Top Ten Canoe, Kayak, and Raft Camping Trips

Gulf Coast: Everglades National Park, Florida

(Refuge Reporter)

Everglades National Park offers two kinds of paddling environments: lush inland routes and the Gulf Coast. More than one third of the park is made up of marine areas and shallow estuaries. A favorite route is the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway. This route meanders through bosques of mangroves, sawgrass prairies, rivers and creeks, and coastal bays. Roseate spoonbills, manatees, and alligators are just some of the stunning fauna that you may encounter. You'll be overnighting on chickees, which are camping platforms based on the traditional home of the Seminole Indians.

Gotta warn you: Motorboats will be zipping through, making the same trip in a few hours as opposed to your several days. But they're quickly gone, leaving you alone in the wilderness.

Just the Facts

For more information: Everglades National Park

Suitable craft: Sea kayak

More Florida paddling: Santa Fe and Withlacoochee Rivers, Apalachicola and Ocala National Forests

More GORP: Everglades National Park

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Last Updated: 13 Jul 2011
Published: 28 Apr 2002
The details, dates, and prices mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication.