Bear Lake Trail

[Keith W]

Date: Aug. 29, 2009

Location: The put-in for the Bear Lake Canoe Trail is located about 1.75 miles north of Flamingo, at the end of the Bear Lake Road, which parallels the Buttonwoood Canal. There is a parking area at the end of the road, and it's a short drive west to the dock at the put-in. The Trail can be also be reached by boat from Buttonwood Canal by landing at the dock on the canal, and then portaging about 250 yards to the put-in.

Condition: Bear lake Trail is now clear and passable for it's entire length out to Bear Lake, about 1.6 miles, The Homestead Canal beyond Bear Lake is still blocked by storm debris, and this will be the next stage of the ongoing clearing project. Please note that the gate to the Bear Lake Road is normally locked during the off-seaon, and the road is currently in very poor condition. The Park service usually mows the roadside and fills in the worst of the potholes at the start of the fall season.

[Miami101]

My posting is gone!
I guess I must of step into another topic. I was just asking about a few things to see if anyone had also had the same thoughts. I did not state anything about cutting the path myself just asking questions before I go in to explorer myself. The thought of 3, or four loops kind of caught my eye, or coming from Flamingo on land into one of those canels.

As you know my papers cleared so I will be there with you guys next time to help.

[Keith W]

I have not surveyed the southwest side of Bear Lake,
connecting all those smaller lakes to get out to Raulerson's Prairie but from
what I hear is those 'lakes' are not lakes but large areas of mud. Paddlers
who have reported back say there isn't any water in there.

Old timers who travelled this area before the Park called this the Soup Doodle Prairie because of the shallow water and soft mud.

[Terry]

The crossover further west along the Homestead Canal and Bear Lake is just that, it's close
but still high and dry. That close point you see on the aerials is about a 5 to 10 foot hump
that is too high to drag a loaded canoe over. It's wide enough and high enough to make you
unload your canoe. We used to get out there and have a snack while looking across the lake.
I never thought about this but after working as hard as it is to clear the Homestead Canal it
might be narrow enough to consider digging it out wide enough for canoes.
Hmmm... something to think about. It would be a nice change too - paddle the canal
to the lake, take the lake to the crossover, then back in the canal to Gator Lakes.
It would be hard for me to believe the canal has grown in once you get to the south turn.
The Homestead Canal running east and west just north of Bear Lake was always narrow
but as soon as you made the hard turn to the south it was very wide - at least 100 feet.
Dredging back across the dredged material. Remembering it from over 20 years ago,
4 men digging could dig that crossover out in one day which would be less work than
clearing the Homestead Canal from Bear Lake to that point. Let's go look at it, I'm
available on 12 December, we can probe the canal west of that point as well.

[Bob Quirk]

I'm not sure any of you has heard this story. I heard it about a month ago when Ranger Christie came out to the canal ando mentioned it to Tom. It seems two guys from out of town decided to take their kayaks to east cape for a camping trip. While they were out there the weather turned bad and a strong east wind came up. Looking at their charts they noticed the Homestead Canal which was marked on their chart as a good trail. So off they went from East cape to Flamingo via the Homestead Canal. Several days later Tom and jim were working on the Bear Lake Trail when two very tired thirsty and hungry kayakers came through. They were out of food and water and literally dragged their kayaks the whole length of the trail. They were both in pretty bad shape but they had a tale to tell their freinds.

[Miami101]

I'm good Dec 12 if you are up to check it out. Do you think the park would go for this idea, and is there any reason they would not want the increase of water flow into these areas. I'm not sure if this area is fresh water, or mix.

I still think the Home Stead project is important, but would love to keep openning this area up to Kayers, or Canoe people.

[Miami101]

That is a great story. Those guys must have some good stories to tell.
I know the work you guys did from Mud Lake to Bear will help the flow of water, and help improve some of the fishery. I can't tell you how many night, and hours I put in looking at Google Earth, Maps, and wanting to visit these locations. I so happy to be able to go visit this path. I was will be back this week again one day on Bear, and another on Mud.

You guys did a great job out there.

[Miami101]

I was down in Flamingo Wed was going to check out the back side of Bear lakes, and do some fishing. I notice they had it close again. I ended up just going out to Snake Bite due to time limits.

[Diego Lopez]

Anyone know if the gate on Bear Lake Road is locked?

Thanks,

Diego

[Bob Quirk]

As of saturday it was locked because all the rain has made a mucky mess of the access road. Hopefully with the drier weather the maintanance crew can get inthere and grade the road.

[Jared E]

I was there on Sunday the 20th and it was locked. I really want to paddle that trail into Bear Lake but every time I've driven past it's been locked.

-Jared E.

[Keith W]

I really want to paddle that trail into Bear Lake

You can always paddle up Buttonwoond Canal to the dock and portage over to the Bear Lake put-in. The portage is only about 250 yds.

[toofaraway]

Is there any reason someone couldn't bike their canoe in to the launch area, or even all the way to Bear Lake itself? I haven't been there in 10 years but with the new bike/canoe-kayak trailers it seems like it should be doable. With a bike - canoe trailer there may be other areas that open up too like Old Ingraham.
Happy Holidays to you all down there in Sunny So. FLA. Some of us are doing our Everglades exploring vicariously through you all so don't forget your trip reports!

Ho ho ho,
TFA