Ferguson Bay Loop

[Terry]

On Saturday 4 February 2012 Esther, Flex, Amanda, Dan, Kara and I launched 2 canoes and 2

kayaks from the Gulf Coast Ranger Station at 07:30.  It's a good loop, very open and clear the

entire way, we got back to the ranger station at 15:00.

Paddlers like mangrove tunnels but you haven't seen them like this.  Barron Creek, barely

visible on Goggle Earth from 53.000'N and 23.134'W to 53.157'N and 23.284'W, is a

hidden-from-satellite airboat size tunnel!  There's a shallow lake just to the east of Ferguson Bay

but we were able to push/paddle the boats through the thick muddy water at low tide.  Most of

Ferguson River is a more natural, deep water, beautiful tunnel through a tall mangrove forest,

the river widens as it approaches Lane Cove.

There's airboat traffic on the east side of the Everglades National Park boundary line but it's no

different than being passed by power boaters.  Even though we could hear many in the distance

we were only passed twice by the same airboat.  The passages are very channelized so paddlers

are not hidden as they are in open grass areas.  These same tight twisting channels force the

airboats to go slow so paddlers only need to get to the side when they hear an airboat coming

their way.  The airboats seem to wake up at about 09:00 and by 10:00 they can be heard in

full force, so a smart approach is to get an early start and get past the canal that parallels the

old highway to Everglades City at 52.966'N and 23.046'W.

This connects the Big Cypress National Preserve canoe trail network with the canoe trails

of northwest Everglades National Park and Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve.  Using this

route paddlers can stay in the back country all the way from Turner River to West Pass Bay.

[vivian]

That is exactly the response I got from the tour boat operator I went to gather info from.  Basically "stay out of Fergusson Bay" was the stern but polite advice.

However, the trick might be to get through there as Terry and the group did before 9 am. 

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

Thanks Esther! Here are some more pics of the loop:

http://kayakfari.wordpress.com/random-gallery-2/florida-south-flori...

[Terry]

Thanks Flex, great photo documentation.

[Gary M]

I noticed that a few of y'all mentioned that you liked the prairrie environment, and I agree - it is pretty cool. 

There is a nice lake to the west of the East River trail, that is surrounded by open prarrie like that near Fergusson.  It is only a short paddle from the headwater lake where you normally put in, and it is completely safe from the airboats.  Technically, I believe it is in the Fakahatchee Strand SP.  There are many small and shallow creeks that meander out into the prarries, but they will be quite dry this time of year.  During late summer, when the water is highest, you can follow these creeks for quite a distance, and actually access other water ways.

Look on any sat map and you will see this lake immeditately to the west of Long Lake (the second open water below the headwater lake where you launch).  When you pass out of Long Lake through a short section of creek, you will find an open intersection before bearing to the left and entering another section of creek.  At that intersection, instead of bearing left and continuing down the normal East River trail, instead, bear right and follow the creeks to this other lake.

Years ago, before the East River was well known and popular, a few of us tried to find our way down.  The water flow was much different then, and the more obvious route took us through this lake, but we could not proceed much past it.  The fishing was good though (and still can be) so we simply called it "Wrong Way Lake".

If you want to explore the prairrie environment,and especially if you only have a partial day, y'all might want to check it out.  The only downside I can think of is that during duck hunting season, early in the mornings, there might be some hunters within gun shot hearing distance.

[Terry]

The aerials don't show a connection but the first thing that jumps out from a satellite

view is the little gap between Ferguson River and East River.   I know you're talking to

the west of East River but if that little jump from Ferguson to East River could be made

you could stay in the backcountry all the way from Turner River to Fakahachee Bay.

Gary, with your west of East River probes were you trying to come down East River and cross over

to Fakahatchee River?

Too much to do and we keep getting older.  I still have the figure 8's to do over in BICY, maybe

we should do another GladesGoDeep event and paddle/party all that stuff between Halfway Creek

and CR29.  Since it's Charlie's baby he could guide us.

[Gary M]

Terry,

My fishing buddies and I made many attempts ot jump from the East River to Fergusson, with no luck.  We never got out of the boat however.

Ya know, since so many seem to like the subway tunnels created by airboat traffic, maybe that area between Halfway and 29 would be of interest.  Thats where the tours used to run, up to just a few years ago.  The "creeks" over there had the same look.  And there is no way they have recovered in the short time since it became closed to the airboat tours.  They used to run all over that area.  I've got the routes charted somewhere, although they can be easily seen on sat maps now.

[Terry]

The Bushwackers, a volunteer organization for BICY, have maintained, surveyed, marked

and mapped that whole canoe trail complex in and around Turner River, Halfway Creek and CR29.

BICY got a jump on both the other national parks by putting the jpg AND kml or kmz on their

website.   This is the future, fully electronic Goggle Earth maps of their canoe trails, check it

out on the BICY website.   That's why we were probing to the west of CR29 to hook all these

trails together.   But this is Charlie's baby.  Charlie, speak up, you already showcased it

for the NPS highups, you going to take a GladesGoDeep party on a tour?

[yakmaster]

I don't know about the bushwackers, but the Bushpaddlers have assisted BICY in trail clearing & development over the years. As Gary says, much of the cross routes from the Turner all the way to 29 is old airboat trails. That includes the cross from Turner to halfway, the halfway alternate route and the crazy 8's. First time I did the "alternate" was while the airboats were still running the area. They were more than a bit surprised to see us out there.

The north end of the 8's is nice prairie land that has been slotted by the old airboat tours.

 

Too many routes & not enough weekends!

[Terry]

Yeah, yeah, we know all that, cut to the fun part -

You going to take us kids canoeing on the Bushpaddlers creation??

A tour of the Alternate and Crazy Eights all in one mega trip??!! 

We ain't getting younger, give us a Saturday we'll make it a

GladesGoDeep event.

[Terry]

Over here Kim, all about the Ferguson Bay Loop.

[Kim Gass]

Ok...got here..Thanks

[Terry]

Start from the top of this discussion there's lot of good information.

The only thing I have to add is the entire Ferguson Bay Loop is open flat out

paddling.    There's no branches, snags the only possible hard spot is the

pond just before the bay west of Ferguson Bay.    If it's low tide that pond can be thick

as ketchup, if you run into this stay to the north side of the pond.

A large portion of the loop is along the shoreline on the open water, if the

wind is up and against you it can be a long paddle back to the ranger station.

Remember, once you cross the ENP line in the middle of Ferguson Bay the airboats

are behind you.   Because of the twisty nature of Barron Creek the airboats have to go slow,

where the airboats could be scary is in that canal going north from the intersection

of Barron River and Barron Creek.  But since the airboats don't even start up until 09:00,

plan your trip to get on Barron Creek before 09:00.   When we paddled the loop airboats were not

an issue, we only passed one and he was idling.