Canoeing the Ten Thousand Islands with Merevin

Published: 06/20/14 10:19 PM in National, North America, Travel.
By: Meredith Lambert Banogon

Kevin has been asking for a canoeing trip for the longest time, so when his birthday rolled around this year we thought “Let’s celebrate with a canoeing adventure through the Ten Thousand Islands”! So we lathered on the sun protection, packed an energy rich lunch, and drove out to Everglades City to begin our adventure.

Completing the Tamiami Triathlon in the Ten Thousand Islands

This trip through the Everglades also gave Kevin and I the chance to complete the canoeing portion of the Tamiami Triathlon. A program with the purpose of getting people outside exploring their nearby national parks!

The three sections of the event include; biking the 15-mile loop from the Shark Valley Visitors Center, hike 3-mile loop from Oasis Visitor Center, and kayak/canoe the 3.5-mile route from the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades city.

Since we have already completed the 15-mile bike ride through Shark Valley, all we have left is the 3-mile hike through the Big Cypress Swamp.

Canoeing through the Ten Thousand Islands

Canoeing through open water can be a lot of fun, but can also be a bit harsh since you are completely exposed to the strength of the sun. However when you add thousands of indistinguishable mangrove islands into the equation, the entire experience could become quite nerve-wrecking.

However, as long as you pay close attention to the route outlined on the map provided to you, navigating shouldn’t be too difficult or disconcerting. We found the entire trip very adventurous and, despite the physical labor that comes with canoeing, the experience was very relaxing.

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Our canoeing adventure started off well as we made our way into the open water of Chokoloskee Bay toward Sandfly Island. It is always a little nerve-wracking to me to canoe through open water as opposed to down a river with banks on each side. But it was easy to keep our destination in sight as we made our way to the mangrove islands.

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We stopped on Sandfly Island to explore the inside of a mangrove island with higher ground. The reason for this island’s higher ground is because the entire island is a shell mound built up by the Calusa Indians, who populated this area over 2,000 years ago.

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Remnants of Sandfly Island’s long human history are still evident today in the structures still standing within the trees. One settler actually built a home on the island where he and his family would live amongst the Everglades.

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While we were stopped on Sandfly Island, we enjoyed a light lunch on the dock. The sense of solitude was relaxing and reenergizing! Getting us ready for the canoe through the mangrove islands and back to the visitor’s center.

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It was a gorgeous day to canoe through the Ten Thousand Islands in the Everglades. The sky was clear with only friendly, fluffy clouds against the beautiful blue of a Florida day. It was definitely hot out, but the consistent breeze made the entire trip enjoyable.

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When we arrived back at the Gulf Coast Visitor’s Center and went to dock our canoe on the beach of the drop area, there were crabs EVERYWHERE! As we pulled up they began scurrying about to avoid the boat. It looked like the entire shore was alive and moving.

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After completing our adventure through the Ten Thousand Islands, Kevin and I were extremely proud of another great day spent in a National Park! The Everglades National Park is definitely an under appreciated area of South Florida. I would encourage everyone to take the drive out and explore the solitude of the swamp.

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By Meredith Lambert

Tags: Canoeing, Everglades, Florida, Mangroves, Miami, Travel Blog, Trips