Favorite 3 day loop

[Daniel Madrigal]

I have 3 days next week that I want to use to go camping. 2 nights. What is everyones favorite loop in that time period? I kind of want to just gun it and head for canepatch because I have never been but I know I wont be able to enjoy much because I will be paddling most of the day. Ideas? Suggestions? Experiences? I can leave out of Flamingo or Everglades City, they are about the same distance from my house. 

[Juan Estevez]

With this weather it would be beach camping for me:

EC to Picnic key (using the "shortcut" see image below)

Picnic to Pavillion or Rabbit

Back to EC

From Picnic you can check Tiger and Lulu, 

I've done this loop a few times and it never gets old, you can also use the "West Pass" to get to Picnic, less motor boats this way.

Juan

[Terry]

Canepatch is do-able in one day, I did it, in a 17 foot Grumman

full metal riveted canoe, Canepatch to Flamingo, 06:00-18:30.

Conditions were all in our favor:  Full moon in the

morning so there was plenty of moon light to travel down Avocado Creek,

ebb tide all the way out Shark River and light wind.  Took the Cutoff and

went up Joe River to take advantage of the chickees in case we ran

out of time and could not make the 34 miles.   This was after paddling

32 miles down the slough from Tamiami Trail the day before.

 

If you can plan your route to time things right, go for it.   It might be easier with a

little typical southeast wind to blow you down Joe River.  As long as you've got flood

tide in Shark River you'll be good.  Plan on this: I've timed the tides at the intersection

of Harney, Shark and Tarpon Bay and it's a 5 hour delay so if you're at the Cutoff

about 2 hours after the start of flood reported on the "Mouth of Shark River" tide station

that would be about perfect.   This is adjustable for the first day, you can leave

Flamingo at anytime to met the tide, Buttonwood Canal and Tarpon Creek is easily

navigable in pre-dawn light.  Then you have a comfortable 2 days to come back using

the Labyrinth to North Watson Canoe Trail to Old Camp Canoe Trail to Roberts River Chickee.

Look at all the new stuff you'd see - the best campground in the park and two canoe

trails you've never been on!

[Kim Gass]

Wow..wont the bugs have dinner on you?

My last trip was a lazy beach trip but mostly out of the park, launching at Collier Seminole.. Coon, Panther Picnic Gullivan...and I liked Picnic and Gullivan the beat.. At most you have a fourteen mile paddle in a day. The winds were up when I was there.

[Connie Mier]

I don't know what exact days you are going, but early next week has winds forecasted out of the W-NW. Wind speed and direction would dictate this trip if I were doing it. Given the right tides, I agree with Juan on heading out to the gulf, away from the backcountry bug-fest. With westerly winds, Tiger and Mormon would be your best bet. Panther or Gullivan in the preserve would be good too.

[Kim Gass]

I have a question about the posted signs on Panther. There were six or eight of them..no entry allowed. But not around the whole key? Is the key off limits at certain times for nesting or is it off limits period?

[toofaraway]

Flamingo to Lane Bay, Lane Bay to North River, North River to Flamingo.  The worst bugs are always nearer the coast.

Or another alternate would be Hells Bay, Lane Bay, Pearl Bay, lol.  Depends on how much ground you feel the need to cover.  When you look at the map you realize you could paddle all day and still come back to the same spot and be perfectly content.