fivenights

Recommended 6-day kayak or canoe loop trips into the Everglades

Both of these trips begin and end at Outdoor Resorts on Chokoloskee Island. You can do these loops from Everglades
City (no cost for parking) but add 5 miles to the first and last days. The first trip begins in the back country and leads out to
the gulf via Lostmans River on the 4th day. The second trip is opposite of the first; it begins in the gulf, heads into the
backcountry via Lostmans River on the third day. Mileage provided is an approximation and can vary according to routes.
Several photos are below.

Trip One (73 miles roundtrip)

Day 1: Chokoloskee Island to Watsons Place (16 miles)

Day 2: Watsons Place to Lostmans Five

(11 miles)

Day 3: Lostmans Five to Willy Willy

(11 miles)

Day 4: Willy Willy to Hog Key

(13 miles)

Day 5: Hog Key to Pavilion Key

(12 miles)

Day 6: Pavilion Key to Chokoloskee Island

(10 miles)

Day 1: Chokoloskee Island to Watsons Place (16 miles)

I love this first day's route, it takes you on the beautiful Lopez River and three

backcountry bays.

When

out

here, I

realize

how

vast the

Everglades is (I

cannot imagine what it was like before most of it was destroyed). We

put in on

the

east

side

utdoor

Resorts marina (the

starting point

for the wilderness

waterway). As

you head toward to the

mouth of Lopez

River, beware of shoals

and

follow the channel markers. The Lopez

River is

eautiful

and I can see

why Gregorio

Lopez

made his

homestead here.

At about 5 miles into the paddle, s

top at the Lopez River campsite

for a

break and

check out

the

old water

cistern he built over 100

years ago.

Up from Lopez campsite you

will

ollow

crooked creek

nto

Sunday Bay,

where

you'll

follow the

wilderness waterway

markers

leading you across Sunday Bay

and eventually

into Oyster and

Huston Bays. On a map, these bays look small in

comparison to

the gulf of

Mexico,

but in a kayak

canoe,

they are not.

I've been caught on these bays in 25-30

knot winds and it is

unnerving

Once

you get

into Huston Bay and

can see

marker

108 , head in a more southerly direction toward the

right, away

from the

markers. You'll see

the island where marker 107 is

situated, the

island has an old house still standing that you'll spot

easily from a

distance. Stay

right of that island and once

along side it, follow the right shoreline into the

passage that

will lead you to the

Watsons Place.

Watsons Place

is rich in

history

and if you can, read Peter Matth

sson's book

Killing Mister Watson"

before you

camp there. Once

you know the

story, it makes your stay

interesting and

you'll actually believe you've seen ghosts

Day 2: Watsons Place to Lostmans Five (11 miles)

From Watsons Place you'll head back up the Chatham River and follow the right shoreline toward

waterway marker

(which

will be sitting on the far

end of

an island on your left). Continue following the shoreline into Chevelier

Bay

and head

toward marker

93. Chevelier Bay can be very imposing with

20+ knot

winds, especially when they are

coming out of

the

northeast. On one of my

trips, I had the wind directly behind me and I literally surfed across

that

bay. It

seems the relative

shallowness of these

backcountry bays allows the waves to break, like a surf, rather than

swell and loll

across the bay. I'm

not sure

which is worse

surfing or lolling,

when you have the wind coming at you

from the side. Once across Chevelier

you'll

head into the protected area

where

Darwin's Place

campsite is located

This is a nice place

for a short break (port-a-

let

available). From there, continue following the

markers

across Cannon

Bay,

Tarpon Bay

and then

Alligator Cree

k. Y

ou'll

paddle through

couple of creeks,

lligator

being the first

and will

likely

get up close and personal with a

few gators. They

are

typically lounging on

the mud near the water's edge and

pay little attention

to you unless you

et too

close and

threaten its space.

Please

don't

intentionally

get

too

close to

one, just leave them be. You

can get some excellent photos

without getting close. Beware of

powerboat traffic

through these

creeks as

well, keep your ears

and eyes alert and be

ready to move aside. In all, the creeks make

this

day's route a particularly interesting

one, giving you a

nice

peaceful

contrast to the large open bays in between.

Alligator creek leads into another large bay, Alligator Bay followed by Dad

Bay. Keep your eyes peeled for the

distant

markers. Once

out of Dads Bay

you'll

head

into Plate Creek and Plate Creek Bay, passing the chickee that is

situated on a

small island in the bay.

You could stop for a break but it is off the

route

slightly. You'll meander through

one more small

creek and once out, you'll

see

Lostmans Five ahead. This campsite is small with two chickee-sized

platforms and a dock

where the port-a-

sits. Without

the

platforms, this site can be extremely muddy, so be

grateful for the hard platform.

You'll have a

beautiful sunset here, as you

gaze

across the small bay in the evening

Day 3: Lostmans Five to Willy Willy (1

miles)

This route begins on a beautiful and relatively wide creek. This creek has an openness to it, unlike the tighter creeks

from

the

day before. You'll spot

several

birds including osprey along this route, especially early in the morning. The

route takes

you into

Onion Key Bay and you'll follow the markers through

several

large mangrove islands. I think this

area (between

Onion Key, Third

and Second Bays) is one of the most beautiful backcountry areas north of

Lostmans

River. You will feel

very far removed from

civilization back in here and I rarely see powerboats near by. It is

absolutely breathtaking as you

work

your way

through the

islands. Continue following the markers until you reach

marker 44 at the entrance of the Big

Lostmans Bay. If you are using chart

#41, you will

not have a map for this

route beyond marker 4

you

will

need map

#39 to continue on.

Marker 44 is where you will

stray away from the

wilderness

waterway and make a compass bearing

(north east) right into the mouth of Rocky Creek. Once

the

creek, you'll meander through some

diverse

ecosystems.

You'll pass your usual mangrove forests but you'll also be

getting

into

the more freshwater area of the Everglades where

sawgrass

grows

abundant. The Willy Willy campsite is

about 2 miles into

the

creek on your left, situated on a corner of

Rocky Creek and another creek heading

northward.

This campsite is a bit larger than

Lostmans Five but does not have a

platform. It's plenty high enough to avoid

excessive muddiness and has a

dock for

powerboats.

Beware, this is a popular

site for powerboat fishermen. My

companion and I once shared this site with 6 fishermen who managed

get

about 1500

sq-ft of cheap tent space on

the site. That left us barely enough room for our 2 tiny tents and kayaks. It had the

potential

to be a miserable

overnight for us, but they were nice guys, quite respectful and quick to offer us ice, beer, use of their

trash bag, etc.

The creek is deep enough for

powerboat fishing, so beware of boats as you wind through the creek as well.

Day 4: Willy Willy to Hog Key (13 miles)

This is an awesome route in every way and can be relatively fast if you plan it correctly. You'll be heading out to the

gulf

via

Lostmans River so time your

trip according to the tides. You do not want to be heading out to the gulf

this

powerful

river during

an incoming tide. When I took this route, we had an

outgoing tide until about 9 am. Accordingly,

we left Willy

Willy

promptly at 7

am and were out in the gulf by 9 am. We flew out of the backcountry that

morning!

To begin, you'll

backtrack all the

way to ma

51. At this point, you can make your compass bearing toward the

west opening into

Second

Bay. Follow the left

shoreline and stay

to the left of the large shoal before you round the

corner into Lostmans

River. Once in the river with an outgoing

tide, relax and enjoy

the ride. This river is grand with

the morning light to your

back,

and with an outgoing tide

you'll be heading into the open gulf in no

time. So take your

time, get out at the sandy bar

on the right for a short break if you like. You are leaving the "dark" back country

into

the well lit open gulf,

and it's a joyful

experience. I love the backcountry, but when you come into the gulf after a few

days

the backcountry

, it's quite a

contrast. It reminds

you how vast and diverse the Everglades is. As you get

closer to the gulf, you'll

come into

the

opening of the river where several shoals await you.

Before

the 2005

hurricanes, there was s small opening (very

small at

low

tide) that you needed to follow

carefully

until you cleared the

island. After 2005,

things

shifted and there seems to be a

wider

opening now.

Follow the right shoreline of the river

to get out, staying on the north end of the island that sits in

the

middle of the

river opening.

Once out into the gulf, it's

only a short distance to Hog Key, less than 3 miles. Hog

ey was

devastated by the 2005

hurricanes

and

has plenty

of camping space to show for it. There is a very large shoal on the gulf

side, extending around to the

north end. I've

camped on

the north

end and on the west side. At low tide, plan to walk a

few hundred feet with the kayak or canoe.

Day 5: Hog Key to Pavilion Key (12 miles)

It's a gulf route all the way, from one gulf island to another. You can take a break on Turkey

or New Turkey

Key

along the

way. From there,

pass Mormon

Key and the mouth of the Chatham River as

you can head

toward the

northeast end of

Pavilion

Key

Day 6: Pavilion Key to Chokoloskee Island (10 miles)

ack to Chokoloskee Bay via a 10-mile route that really doesn't feel like 10 miles, it feels shorter. Once you cross the

bay

and

ead

east of

Crate

Key, it's

smooth all the way. Turtle Key offers a nice rest stop.

rom Lumber Key,

you

take the

same route back as I described for the 2-

night trip

from Rabbit

Key. One thing I will mention, I see more

osprey nests on this route

than most others, and it's rare not to see dolphins feeding as they

move

with the

tide.

Trip two (61 miles round trip; see my Lostmans Expedition, New Years Eve Trip story for more detail on this route)

Day 1: Chokoloskee Island to Mormon Key (15 miles)

Day 2: Mormon Key to Hog Key (8 miles)

Day 3: Hog Key to Lostmans Five (11 miles)

Day 4: Lostmans Five to Watsons Place (11 miles)

Day 5: Watsons Place to Lopez River (11 miles)

Day 6: Lopez river to Chokoloskee Island (5 miles)

Day1: Chokoloskee Island to Mormon Key (15 miles)

We chose this direction for the trip based on tide schedules. We wanted to avoid taking the Lostmans River against a

tide, so

the t

rip was planned

such a

way that heading into the backcountry via Lostmans would provide us the right

conditions. Plus, we

were counting on some winds that would be

favorable for us by heading this direction. We

also planned it so that our longest

day would be the first day and there would be a couple of relatively

short

days

thrown in. During this time of year, the weather

can change quickly and become nasty with 20+ knot winds, making

your travel tougher and

slower.

Because we are heading into the gulf, we put in on the gulfside of the

utdoor

Resort

marina and follow the

Chokoloskee

Island

shoreline toward

Rabbit

Key pass. Watch for shoals along the bay, especially at low tide

and stick

to the channel

Before you get to Turtle

Key at

the end of the Rabbit Key pass,

head south betwe

n Rock Hole and

Lumber

Keys and

make a compass bearing toward Pavilion Key. Don't head

out to

Pavilion, rather stay close to the

mangrove islands on

your left and

continue in a more sout

easterly direction. Continue

on past the Chatham Bend

right into Mormon Key. Camp on

the

north end of the northwest corner to

avoid

the shoals

at low tide.

Day 2: Mormon Key to Hog Key (8 miles)

This should be a leisurely day i

the weather is favorable. You can take your time, do some fishing or photography

along the

way. You can stop at

Turkey

Key for a break. Basically, head sout

east directly to Hog Key. You can

camp on the gulf side but

beware of the shoals (sand, not oysters) for

loading and

unloading the boats.

Day 3: Hog Key to Lostmans Five (11 miles)

With an incoming tide, you'll breeze into the backcountry, but enjoy the scenery along the way. We left Hog Key at

day break

so the sun was just

barely

peeking over the horizon. This made for a gorgeous paddle toward the

Lostmans River as the sun rose

over the mouth of the river. This area is well

known

for fishing, take advantage of

that if you are a fishermen. Watch for the birds

as you head into the river, there are plenty of shoals for them to perch

and

wade around looking for breakfast. Also, look for

manatee or dolphin moving up tide toward the backcountry.

This is a spectacular route, one of my

favorites as you head into

Second Bay and eventually Onion Key Bay. Enjoy

the couple of creeks you'll meander through before getting to Lostmans Five.

you had an easy time of it getting to

Lostmans Five, set up camp and head out through the Lostmans Five creek next to the campsite.

It goes on

forever,

so be mindful of where you are as map #41 does not continue beyond a mile or so. The campsite is small, like a

chickee with two platforms (to

avoid the excessive mud). Enjoy the sunset from the dock in the evening.

Day 4: Lostmans Five to Watsons Place (11 miles)

This is the opposite direction of day 2 from trip

one above. Take a break at Darwin's Place before heading through

Chevelier

Bay, especially if the

winds are

picking up. Once in the Chatham River, follow the left shoreline until you get

to the opening of an

intersecting river about a mile from Watsons

Place. Then

head over to the right shoreline and

follow it until you round a corner and

come up on Watsons Place. Enjoy another sunset from the dock.

Day 5: Watsons Place to Lopez River (11 miles)

This is the opposite direction of day 1 from trip one above, minus the section between Chokoloskee Island and Lopez

River

campsite. There is an

alternative route for this day. After leaving Watsons Place and heading toward Huston

Bay, continue hugging

the left shoreline (basically, follow the left

shoreline all the way from Watsons Place to Huston

Bay) around

the corner

into the

Huston River.

From there, head right into House Hammock Bay. Past

the mouth of

the bay on the left is a little creek (hiding behind

a point)

that leads into a small bay. Go in there, follow the right

shoreline and you'll find some

wooden planks lined up on the mud,

hidden

in a corner of the bay. This is the site of

Totch Brown's father's moonshine still, built in the 1920s. You can get

out and walk

about 100 feet or so to find it

quite easily. A bit of Everglades history

and you can read all about it in Totch's excellent

autobiography

After

sightseeing, head back to House Hammock Bay, and

head northwest to the north end of the bay where you'll come

into a large river that takes you back to

the wilderness waterway

route. Follow the left shoreline to marker 119. You'll

find a nice oyster island to take a break before heading into Sunday Bay.

From Sunday Bay, head into Crooked

Creek (around marker 125)

hat leads into

the Lopez River. The campsite is on your left, about one mile

from the

creek. Enjoy the evening on this campsite, as the dolphins pass by with the tides.

Day 6: Lopez River to Chokoloskee Island (5 miles)

An easy day for sure, short and sweet. Take the tide out and try to time it so you arrive in Chokoloskee Bay at high

tide to

avoid the numerous shoals

that

await you near marker 127. Instead of going around to the gulf side of

Chokoloskee Island w

ere

you originally put-in, head to the east side. You'll

avoid

even more shoals and it's a bit

shorter. Head toward the east side of the

island and follow its shoreline (the Outdoor Resorts is basically the entire

east

side

of the island) until you get to the wilderness

waterway put-in.

The Watsons Place campsite. Some of the old farm
equipment is still there, including a water cistern.

Marker 89 on Chevelier Bay.

Lostmans Five campsite. Platforms the size of chickees
make this site less muddy.

Early morning on Rocky Creek, in front of the Willy
Willy campsite.

Mormon Key campsite.

Hog Key campsite, 4 months after Hurricane Wilma.

It is helpful to have a marine chart of the area to better understand these routes. You may purchase marine charts of the Everglades at waterproofcharts.com.
The chart for the Ten Thousand Islands area is #41 (north of Lostmans's River) and for the Flamingo/Whitewater Bay/Hells Bay area, you'll need chart #39).

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