Exploring Fisheating Creek, one of Florida's best kept rivers
Although I have devoted my entire website to the Everglades and Biscayne Bay, I cannot resist writing
about a magnificent creek that runs through a section of central Florida. I’ve had the pleasure of paddling on
Fisheating Creek a few times and have camped there once. Here’s a bit of description of my experience
(for a description of the photography challenges on Fisheating Creek, go to this webpage).
A very interesting history
The first time I experienced Fisheating Creek (“The creek where fish are eaten”), I fell in love. Two years
later and several rivers and paddling experiences later, I still think this is the most beautiful river in Florida.
Hands down, this is a drop-dead gorgeous bald cypress swamp- and hardwood hammock-framed river that
runs through a preserved area managed by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC).
Centuries ago, this river was a canoe highway leading to and from Lake Okeechobee for the Belle Glades
culture that existed here from about 1000 BC to the 1700s. The Seminoles came here in the 1800s and
made this area their home. Starting in the 1880s, most of the land surrounding the creek eventually came
under the ownership of the Lykes Brothers. The Lykes dynasty began with cattle exports to Cuba and
expanded into the largest producer of cattle in Florida.
The only free-flowing tributary into Lake Okeechobee, Fisheating Creek has been an important part of the
lives of local people. Many depended on the creek for a living through recreation, hunting and fishing. The
Lykes family prohibited development along the creek and ran a campground and canoeing concession at
two sites west of U.S. 27. But, when vandalism and poaching got out of hand, the Lykes closed public
access to the creek by felling trees and building gates and fences to block access to the water. The local
people were enraged and persuaded the state to sue the Lykes family.
After a series of lawsuits and appeals involving the Lykes, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the state of
Florida, a settlement between the state and the Lykes was reached. The fight over the creek focused on
the debate over whether or not it was deemed navigable. If deemed navigable, Fisheating Creek would be
public property and thus, the Lykes would no longer have ownership of the waterway. Interestingly, a piece
of evidence used by the state was from a diary written by George Henry Preble, a member of the 1842 U.
S. Navy expedition sent in pursuit of the Seminoles during the Second Seminole War. He wrote of the
creek, “a beautiful stream, clear with a beautiful white sandy bottom.” That piece of evidence helped the
state eventually acquire Fisheating Creek from the Lykes Bros.
The Lykes Bros did not want complete public access to the creek, while the state would have opened it up
completely to public access. As a result of this disagreement, both parties appealed decisions made and
finally in 1999, a settlement was reached. The state and Lykes agreed to turn 18,000 acres into a state
wildlife management area, and prevent development on a surrounding 41,000 acres. The price was $55
million. Further, public access to the creek would be confined to a few spots and controlled by the FWCC.
After researching the history of Fisheating Creek, I am compelled to thank some people. The first person I
would thank is George Henry Preble; although I am not sure how significant his diary was in the decision to
deem Fisheating Creek navigable, it probably helped. So thank you Officer Preble for taking the time to
write about your experiences on Fisheating Creek. The other people I would like to thank are the Lykes
Bros. Although it may seem difficult to think of land barons as generous and having only the best interests
of the environment in mind (after all, they did cut down several cypress trees to block access to the river), I
cannot help but think that these guys value Fisheating Creek enough that they did not fall to the temptation
of selling said property to developers. They could have, it was within their rights as landowners. But they
didn’t and in fact, they tried in their proprietary way to protect it as much as possible. They gave hunters,
fishermen and others access to their land and water. When abuse of that land and water got out of hand,
the Lykes Bros did what any respectable land owner would do; they shut off access, which in turn led to
lawsuits and years of litigation.
Thankfully, the Fisheating Creek area is under wildlife management that runs 40 miles along the creek and
cannot be accessed by large powerboats. Thus, it remains a wild creek, as wild as wild can be in these
times. Interestingly, the area is home to thousands of swallowtail kites that come here to roost during the
summer months. During this time, they fatten themselves up 20-25% to prepare for their migration back to
South America. This roosting behavior is extremely sensitive to human encroachment and in fact, this
swallowtail kite population is considered world class. What ever affects this population will affect the entire
world population. They are protected, as are the panthers, black bears, crested caracaras and burrowing
owls that live here. So are the alligators, in numbers too high to count on both hands and feet when spotting
them from a canoe on the river at any given point.
Camping on the creek
I’ve spent a night on Fisheating Creek and no other wilderness camp experience will ever compare to this
one. We set up about 1 mile west of the Burnt Bridge access site, about 9 miles from U.S. 27 and the
main campground. Our camp area was almost an island, with a small tributary running behind us and with
high enough water, would continue around to the main creek sitting in front of us. When I camped there, the
water level was about 1.8 ft, just high enough for kayaks and canoes to get through without portaging. But
at levels above 3 feet, the island becomes only big enough for a couple tents and a few cypress trees for
privacy.
Surrounding our campite is a bald cypress swamp that comes dramatically to life after dark. Once we shut
off our lights and get inside our tents, the sounds of the swamp became deafening. It starts with the
bullfrogs that begin their boisterious croaks early in the evening, as if to remind us that it is time for us to go
to bed. Once we are inside the tent and no longer an intrusion, the night animals take over. I believe the
yellowcrown nightherons have loud calls that were distinguishable from the frogs only by their slightly higher
pitched sounds. Of course the alligators added their baritone instruments to the symphony, along with the
grunts of the pigs rooting around the dirt. Now and then I heard a barred owl, loud and clear crying out “Who
cooks for you?” until another in the far distance would respond with the same question. These sounds
seemed to reach crescendos and then would calm down somewhat in a cyclical way throughout the night.
It continued until dawn, at which time, the animals would have their fill of night feasting and now could rest
with the sun lording over them.
The sun set behind us in the evening, providing a warm glow over the river and cypress trees that line it. In
the morning, the sun appeared over the cypress canopies and soon the river was aglow with sunny
reflections of trees, grass and ferns. The animals were quiet as we drank our coffee and ate our breakfast
while enjoying the swamp. One word of caution about camping in a cypress swamp, cypress trees grow
knees, extensions of the tree roots that protrude out of the ground in various spots. They can be several
feet tall but can also be nothing more than a 1-2 inch knob. These are the knees you must be mindful of as
you lay your tent out on the ground. One of my paddling companions brought a machete just for the
occasion and we were able to cut a couple knobs to clear the surface.
Paddling the creek
The FWCC managed area of the creek runs through Glades county beginning at the border of Highlands
County north of highway 74 and west of U.S. 27 (map). The creek flows under U.S. 27 at Palmdale and
eventually into Lake Okeechobee. For canoeing and camping, the creek west of U.S. 27 can only be
accessed through the outfitters at the Fisheating Creek Resort campground on U.S. 27 in Palmdale. There
is approximately 16 miles of creek that you can paddle beginning at Ingrams Crossing and back to the
Palmdale campground. The creek east of U.S. 27 has a large area that is made accessible to permitted
airboats. It can be accessed from highway 78, near Lake Okeechobee.
From the campground in Palmdale, you and your boats must be shuttled to one of two launch sites, either
Ingrams Crossing or Burnt Bridge. The reason for this is that the land adjacent to the FWCC managed area
is private property, thus entrances are locked. The Burnt Bridge access is approximately 8 miles from the
campground and provides a very pleasant day’s paddle. Launching from Ingrams Crossing allows you to
enjoy the river casually in two days, covering about 16 miles. There are various camp sites along the way,
but a nice half-way point is the site we chose, just before reaching Burnt Bridge.
The creek is sandy bottomed and can be very shallow, especially during the late winter, early spring
months. We were lucky in March to have water levels of 1.8 ft, allowing us to paddle without any
portaging. During the summer rainy season, the water can reach over 4 ft. The Ingram Rd launch site is
sandy and provides enough room for several boats to launch at the same time. Surrounding you are
cypress trees knees sticking out of the ground every which way, so watch your step as you load your boat.
The flora along the creek was magnificent this time of year with unexpected colors. There were bright
yellow flowers growing everywhere among the cypress knees. I learned these were butterweeds and they
grow prolifically in this forest. They lined the creek with their bright yellow reflecting in the water. There
were occasional purple flowers that I believe to be blueflag, but I am uncertain about that. Among the
yellow butterweeds were small red flowers, appearing to be milkweeds. Ferns grow everywhere and
among the cypress are hardwood hammocks with oak and palm trees.
The creek meanders and opens up into several small lakes along the way. There are mile markers as well
as arrows pointing you in the right direction on the occasion when the creek turns or becomes boundless.
When the water is high enough, the creek spreads out among the cypress and you no longer can distinguish
the navigable creek from the rest of the swamp. The cypress trees are so large you feel you are paddling
through a cathedral. Some tree trunks look to be 20 feet in circumference. Among the trees are cardinal air
plants that grow like crazy on the tree branches and trunks. These air plants have red and yellow blooms
most prominent during the summer and fall months. In March, you can spot several of the flowers, but they
are dullish in color.
We had GPS coordinates for various points along the way. One in particular was to mark a sharp right turn
that is marked with a sign but is very difficult to see unless you know it is coming. If you have a map and
are careful to watch for signs closely, you can get by without the GPS information.
Wildlife along the creek is numerous but you will not see as many birds close up as you would expect.
There are the usual white ibises, egrets and herons, and soaring above you’ll spot vultures, osprey and
hawks. But the bird that I spotted the most was the swallowtail kite. During our two-day paddle, I counted
well over 3 dozen of these birds flying overhead. I spotted one with nesting material or food in its mouth. I
later learned that this area is home to thousands of swallowtail kites. In the summer, they roost and fatten
themselves up 20-25% above normal weight. This is to prepare for their late summer migration to South
America. Apparently, this population is world renowned and has significant impact on the world population of
swallowtail kites.
Alligators are everywhere and this time of year, we spotted several babies sunning themselves on logs.
Many of them seem to not be so afraid of boats and humans yet and would stay put as you drifted closely
by. I’m sure mom was somewhere close by. Not to far from our campsite, I found several young ones, no
more than 1 ½ feet in length. As soon as they spotted me they crawled into the water one by one and
swam over to a cypress tree where there was a hole for them to swim into. I was able to get fairly close
and stayed with them until they all disappeared. I never did see mom. It was not unusual to see large
alligator heads crossing the creek several dozen feet ahead of us. Our presence scared them off their
sunning areas and back into the water so many times that it was a common sight to see several gators
crossing the creek in front of us. As you paddle along past their area, you cannot help but think about these
creatures swimming under your boat.
How to get there
The only place to access the creek west of U.S. 27 is from the Fisheating Creek Resort. You can rent
canoes and from there paddle up stream and back, or you can have them shuttle you to Ingrams Crossing
or Burnt Bridge from which you can paddle back to the resort. Call in advance for the shuttle service, which
runs ever hour approximately. The shuttle charge is per boat, about $20-25, not including the cost of renting
a boat. Here’s a good tip, they require that you carry a whistle when paddling on the creek; if you don’t
bring your own you must purchase one from their concession for $3. They will not let you on the water
without one.
From the Miami area, you can head up U.S. 27 all the way to the campground entrance. About 15 miles
past Moore Haven you’ll come to the intersection for highway 29 that leads to LaBelle. Less than a mile
past the intersection is the campground entrance on the left. From Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale, you
could take I-95 to highway 80 that runs west to U.S. 27 at South Bay. Make a right and head north on U.S.
27.
about a magnificent creek that runs through a section of central Florida. I’ve had the pleasure of paddling on
Fisheating Creek a few times and have camped there once. Here’s a bit of description of my experience
(for a description of the photography challenges on Fisheating Creek, go to this webpage).
A very interesting history
The first time I experienced Fisheating Creek (“The creek where fish are eaten”), I fell in love. Two years
later and several rivers and paddling experiences later, I still think this is the most beautiful river in Florida.
Hands down, this is a drop-dead gorgeous bald cypress swamp- and hardwood hammock-framed river that
runs through a preserved area managed by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC).
Centuries ago, this river was a canoe highway leading to and from Lake Okeechobee for the Belle Glades
culture that existed here from about 1000 BC to the 1700s. The Seminoles came here in the 1800s and
made this area their home. Starting in the 1880s, most of the land surrounding the creek eventually came
under the ownership of the Lykes Brothers. The Lykes dynasty began with cattle exports to Cuba and
expanded into the largest producer of cattle in Florida.
The only free-flowing tributary into Lake Okeechobee, Fisheating Creek has been an important part of the
lives of local people. Many depended on the creek for a living through recreation, hunting and fishing. The
Lykes family prohibited development along the creek and ran a campground and canoeing concession at
two sites west of U.S. 27. But, when vandalism and poaching got out of hand, the Lykes closed public
access to the creek by felling trees and building gates and fences to block access to the water. The local
people were enraged and persuaded the state to sue the Lykes family.
After a series of lawsuits and appeals involving the Lykes, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers and the state of
Florida, a settlement between the state and the Lykes was reached. The fight over the creek focused on
the debate over whether or not it was deemed navigable. If deemed navigable, Fisheating Creek would be
public property and thus, the Lykes would no longer have ownership of the waterway. Interestingly, a piece
of evidence used by the state was from a diary written by George Henry Preble, a member of the 1842 U.
S. Navy expedition sent in pursuit of the Seminoles during the Second Seminole War. He wrote of the
creek, “a beautiful stream, clear with a beautiful white sandy bottom.” That piece of evidence helped the
state eventually acquire Fisheating Creek from the Lykes Bros.
The Lykes Bros did not want complete public access to the creek, while the state would have opened it up
completely to public access. As a result of this disagreement, both parties appealed decisions made and
finally in 1999, a settlement was reached. The state and Lykes agreed to turn 18,000 acres into a state
wildlife management area, and prevent development on a surrounding 41,000 acres. The price was $55
million. Further, public access to the creek would be confined to a few spots and controlled by the FWCC.
After researching the history of Fisheating Creek, I am compelled to thank some people. The first person I
would thank is George Henry Preble; although I am not sure how significant his diary was in the decision to
deem Fisheating Creek navigable, it probably helped. So thank you Officer Preble for taking the time to
write about your experiences on Fisheating Creek. The other people I would like to thank are the Lykes
Bros. Although it may seem difficult to think of land barons as generous and having only the best interests
of the environment in mind (after all, they did cut down several cypress trees to block access to the river), I
cannot help but think that these guys value Fisheating Creek enough that they did not fall to the temptation
of selling said property to developers. They could have, it was within their rights as landowners. But they
didn’t and in fact, they tried in their proprietary way to protect it as much as possible. They gave hunters,
fishermen and others access to their land and water. When abuse of that land and water got out of hand,
the Lykes Bros did what any respectable land owner would do; they shut off access, which in turn led to
lawsuits and years of litigation.
Thankfully, the Fisheating Creek area is under wildlife management that runs 40 miles along the creek and
cannot be accessed by large powerboats. Thus, it remains a wild creek, as wild as wild can be in these
times. Interestingly, the area is home to thousands of swallowtail kites that come here to roost during the
summer months. During this time, they fatten themselves up 20-25% to prepare for their migration back to
South America. This roosting behavior is extremely sensitive to human encroachment and in fact, this
swallowtail kite population is considered world class. What ever affects this population will affect the entire
world population. They are protected, as are the panthers, black bears, crested caracaras and burrowing
owls that live here. So are the alligators, in numbers too high to count on both hands and feet when spotting
them from a canoe on the river at any given point.
Camping on the creek
I’ve spent a night on Fisheating Creek and no other wilderness camp experience will ever compare to this
one. We set up about 1 mile west of the Burnt Bridge access site, about 9 miles from U.S. 27 and the
main campground. Our camp area was almost an island, with a small tributary running behind us and with
high enough water, would continue around to the main creek sitting in front of us. When I camped there, the
water level was about 1.8 ft, just high enough for kayaks and canoes to get through without portaging. But
at levels above 3 feet, the island becomes only big enough for a couple tents and a few cypress trees for
privacy.
Surrounding our campite is a bald cypress swamp that comes dramatically to life after dark. Once we shut
off our lights and get inside our tents, the sounds of the swamp became deafening. It starts with the
bullfrogs that begin their boisterious croaks early in the evening, as if to remind us that it is time for us to go
to bed. Once we are inside the tent and no longer an intrusion, the night animals take over. I believe the
yellowcrown nightherons have loud calls that were distinguishable from the frogs only by their slightly higher
pitched sounds. Of course the alligators added their baritone instruments to the symphony, along with the
grunts of the pigs rooting around the dirt. Now and then I heard a barred owl, loud and clear crying out “Who
cooks for you?” until another in the far distance would respond with the same question. These sounds
seemed to reach crescendos and then would calm down somewhat in a cyclical way throughout the night.
It continued until dawn, at which time, the animals would have their fill of night feasting and now could rest
with the sun lording over them.
The sun set behind us in the evening, providing a warm glow over the river and cypress trees that line it. In
the morning, the sun appeared over the cypress canopies and soon the river was aglow with sunny
reflections of trees, grass and ferns. The animals were quiet as we drank our coffee and ate our breakfast
while enjoying the swamp. One word of caution about camping in a cypress swamp, cypress trees grow
knees, extensions of the tree roots that protrude out of the ground in various spots. They can be several
feet tall but can also be nothing more than a 1-2 inch knob. These are the knees you must be mindful of as
you lay your tent out on the ground. One of my paddling companions brought a machete just for the
occasion and we were able to cut a couple knobs to clear the surface.
Paddling the creek
The FWCC managed area of the creek runs through Glades county beginning at the border of Highlands
County north of highway 74 and west of U.S. 27 (map). The creek flows under U.S. 27 at Palmdale and
eventually into Lake Okeechobee. For canoeing and camping, the creek west of U.S. 27 can only be
accessed through the outfitters at the Fisheating Creek Resort campground on U.S. 27 in Palmdale. There
is approximately 16 miles of creek that you can paddle beginning at Ingrams Crossing and back to the
Palmdale campground. The creek east of U.S. 27 has a large area that is made accessible to permitted
airboats. It can be accessed from highway 78, near Lake Okeechobee.
From the campground in Palmdale, you and your boats must be shuttled to one of two launch sites, either
Ingrams Crossing or Burnt Bridge. The reason for this is that the land adjacent to the FWCC managed area
is private property, thus entrances are locked. The Burnt Bridge access is approximately 8 miles from the
campground and provides a very pleasant day’s paddle. Launching from Ingrams Crossing allows you to
enjoy the river casually in two days, covering about 16 miles. There are various camp sites along the way,
but a nice half-way point is the site we chose, just before reaching Burnt Bridge.
The creek is sandy bottomed and can be very shallow, especially during the late winter, early spring
months. We were lucky in March to have water levels of 1.8 ft, allowing us to paddle without any
portaging. During the summer rainy season, the water can reach over 4 ft. The Ingram Rd launch site is
sandy and provides enough room for several boats to launch at the same time. Surrounding you are
cypress trees knees sticking out of the ground every which way, so watch your step as you load your boat.
The flora along the creek was magnificent this time of year with unexpected colors. There were bright
yellow flowers growing everywhere among the cypress knees. I learned these were butterweeds and they
grow prolifically in this forest. They lined the creek with their bright yellow reflecting in the water. There
were occasional purple flowers that I believe to be blueflag, but I am uncertain about that. Among the
yellow butterweeds were small red flowers, appearing to be milkweeds. Ferns grow everywhere and
among the cypress are hardwood hammocks with oak and palm trees.
The creek meanders and opens up into several small lakes along the way. There are mile markers as well
as arrows pointing you in the right direction on the occasion when the creek turns or becomes boundless.
When the water is high enough, the creek spreads out among the cypress and you no longer can distinguish
the navigable creek from the rest of the swamp. The cypress trees are so large you feel you are paddling
through a cathedral. Some tree trunks look to be 20 feet in circumference. Among the trees are cardinal air
plants that grow like crazy on the tree branches and trunks. These air plants have red and yellow blooms
most prominent during the summer and fall months. In March, you can spot several of the flowers, but they
are dullish in color.
We had GPS coordinates for various points along the way. One in particular was to mark a sharp right turn
that is marked with a sign but is very difficult to see unless you know it is coming. If you have a map and
are careful to watch for signs closely, you can get by without the GPS information.
Wildlife along the creek is numerous but you will not see as many birds close up as you would expect.
There are the usual white ibises, egrets and herons, and soaring above you’ll spot vultures, osprey and
hawks. But the bird that I spotted the most was the swallowtail kite. During our two-day paddle, I counted
well over 3 dozen of these birds flying overhead. I spotted one with nesting material or food in its mouth. I
later learned that this area is home to thousands of swallowtail kites. In the summer, they roost and fatten
themselves up 20-25% above normal weight. This is to prepare for their late summer migration to South
America. Apparently, this population is world renowned and has significant impact on the world population of
swallowtail kites.
Alligators are everywhere and this time of year, we spotted several babies sunning themselves on logs.
Many of them seem to not be so afraid of boats and humans yet and would stay put as you drifted closely
by. I’m sure mom was somewhere close by. Not to far from our campsite, I found several young ones, no
more than 1 ½ feet in length. As soon as they spotted me they crawled into the water one by one and
swam over to a cypress tree where there was a hole for them to swim into. I was able to get fairly close
and stayed with them until they all disappeared. I never did see mom. It was not unusual to see large
alligator heads crossing the creek several dozen feet ahead of us. Our presence scared them off their
sunning areas and back into the water so many times that it was a common sight to see several gators
crossing the creek in front of us. As you paddle along past their area, you cannot help but think about these
creatures swimming under your boat.
How to get there
The only place to access the creek west of U.S. 27 is from the Fisheating Creek Resort. You can rent
canoes and from there paddle up stream and back, or you can have them shuttle you to Ingrams Crossing
or Burnt Bridge from which you can paddle back to the resort. Call in advance for the shuttle service, which
runs ever hour approximately. The shuttle charge is per boat, about $20-25, not including the cost of renting
a boat. Here’s a good tip, they require that you carry a whistle when paddling on the creek; if you don’t
bring your own you must purchase one from their concession for $3. They will not let you on the water
without one.
From the Miami area, you can head up U.S. 27 all the way to the campground entrance. About 15 miles
past Moore Haven you’ll come to the intersection for highway 29 that leads to LaBelle. Less than a mile
past the intersection is the campground entrance on the left. From Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale, you
could take I-95 to highway 80 that runs west to U.S. 27 at South Bay. Make a right and head north on U.S.
27.
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