Wilderness Waterway Questions

[Daniel Madrigal]

Hey everyone. I am planning on doing the wilderness waterway in March and I had a few questions for those who have done it. First of all, does anyone know of a good website for tides at flamingo? Salwatertides.com is not very accurate due to no close location. Next question is, does going flamingo to everglades city or vice versa matter? I was planning on going flamingo to everglades city. Last question is should I take deviations from the marked waterway? Perhaps to see some nicer areas or more wildlife or something. Thanks for all your help guys! 

[Esther Luft]

Nice. Keep in mind that low tide at Highland leaves a few hundred yards of exposed soft bottom. You can drag your boat out but why, if you can avoid it. Then there's the obvious, have an alternate, and a second alternate site. If the sites are full you will have to make opt for what's available. Your distances are very manageable, even if the winds pick up. You can shoot a lot of b-roll, if you do that sort of thing.

[Juan Estevez]

Daniel,

Just a quick tip, on day 2 you'll be crossing Ponce de Leon bay and if I the conditions are kind of rough try to stick to the coast. Last February I went for a very routine paddle from Jewel Key to Rabbit which I had done couple of times, I encountered the worst paddle conditions ever, I had huge waves coming from all over, I don't know how I didn't capsize my fully loaded kayak. Lesson learned: hug the coast and don't follow the straight line. (of course, follow your plan if weather cooperates). On the maps those bays don't look big, but once out there they are really huge.

I do practice self rescue but I'm sure that in those waves it would have been almost impossible to get back on it.

Juan

[Terry]

Sure, go for it, have a ball. To me it looks more like a powerboat route than a paddlers
route but, as they say 'whatever floats your boat'. Take all those little fingers at Shark
River instead of trying to go through the middle of Ponce de Leon Bay, you can approach
Graveyard Creek Campsite from Graveyard Creek, it's much nicer coming in the backdoor.
It's beyond me why anyone would go on the WW without going through the Nightmare
unless you've already done it a bunch of times. The Nightmare is a rite of passage.
I do like you sticking Charley Creek in there, be prepared for it, I would not go in there without
aerials, the creek doesn't connect on the nautical charts. And, I can't comment without
my usual rant about the exit - exit at Turner River/Tamiami Trail or the Big Cypress Visitor
Center at Seagrape or, the best, Collier Seminole State Park it's infinitely better.

[Connie Mier]

I think you have a safe route figured out. Just be certain that you have the tides working with you on the rivers, especially Lostmans and Broad. Personally, if you are intent on a oneway trip, I would go up the cape and get my beach camping fix there (Joe river is relatively boring and powerboat heaven), then head into the backcountry. Or head up toward Watsons River and cut over from there (can go through labyrinth).

Rodgers River Bay chickee is one of my favorites, glad you will spend a night there. Although Turkey Key (souteast corner) is also one of my favorites, here's a suggestion. Instead of it, from Lostmans head to Darwins. Spend your spare afternoon time in gopher creek. Or you could break camp early at darwins, and spend a couple hours in the creek before heading to WP. Leave Darwins before sunrise and get onto Cannon Bay and wait for one of the best wildlife shows in the Everglades.

With 8 days to play with, too bad you are not routing into Camp Lonesome or Willy Willy.

Also, why not a loop trip? Much easier logistically and IMO, much more fun and interesting.

[Alex Madrigal]

Hi everyone. Keep the suggestions coming! They are invaluable.

I am going on this trip with my brother and don't want to get locked in to a route too early. I know what looks good on a map has nothing to do with reality in the backcountry, so it is great to hear first-hand advice about where the action is and where to find wildlife, especially since he is planning on doing a lot of photography/video.

We will definitely try to incorporate the suggestions!

[Alex Madrigal]

Terry, can you describe what you would consider a "paddler's" route as opposed to the one my brother mapped out? It would be nice to be as alone as possible out there.

[Daniel Madrigal]

I really have heard great things about Gopher Creek so I def wanna check that out, The suggestion of staying at darwin's is a possible idea over staying at turkey key. The reason we aren't doing a loop trip is due to time. We really only have a maximum of 8 or 9 days and wanna get from one end to the other. Family members can drop us off and pick us up so thats not really a big issue. I haven't heard of cannon bay I will surely look into it though.

[Daniel Madrigal]

With everyone's advice, especially Connie's side trip into Gopher Creek while staying at Darwin's, I made some changes and this is the new map. The last days paddle is a little rough but the day before will be an easy 4 mile paddle from Darwin's to Watson's. I am reading and taking into consideration everyones advice. So far my brother, another friend and I are doing this. We have only done 1 nighters on east cape, hells bay, fakahatchee (Best trip so far!) and shark point. Hopefully we are going to do a Sable loop before this trip in march. If anyone is interested in doing the waterway with us let me know it would be great to have people along who have done it before. Keep the advice and suggestions coming for me, thank you so much!

[Terry]

Simple definitions, the powerboat population increases as the distance to the gulf
decreases. Also, total traffic decreases as backcountry increases: Hang around
Cape Sable or Pavilion Key for maximum human infestation. Go down Shark River
Slough and with the exception of the radio tower in South Dade destroying your
vista you'll have total solitude all the way to Canepatch.

Since you have the luxury of family members launching and picking you up,
take advantage. Launch at Hells Bay Trail, wiggle your way through all that
almost no powerboat water to single chickees like Lane Bay, North River,
Watson River. Go to Canepatch. If you've emptied a water jug by now, fill it
up with freshwater at Canepatch. Take the north route out of Canepatch and
North Harney. By now you have probably only passed a boat or two the
day before on Shark River, if you came out of Hells Bay by Lane River and North River you
probably have only seen a few boats in the distance. You probably will not
see anybody for the whole day from Canepatch down North Harney and through the
Nightmare. When you hit Broad River you'll see some humans again. Here, either
way is good, Highlands Beach is about a half mile away from water at low tide so
it's a less visited beach for powerboaters. Broad River Campsite is a good campsite
and a great location, the day will be done, but you'll have human visitors. Either way
by now you're stinking so take a bath in the saltwater and rinse off with that water
from Canepatch. If you want Charley Creek stay at Highlands Beach or Hog Key
that way you're set up to use Charley Creek to get back inside the next day. If you
aren't going to use Charley Creek stay at Broad River and use Cabbage Creek the
next day. If you used Charlie Creek then your next night is Darwins. If you come
up from Broad River you could stay at Willy Willy. From Willy Willy you have not been
on the gulf yet so go north paralleling the WW and come out Chatham River. If you used
Charley Creek you have already had to deal with the gulf so stay inside and come out
Lopez River. Unfortunately Everglades City has metastasized to about halfway down
to Flamingo so you can only minimize the honky-tonk contamination by staying out on
the gulf or on the inside across Sunday Bay and up Turner River to Tamiami or Halfway
Creek to the BCNP Seagrape VC for an shortened exit. To complete the whole trip,
Tiger or Picnic Key will always be your last night, the last day you wiggle through
the Ten Thousand Islands to Blackwater River and exit at Collier Seminole State Park.
Eights days, no problem, even solo in an open canoe.

[yakmaster]

I'm not a big fan of the Lopez...When you go north from Watson's. instead of taking the Lopez out...Go out through Sunday Bay...and if you really want to close "con broche de oro" (Cuban for "sweet & with Class") go north & get picked up on the Turner @41. If not, go south & take the Turner to Chock Bay & over to the island.

That point on the south side of Chock Island is that Smallwoods? We launched there once, it was good, but the launch @ the causeway is easier...


In the alternative After going all the way down Gopher/Charley Creek...go all the way out & spend your last night @ Mormon, Pavillion or Rabbit, not a bad place to spend your last night.

[Connie Mier]

Cannon bay, next to Darwin's and where the entrance to Gopher creek is located. I believe it is marker 86 as you leave darwins and enter cannon bay.

And per yakmaster's comment, Rabbit Key is also a favorite. The shore birds on the northeast spit near the campsite are in great number that time of year. Including oyster catchers.

[vivian]

I have to agree with Terry with suggested trip plan. His advice of being dropped off at Hells Bay trail to work your way along the NE side of Whitewater Bay towards Canepatch is my choice. If conditons are perfect you could even launch at Coot Bay pond and head to Watsons River Chickee the first night. Next day the Labarynth towards Canepatch and save one day of travel vs using the Hells Bay trail.

Graveyard creek was once my favorite site but after the hurricanes cut it almost in half, the campsite is too claustophobic and buggy in comparison. And as mentioned, Ponce de Leon Bay is nasty if winds are high try to work your way through shark river system creeks. Johnny Molloy's book has good trip route ideas.

Turner River exit is better than Lopez for final day. As already mentioned, the tides are key to more pleasant paddling. I use the Onion Key tide station to get time of tides at the entrances of the back bays and the river mouth tidal stations like chatam, lostmans, etc to know when highs and lows occur towards the gulf.

Are you in canoes or kayaks?