Florida Bay and its many islands

[Esther Luft]

Planning on exploring the small keys in the bay.  Any idea as to which ones we can stop at for a lunch, bathroom, leg-stretch?  Specifically, what about Black Betsy, Jim Foot Key, Calusa Key, others? 

Thanks!

[Gary M]

Esther,

Check the Park regs... there are only a few islands you are OK to go ashore. I'm pretty sure Bradley is open to day use, and there is a campsite on one of the Rabbit Keys (with facilities, I think). I think Sandy Key is OK to walk on during the day too - but that might have changed. There might be a campsite still on Nest Key - but you better check that out.

Essentially, it is not OK to go ashore on most of the islands, but from what I have seen, there is not much access or reason to anyway... not much dry ground!

Sorry.

Gary M

[Keith W]

I'm pretty sure that the only islands in Florida Bay that you can land on are the campsites at Little Rabbit Key, North Nest Key, Bradley and Carl Ross (both are day use only). Sandy Key is a bird refuge and has been off-limits for years - there is no entrance beyond the ring of markers that surrounds it. I haven't been to Carl Ross since October 2004. Wilma cut it up pretty bad and it's been closed to camping since then. Little Rabbit is a pretty good stretch from Flamingo, about 14 miles. North Nest is over near Key Largo. Murray Key just offshore from Flamingo is also a bird refuge. Basically, you're limited to Bradley or maybe Carl Ross if you're day-tripping. I'd check with a knowledgable ranger at Flamingo before heading out if you have plans on stopping anywhere.

[Juan Estevez]

Last year I was planning several trips around the Florida Keys and a friend recommended to me The Florida Keys Paddling Atlas by Bill and Mary Burnham. The book is very well written with lost of maps and trails to explore in the keys, an more importantly; it also has most of the put ins and campsites.

This book also mentions that most islands are off-limits, except for the ones that Keith already mentioned.

Juan

[Esther Luft]

Okay, camping/campsite report. We camped, or should I say, nested, at North Nest Key. There is no way this island can hold the published limit 25bpeople/7 parties. Our party of 6 was hard pressed to find a spot that fit a tent. There was one good spot and it was occupied by someone. That spot alone could hold maybe 6 small tents placed closely together. The dock area was swarmed with mosquitoes. The interior of the island was swamped. The bottom was soft and muddy in the cove on the west side of the island. The four or five single tent spots on the north side where useless to us due to distance and lack of available access between one and the other. Regardless, they too are very small.

There are several islands as you paddle back to Flamingo with what seemed to have better access and more sand. I would hope ENP updates North Nest Key information to indicate limited camping. Hopefully other and more reasonable sites will be made available.

I would pay extra for a non-motorized access area for camping from which I would have to pack out waste? It's a long 27 miles from NNK to Flamingo, and there is a lot to see. Shark Point Chickee is too close to be helpful and we all know the gripes about access. I will be reporting the situation to the park in the morning :/ Otherwise,beautiful paddle.

Short Key, outside the park, was awesome!!

[toofaraway]

That's a helluva paddle to N Nest Key from Flamingo. Sorry I didn't see your post earlier or I would have warned that it's not such a great spot. It's also a big party spot for powerboaters from the Keys. Don't hold breath for other islands to open up as access, they've been closed forever. Croc habitat and nesting birds.

I'd think a loop in Fla Bay involving Shark Pt/Johnson Key/ Rabbit Key would be very scenic. The water in those areas is gorgeous and full of life (read: big sharks).

Years ago I went to Carl Ross on a spur for New Years. I'd come down from Seattle. On arriving the island we found the prime spot occupied with tents so we set up under the big black mangrove that (used to be) was in the middle of the island. As we were setting up the group came paddling in, close by because low tide. Lo and behold it's an old friend from Tampa - Ed Ross from USF. Hadn't seen him in 10 years and we meet at CRK on New Years Eve! So we caught up and he told me that often they would put in at Flamingo, paddle out to CRK, and then catch the prevailing Southerly breeze with a square kite from the kayak and let the wind pull them up the coast, toward Everglades City I believe where they had a shuttle waiting. Always sounded like a great trip.

There is interesting paddling in Card Sound between US1 and Card Sound Rd on the West side of the bays.

have fun down there,

TFA

[Esther Luft]

I love Carl Ross, it's still a great spot. Too bad it's closed though. Every time I go to Flamingo I run into someone I know. Strange how that seems to happen.

The paddle was beautiful. We averaged 4kts with marginal effort the entire way through so it was a relatively quick ride. Not too much fish action in the bay that day. My favorite part is molesting the bull sharks in the flats. Just in case, I checked with the park rangers -- they are not protected so I can molest them. Someday one will get even with me, like in Jaws III or IV or XXIII. I forget which sequel.

The large beach area is not in a protected region. It is pretty far in though. Not sure just what the conditions are. We can always ask though. Worst thing that can happen is that they say no and we are exactly where we started.

We started at Blackpoint Friday afternoon. Paddled to Elliot for the night. We then made our way down the coast to Adams Key, Caesar Creek, Jones Lagoon; we explored the mangroves -- so beautiful in there, and the Totten and Jones Lagoon. We then headed to Card Sound past the Bridge to Alabama Jack's for dinner. After that it was a leisurely sunset paddle across Barnes Sound to Short Key where we met friends that headed out the day before. It was stunning with large pods of very large dolphin feeding as the sunset. Several fish tried to commit suicide on my boat. I saved them though. They realized someone cared when I yelled in objection to their leaps of certain death.

The next day we headed to Nest Key via Gilbert's for lunch and the Boggies. It is so amazing to all of a sudden exit the creek and find oneself facing Florida Bay. We watch the sun burn away in the horizon from Nest Key nests. Ahhhh... : )