Canoe Florida's freshwater swamps and brackish estuaries to the pristine white sand beaches of the Keys. Paddle through a maze of islands and mangrove estuaries, looking for dolphins, manatees and pelicans. Spy white ibis, osprey, and possibly a roseate spoonbill in this paradise where air plants and exotic flowers flourish. Visit a wildlife preserve, entering a sub tropic world of endangered birds, alligators. Join us on this trip to Florida's paradise of uninhabited Keys!

Sample Itinerary

DAY 1: The trip starts in the morning at the Shark Valley Nature Preserve. Take a National Park tour through a wildlife preserve, where you'll see endangered birds and alligators and learn about the freshwater sawgrass ecosystem. After the nature tour, drive to Collier Seminole State park, review personal gear and repack into dry bags. Set up camp and review canoeing skills. Enjoy your evening with the group around a campfire.

DAY 2: Launch the canoes on the Blackwater River and travel about 12 miles out into Gullivan Bay in the Gulf of Mexico. Look for dolphins, manatees and pelicans on the way out to Whitehorse Key. Set up camp on the sandy beaches of this sub tropic wilderness. This can be a long day, but the results are well worth it! One benefit of being here is that mosquitoes cannot breed in salt water. They will be around, but in far fewer numbers than in the freshwater ecosystem.

DAY 3: Base camp and day trip further into the mangroves. Travel up Fish Hawk Creek to Gator Bay and into beautiful Buttonwood Bay. Here you will see white ibis, osprey, and possibly a Roseate Spoonbill.

DAY 4: Spend a layover day relaxing, swimming, gathering shells or exploring tidal pools. If you wish, paddle through slow-moving mangrove-lined canals and ponds rich with wildlife.

DAY 5: Paddle past Four Brothers Key to Dismal Key, exploring the canals and ponds.

DAY 6: Paddle back through Gullivan Bay to the mouth of the Blackwater River. Arrive back at Collier Seminole State Park in the late afternoon. Those who use WI's van transportation can expect to return to Fort Myers that evening.

Travel, Terrain, Etc...

TERRAIN/ROUTE CHOICES: Travel among low-lying islands, bays, beaches, canals, and lakes in the Gulf of Mexico. Paddle and camp on beaches in the 10,000 Islands area of the Everglades. The 10,000 Islands offer a wide range of daily route options from very easy to very difficult.

TYPE OF TRAVEL/DISTANCE: You will travel in 17-foot Old Town Tripper canoes, which hold two to three paddlers, plus all necessary gear. An average day's travel will consist of 4-6 hours of paddling, depending on the tides and weather. Travel distances will vary from 4-12 miles per day with the exception of scheduled layover days. To protect the environment, WI uses minimum impact camping techniques.

WEATHER: Temperatures between January and March can range from 35 F at night to 90 F during the day. Rainfall can vary, but you should expect at least a day of rain.

LODGING/BATHROOM FACILITIES: We will set up a base camp out on one of the keys. At night you will sleep in a comfortable Eureka Timberline tent. Typically, there are 3 people per 4 person tent (although other arrangements can be made). We recommend that you bring your own personal sleeping bag and sleeping pad (a limited number of sleeping bags and mattresses are available for individuals who need to borrow them). Bathroom facilities consist of a foldable commode chair set up in a privacy tent. We make every effort to ensure privacy and cleanliness.

GROUP SIZE: The group size ranges from 10 to 12 participants, plus 2 or more Wilderness Inquiry staff. Each group consists of people of various ages, backgrounds and abilities, including people with disabilities.

CAMP CHORES: Our trips are cooperative in nature. WI staff will assist you in whatever areas you need, however most people pitch in where they can. Part of the adventure involves learning about daily camp activities.

EQUIPMENT AND CLOTHING: If you are new to outdoor activities, you need not spend a lot of money on gear. Wilderness Inquiry will provide all necessary canoeing and camping equipment. All you need to provide is your personal gear, such as clothing and a sleeping bag and ground pad. If you use a wheelchair it's best to bring wide tires. A detailed equipment list will be sent to you upon confirmation of your participation. If you need to borrow personal gear, that can usually be arranged.

LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY: No previous experience is needed to complete this trip.

Wilderness Inquiry is proud to serve Caribou Coffee on all our trips. Great food, great coffee, and great company are just some of the ingredients that make Wilderness Inquiry trips special.

[ Dates & Fees ]      

American Indians in the region referred to this vast landscape as "Pa-hay-okee." meaning "Grassy Water." The Spanish called the area "El Laguno del Espiritu Santo," or "The Lagoon of the Holy Spirit." Following the exploration of the area by Europeans, the name appeared in several forms including: "Ever Glades," "ever glades" and "River Glades," It wasn't until the Turner Maps were printed in 1823 that the name appeared as Everglades.

Today, the name "Everglades" is commonly used to refer to both the national park and the ecosystem which contains the park. The ecosystem covers about 1,500,000 acres, from the southern lip of Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. Everglades National Park covers about 2,300 square miles in the southern portion of the ecosystem.

Southern Florida is relatively young when compared to most of earth's land masses. The region was once an ancient seabed and as a result the underlying rock is predominantly limestone. Its deepest and oldest deposits, Tamiami limestone, are only around six million years old. They were formed as silt and calcium sifted downward to form layers of muck at the bottom of the placid sea. Time and pressure eventually changed the layers of muck into the limestone bedrock underlying the northwest corner of the park. Since that time, sea levels have fluctuated significantly, especially during the past million years. With the expansion and contraction of the polar ice caps, the region has cycled from being an ocean floor to exposed limestone and back many times. During the last lull between glaciers, a mere 100,000 years ago, oolitic limestone formed when calcium settling out of the water formed a minute coating around grains of sand and tiny bits of shell in the water. The type of limestone that eventually formed when these ooids coalesced is especially important because of its sponge-like nature. In the course of the wet season it absorbs tremendous amounts of water, which it slowly releases during the dry season, to the benefit of the flora and fauna of the area.

The natural environment of the Everglades revolves around the yearly spill from Lake Okeechobee. Over thousands of years, the complex ecosystem in the Everglades developed in response to the regular cycle of flooding rains which gather in Okeechobee, then flow south in a placid river over 50 miles wide and 100 miles long. Water from the lake takes about a year to reach southern Florida, during which time it nourishes a variety of plant and animal life on its southward journey.

The Everglades lie in the temperate zone, though its flora and fauna in many ways duplicate those found in the tropical West Indies. Due to effects of the Gulf Stream, tropical trade winds and latitude, it is referred to as subtropical.

The Everglades experiences just 2 seasons - wet and dry - rather than the four seasons common in more northern climates. 80% of the annual 60 inches of rainfall occurs between May and October. This time of year is also very hot and humid. November through April brings drier weather and slightly cooler temperatures, with daytime highs between 60 and 75 degrees.

The Everglades has a rich and varied Native American heritage. Groups such as Tequesta, Calusa, Seminole and Miccosukees have lived in the area. The earliest people came to the area around 11,000 years ago. The Calusas harvested the abundant shellfish in the area, leaving behind huge shell mounds that can still be seen today. Some of the mounds, believed to be for burial and ceremonial purposes, were quite large, measuring up to 40' high and covering several acres.

 

For more information, visit these links:

National Park Service - Official Everglades National Park Website

Everglades National Park

Florida Everglades Tourism Site

"Everglades Trip is More than Paddling" by Connie Nelson

[ Dates & Fees ]

2009 Dates	Fee
02/09/2009 - 02/14/2009	$795
02/17/2009 - 02/22/2009	$795	Register Now
02/27/2009 - 03/04/2009	$795	Register Now
03/09/2009 - 03/14/2009	$795	Register Now
2010 Dates	Fee
02/09/2010 - 02/14/2010	$795	Register Now
02/17/2010 - 02/22/2010	$795	Register Now
02/28/2010 - 03/05/2010	$795	Register Now
03/08/2010 - 03/13/2010	$795	Register Now
03/16/2010 - 03/21/2010	$795	Register Now
Transportation The trip officially begins at Shark Valley Nature Preserve in Everglades National Park the morning of the first day of the trip. Shark Valley is 2.5 hours south of Ft. Myers. You can take your own transportation or use WI’s van transportation from Fort Myers. Most people meet us at a designated hotel in Ft. Myers early in the morning on the first day of the trip. Call us if you have questions about getting there.
Meeting Places:		Additional Round-trip Fee:
Fort Myers Hotel		$45 per person
Collier-Seminole State Park		$0 (No charge)
Shark Valley Nature Preserve		$0 (No charge)