are available. Why is wind direction such an important consideration? One word: bugs. Winds above 5 knots are ideal for camping because they help keep the no-see-ums at bay and if you know your wind directions, you can choose a location that will provide you the best breeze action. The flip side of that is when you know there is a storm coming. In which case, wind protection should be considered. Carry a weather radio with you and check it at least daily; the weather can change dramatically in the Everglades and you want to be prepared for anything.

The shoals along the shoreline should also be considered. At low tide, try to avoid areas where you have the longest shoal in front of you, this means you will be carrying your boat quite a distance before you have enough water to paddle in.

In the Ten Thousand Islands, my favorite beach sites are:
Picnic Key – for the location, sunsets, and beauty
Tiger Key – for the location, sunsets, and beauty
Rabbit Key – for the full moon rise, sunsets with osprey nest, and ability to walk around the island
Turkey Key – especially on the south side which has a beautiful sunrise view

In the middle and southern regions, Highland Beach has been a popular site, but it has changed since the 2005 hurricanes. The ideal spots for pitching a tent have disappeared, but there is still enough coastline for lots of choices. Highland Beach is notorious for very large shoals at low tide. Graveyard Creek is another example of a beach site that has been dramatically altered as a result of the hurricanes. This site was once a beautiful beach site, seated along the creek as well as the gulf. The hurricanes pushed the beach up into the mangrove forest and now, the campsite is confined to the dense area of the mangroves. It still beautiful, but it is buggy and cramped.

About 10 miles south of Shark River is the cape, beginning with Northwest cape and continuing on to Middle and East Capes. Basically, it’s 10 miles of continuous beach. Northwest cape has got to be the most beautiful of all the sites. You’ll see so many tarpon, dolphin and pelican action from your campsite, the entertainment never stops.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: If you are planning a multi-day trip with 4 or more night stays, consider base camping at one of the sites. My favorite base camp is Darwins Place from which I can head into Gopher Creek. The creek begins about ½ mile from Darwins in Cannon Bay and leads you eventually to Rookery Bay, a great area for fishing but also for wildlife photography. This is a spectacular area to explore and you can easily spend more than one day here. Any campsite where you have several areas close by for exploring is an opportunity for base camping. Consider base camping at Middle Cape and exploring Lake Ingraham, or at Cape Lonesome and exploring the nearby creeks and bays. The choices are many, but remember, you cannot base camp on a chickee; there is a 1-night stay maximum rule for those sites.

Stayed tuned for part 5, I'll provide some recommended routes for multi-day trips.

Paddling the Everglades Part 3: More about tides and choosing the area to paddle

I cannot emphasize the tides enough so I’m going to talk about them again. If you are young and blissfully full of life and want an adventure that you can talk about for years, go ahead and ignore the tides. But if you are young and blissfully full of life and want an adventure that you can talk about for years AND want an enjoyable and pain-free paddling trip, listen to what I have to say.

First, when deciding on campsites and routes, it is useful to understand how the Everglades National Park is divided (not literally) into areas. For trip planning purposes, it can be divided into three sections: The Ten Thousand Islands (northern end), the middle rivers section and the most southern portion, the Cape and Whitewater Bay area. The Ten Thousand Islands area is the most northern portion of the park and begins at the Lostmans River and extends just north of Picnic Key. It is in this portion where you will find Everglades City and the rangers station. The campsites in the Ten Thousand Islands include 3 chickee sites in the backcountry, 4 ground backcountry sites and 9 beach sites. On the gulf side, the beach campsites are primarily located on keys or islands scattered throughout the area.

Navigating through the Ten Thousand Islands to your campsite does not have to be difficult if you stick with the marked channels (i.e., Indian Key Pass, Rabbit key Pass). But most of the time, the best part of paddling through the Ten Thousand Islands is when you get off the marked routes and do some exploring. For this, you need to have a marine chart and compass (or GPS) on hand, otherwise you can get terribly lost in no time.

South of the Lostmans River begins the middle river area of the park that takes you as far south as Shark River. Here you will find a convoluted maze of rivers that take you out to the gulf or get you into the deepest backcountry in the park. Unlike the Ten Thousand Islands area, the gulf side of this area is one long continuous coastline interrupted by several rivers; rather than the maze of islands that characterize the northern end of the park. Within the middle river area are 2 beach campsites, 4 ground backcountry sites (among the most beautiful and remote in the park) and 3 chickee backcountry sites.

South of the Shark River begins the cape and Whitewater Bay area, which includes the Hells Bay trail and Coot Bay. The coastline continues south and veers east as you pass 3 distinct points before it begins an easterly direction to Flamingo (where another ranger station is located). The three distinct points are Northwest Cape, Middle Cape and East Cape, all beach campsites. The very large Whitewater Bay comprises the largest portion of this area and can only be accessed from its northern and southern ends from the gulf. No where along the cape region between Shark River and Flamingo can it be accessed. Shark River, Whitewater Bay and Hells Bay Trail can lead you into the deeper backcountry area through North River, Roberts River, Lane Bay, Pearl Bay, and Hells Bay. There are 4 beach campsites along the coastline, (which is for the most part one long continuous beach), 2 ground backcountry sites including Alligator Creek, and 10 chickee backcountry sites.

Recently, the park built a couple chickee platforms in Florida Bay. These stand about 8 feet above the water line and are very difficult to access for camping. There are also 2 ground sites on the bay.

As you decide on your trip route, you’ll also decide on whether or not it will be a one-way trip (i.e., doing the entire length of the Wilderness Waterway or the coastline) or a loop trip that begins and ends at the same point. Loop trips are much easier to plan and execute for obvious reasons, you just have to decide where the beginning and end point will be. For loop routes, there are several locations to choose from; Flamingo area which includes Coot Bay Pond and Hells Bay Trail for the southern end, and Everglades City and Chokoloskee Island for the northern end. Coot Bay Pond launch site is located approximately 3 miles from Flamingo on Ingraham Highway. Hells Bay Trailhead is located another 4 miles from there, also on the highway. Both launch sites have adequate parking space. At Flamingo, you have a marina (see photo above) from which you can launch, but you can also launch from the campground.

To get to the cape, Flamingo is your launch site. To access the backcountry such as Lane Bay or Watson River, Flamingo is an option, but launching from Coot Bay Pond cuts off the Buttonwood Canal section of the paddle. Hells Bay Trail will get you into Hells Bay and Lane Bay without going through Whitewater Bay. Although the Wilderness Waterway officially comes into and out of Flamingo, launching from either of the other two sites will get you to the waterway, one way or another.

Everglades City and Chokoloskee Island are located in the Ten Thousand Islands. It is from one of these locations that you will launch for a loop trip in the Ten Thousand Islands or a one-way trip to Flamingo. On Chokoloskee Island, your launch site is Outdoor Resorts, where you can access the gulf side from one side of the road or the backcountry side from the other side of the road. Beware, it costs $10 to launch (per car) and $10 to park each day. To save money when you have more than one car, do a quick shuttle and park all but one car at the rangers station in Everglades City. There is no charge at the rangers station in Everglades City for launching or parking.

Unless your first destination is Picnic or Tiger Key, Chokoloskee launch site is the most convenient. It cuts off 3 miles, which can make a difference when you are trying to cover some long distances.

Now, about those tides. When you are planning a loop trip that include both gulf and backcountry, you can avoid paddling against the tide with a little planning and some flexibility. Because you will be paddling in a circle, you have two directions to choose from. For instance, say you are planning a 4-day paddle that includes the following campsites: Sunday Bay chickee, Watsons Place and Pavilion Key. In what order should you go? From Chokoloskee Island, let’s say you plan to get on the water by 11 am. According to your tide charts, you have low tide at 9:30 am at Chokoloskee and 97% moon visibility. This means you will have an in coming tide the rest of the morning, and by 11 am, it will be rushing in with the full moon effect. You could paddle out against the tide and be miserable, or you could head into the backcountry and let the tide take you up the Turner or Lopez Rivers into Sunday Bay. You wisely choose to spend your first night on Sunday Bay. On your last day from Pavilion Key back to Chokoloskee, you have a high tide at Chokoloskee at 2 pm. If you can get off the island 3 or 4 hours before high tide at Chokoloskee, you’ll have plenty of time to ride it back into Chokoloskee Bay and you’ll probably avoid a very low tide at Pavilion Key.

Remember, the tides are strongest with a full or new moon, the full effects are most evident when in the tidal rivers leading to and from the gulf, and the closer to the time of high or low tide the lower is the effect as you approach slack tide.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: The paddle between Everglades City into the backcountry is probably the least aesthetic, its mostly in open bay waters that can get quite choppy, and it can be downright frustrating if you are working against the tides. To me, launching from Chokoloskee Island is so much better; I can be at the mouth of the Turner River within minutes. If you can take the cost, launching from Outdoor Resorts for backcountry trips is the best way to go.

These are just some general ideas and tips on planning a paddle route through the Everglades National Park. Part 4 will provide specific information on certain campsites and routes.