kayakking Everglades
1. Everglades National Park. Everglades National Park covers 1.5 million acres of South Florida and spans three counties: Monroe, Miami-Dade, and Collier. The Park protects a unique landscape that provides an important habitat for numerous animal species including the endangered manatee, American crocodile and the Florida panther. Everglades National Park is a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland of International Importance and a specially protected areas under the Cartagena Treaty.
The park is definitely quieter during the off-season months of April through October. There may be fewer ranger-led programs and the weather can be a little extreme but you’ll find plenty to do and see and you’ll have quieter hiking paths, no parking issues and no wait for tram rides.
The park is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, although some entrances are closed in the evening or seasonally. If you are visiting from Naples, you will most likely use the Gulf Coast Area entrance. The fee to enter the park is $10 per vehicle. This provides admission for seven consecutive days at all park entrances.
The pedestrian/cyclist fee is $5, also good for seven consecutive days. Start your visit at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center. You’ll find Everglades orientation movies, educational exhibits and information on ranger-led programs.
What to do in Everglades Park:
Hiking
Hiking trails range from short and easy to long and difficult. Brochures with trail information are available for download on the website. Choose your trail carefully and be sure you are prepared with plenty of water and insect spray. Start out on the self-guided Anhinga trail. It meanders through a sawgrass marsh on an easy, paved trail. Anhinga is not open to bicycles but it is convenient for wheelchairs and strollers.
Bicycling
The scenic Shark Valley loop is a 15 mile round trip. Bicycling the road takes an average of two to three hours. The parking lot closes at 6:00 p.m., so be sure to allow enough time to complete the route. The ride starts behind the Visitor Center and follows the straight West Road.
Shark Valley Observation Tower
The Observation Tower at Shark Valley is located about seven miles from the Shark Valley Visitor Center on a paved path that is not open to personal automobiles. You may access it by bicycle, on foot or by riding the park’s tram tour. On a clear day, you can see for miles around and observe wildlife in the park’s swampy habitat. The tower is an excellent spot for photography.
You can stop at the tower as part of the guided tram tour. The tour is narrated by a park ranger or park naturalist. Reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 305-221-8455.
Ranger-Led Talks and Tours
A variety of ranger-led events are scheduled throughout the year. If you are visiting in the off season, check the website for available events. Some talks are available only from November to April. There also are specific programs for children in different areas of the park.
Everglades National Park
815 Oyster Bar Lane.Everglades City, FL 34139
(239) 695-3311
www.nps.gov/ever
2. Take an Eco-Tour. You haven’t really seen the Everglades until you’ve been in a canoe or kayak winding your way through the mangrove trees. There are a variety of companies offering tours, including Everglades Area Tours. The company is an educational tour operator working in Everglades National Park as well as surrounding areas. The guides are formally trained Florida Master Naturalists and seasoned educators. The company offers everything from bicycle and walking tours to overnight camping trips.
A great place to start is with a guided kayak tour. Because kayaks are very stable, children as young as six can share a kayak with a parent and participate in paddling. The three-hour mangrove tunnel tour usually offers glimpses of herons, egrets, stilts, ducks, wood storks, alligators and a variety of fish. You’ll be paddling through the brackish water where the Everglades transitions from freshwater to saltwater. The dense canopy affords some shade and also provides the perfect growing environment for orchids, mosses and bromeliads.
The basic guided kayak tour is $99 for adults, $59 for children.
Everglades Area Tours
238 Mamie St, Chokoloskee, FL 34138
(239) 695-3633
www.evergladesareatours.com
3. Big Cypress Swamp Walk. Imagine walking through waist-high water among beautiful orchids, ferns and ancient trees. You’ll be hearing mysterious sounds and experiencing the Everglades in a way few do–by walking carefully in the fragile Ecosystem with a knowledgeable guide to lead you.
The Everglades are a serene, still, beautiful place and when you’re deep within the swamp, you will see that in a way not possible when you’re looking in from the edges. A Big Cypress Swamp Walk gives you the opportunity to experience the Everglades in the same way famed photographer Clyde Butcher does: up close and personal.
The swamp walks are 1½ hours long and are held every Saturday from October through March. Admission for adults is $50, children under 18 are $25. Participants should wear long pants, old shoes and a hat. Bug spray and a bottle of water are recommended. You will get wet, most likely to your waist, so be prepared with a complete change of clothing. The walk is relatively rigorous and you must be physically able to navigate through water and around plants, trees and rocks.
You can also do an introductory tour (45 minutes; $35 for adults, $25 for children) if you’re a little apprehensive about the longer tour. Three-hour photography tours as well as private tours are also available. You can find additional information on the website at www.clydebutchersbigcypressgallery.com.
Be sure to leave time before or after your swamp walk for a visit to Big Cypress Gallery. Clyde Butcher has been capturing the beauty of the Everglades for more than 40 years and the gallery is filled with his beautiful photographs, books and other gift items. You’ll also find that the pond right outside the gallery provides a great photo opportunity with a variety of plants and trees and alligators sunning themselves along the banks. To see even more gators, cross the highway and you’ll see hundreds along the canal. Please note: the highway is very busy so watch children carefully!
Big Cypress Gallery
Hwy 41 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee, FL
(239) 695-2428
www.clydebutcher.com
4. Visit Everglades City. You won’t find Naples traffic jams, highrise buildings or mall shopping in Everglades City! What you will find is a tiny town with fewer than 500 full time residents and an abundance of quirky charm.
Barron Collier and his company purchased the land in and around Everglades City in 1923. The town quickly became a busy industrial company town as the Tamiami Trail was built. Once the county seat for Collier, Everglades City is known as the “Gateway to the 10,000 Islands.”
Currently, most of Everglade City’s residents work either in the fishing industry or as guides. From October to May, stone crabs are the main harvest but you’ll find a variety of fresh fish throughout the year at local restaurants and markets.
Start your Everglades City outing with a visit to The Museum of the Everglades. It is located just off the circle in the center of town and offers education programs, events and presentations all year. The museum’s permanent exhibits provide a look at more than 2,000 years of area history. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and a donation of $2 is suggested. The museum is located at 105 West Broadway, Everglades City, (239) 659-2003.
For a traditional Everglades City experience have lunch at the Rod & Gun Club. The club was built originally by the first permanent settler to Everglades City and purchased by Barron Collier in 1922. The current owners, The Bowen Family, purchased it in 1972. The Club is still dark wood paneled with mounted animal trophies and a large screened porch running the length of the back. Adventurous diners can choose frog’s legs or gator but traditional sandwiches and salads are certainly plentiful.
Another good lunch option is Camellia Street Grille. This casual waterfront restaurant offers Southern, Cuban and Caribbean inspired food in a laid-back atmosphere. A plus: vegetarian and vegan options are available. (202 Camilla Street, Everglades City, 239-695-2003).
Wrap up your day in Everglades City with a walk on the boardwalk and then an airboat ride with Everglades City Boardwalk. They’ve been in business since 1984 and are one of the few original airboat operators in the Everglades. The one-hour tour through the mangroves is $39.99 for adults and $24.99 for children. Check www.evergladesboardwalk.com for information.
5. Visit Ted Smallwood’s Store in Chokoloskee. At the historic Ted Smallwood’s store you will learn about the Everglades pioneers: the Calusa Indians who lived in the area until the mid-1700s, the Seminole Indians who were the last native people to call the Everglades home, and the white settlers who began to inhabit the area at the end of the 19th century. The first non-natives were plume, hide and fur hunters who made their living by combining fishing, hunting and farming.
As the area became more inhabited the need for goods and mail grew. Ted Smallwood established the store in 1906 on the shores of the Chokoloskee Bay to serve as a trading center. The store remained open until 1982. When the store closed, 90% of the original goods remained in the store and in 1990 it was reopened by Ted’s family as a museum.
In 2004, the adjacent land was purchased by a company in Sebring, Florida, with the intention of development. In 2011, they found a loophole in the law and bulldozed Mamie Street, the road leading to Smallwood’s—and the first road built on the island—cutting off access. The store remained closed for six months until the Collier County Commission intervened and a county judge issued an order requiring the company to repair the road until the legalities are settled. Ted’s ancestors hope to continue the fight but to keep the store open they may need to build their own access road—an expensive and difficult solution.
While the fight rages on, the store remains open seven days a week. From December through May it is open 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; from May through November, it is open from 11 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. In addition to the artifacts from the original store, you will find a gift shop with authentic Indian crafts, artwork and photography.
Ted Smallwood’s Store
360 Mamie St, Chokoloskee, FL 34138 www.smallwoodstore.com