If you go: Everglades

By Connie Nelson, Star Tribune

Last update: November 15, 1997 - 10:00 PM

Canoeing in the Everglades both was and was not what I expected.

On our six-day trip in the Ten Thousand Islands area of the Everglades, my Wilderness Inquiry group paddled the Blackwater River through the marshy Everglades I had anticipated and into a surprising seascape of tiny oyster shell and mangrove islands. Although the terrain changed dramatically, the paddling did not.

The Blackwater is a murky, freshwater river, but both it and the Ten Thousand Islands, which hug the west coast of the Florida coastline, are subject to tides, winds and abrupt changes in weather that can make paddling challenging. However, the wildly varied scenery and the close proximity of dolphins, exotic birds and maybe even alligators made the going well worth it.

Despite its wildness, the Ten Thousand Islands area is accessible by canoe, kayak and motorized boats. Boat excursions and rentals are available from both the northern and the southern ends of the Everglades, near Everglades City, Fla., and Flamingo, respectively.

Wilderness Inquiry

This year, Wilderness Inquiry will offer six seven-day trips to the northern section of the Ten Thousands Islands area of the Everglades from January through March. Groups include up to 12 participants and usually are made up of people with a wide range of experience and abilities.

The $645 trip includes food, group gear, tents and paddling equipment. Transportation to and from the put-in point is available for an additional fee. For more information about Wilderness Inquiry, call 379-3858 (voice or TDD) or write to: Wilderness Inquiry, 1313 SE. 5th St., Box 84, Minneapolis, MN 55414.

Ten Thousand Islands

The northern section of the Ten Thousand Islands, where Wilderness Inquiry trips are taken, is not inside Everglades National Park. The Minneapolis-based outfitter uses that section of the islands because it is easily accessible from Collier Seminole State Park. Currently, group size is not limited and backcountry permits are not required for travel in this area of the islands.

Everglades National Park

The southern section of the Ten Thousand Islands does fall within the park's boundaries. A permit is required to canoe there, as well as on the park's famous Wilderness Waterway. A 100-mile trail -- which passes through dense swamps, mangrove islands and freshwater sloughs -- the waterway offers camping on designated islands or on raised wooden platforms, called chickees. Backcountry permits are obtainable at the park's ranger stations in Everglades City or Flamingo.

Because of tides, currents and challenging navigation, canoeing the waterway without a guide is recommended only for experienced lake paddlers who also are proficient at reading charts and working with a compass. Less experienced canoeists are encouraged to contact an outfitter.

Everglades National Park offers a "Backcountry Trip Planner," which outlines park rules, explains charts and routing and includes a list of what to pack. For a trip planner or general information about the park, call 1-305-242-7700.

Area outfitters/ canoe rental

Everglades National Park Boat Tours, 1-941-695-2591.

North American Canoe Tours, 1-941-695-4666.

Flamingo Lodge, 1-941-695-3101.

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