Everglades Exploration Network

I'm planning my upcoming trip leaving some time for exploration, Charley Creek looks like a nice route from the gulf to Cannon Bay.

Has anyone taken this route? Is the creek passable? tides? I love the idea to paddle remote places away as possible from the most popular trails.

From the aerials looks like an easy paddle from Cannon Bay to Gopher Key Bay and to Rookery Bay; assuming enough water depth. But from there to the gulf is not that clear.



Thank you,
Juan

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We kayaked over to the mouth of Charlie Creek the week before thanksgiving (fishing detour). If you attempt to do this route, you need to be aware that the area @ the mouth of Charlie Creek (where it meets the gulf), is a huge mud-flat @ low tide. It is impassable even in a kayak. Once you get into the creek there's plenty of water. You'll need to time your encounter with the entrance area when there is water there.

We were fishing for Redfish @ low tide, and followed the tide into the mouth. We caught several nice Redfish, and encountered 20+ sharks cruising the mud flat. I wish we had more time, we would have liked to of ventured into there.

If you do this trip, New Turkey Key is a good starting point.

Good luck
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If you can get through, you'll have one of the best wildlife experiences in the 'glades, expecially with the feathered types. But, don't plan to get through unless you are doing it as a day trip (while base camping on Turkey Key). Another option is to plan your loop trip so you can stay on Darwins one night. If you plan a short enough paddle to Darwins (from Lostmans Five or Plate Creek), you can take a little excursion into Gopher Creek from Cannon Bay. Give yourself a couple hours to do it. I guarantee, you will not regret it. And make sure your camera is ready when you get in there. Then, the next morning, get on the water just before sunrise, paddle back to Cannon Bay and watch one of the most spectacular bird shows ever; hundreds, maybe thousands of birds will cross over the bay toward Gopher Creek and you can sit in the middle of the bay and watch all of them. Amazing stuff.
Yes have camera at hand. However when coming from Cannon Bay into Gopher Creek and particularly when the creek widens to a lagoon..make noise.

Gators do not like to be surprised and I managed to surprise one last January. If the wind blows all the water into the Gopher Creek area there will be plenty of reptiles and birds seeking some shelter from the weather.
Thanks everyone for your inputs. I looks like is well worthwhile to explore the area, I think I might stay at Darwins and start from there.

Walt; it looks like you had a blast! so close to those sharks! were you worried?

Connie; If there is wildlife to photograph I'm in, If I'm lucky I will try to get two nights at Darwin. I'm going next week and hopefully is not as busy as late December.

Kim; Thank you for your comments, I'm very used to paddle with alligators, I live very close to Loxohatchee Wildlife Refuge here in Boynton Beach and I frequently paddle there. This area has one of the largest concentrations of alligators in the northern everglades. I have learned that if you give them space they will leave you alone.
The problem I had was that emerging from the creek the waterway was less than a canoe length wide. I was solo and paddling quietly. The gator rose up from its sunning berth less than thirty feet away, On all fours it ran across ten feet of mud and then dove into a belly flop into the water. It never submerged for the next fifteen feet. 3/4 of the gator on top of the water..then dove about five feet from the stern. It must have thought I was a competing male.

While I had a moment of panic because I was pretty sure the gator was going to have a mouthful of carbon fibre and I would be sleeping in a mangrove whist waiting for a fisherman.

Sometimes the space that gators need is not there.
I hear you on this one been there on a low Kayak/Canoe myself.
I tend to sing like a tenor when I enter these areas......................sounds like a great trip, and good area to check out.

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