Saw grass to salt water

[Jr]

I have always fished and camped in the back country mostly lostmans and willy willy .Trying to get as far back in the creeks as possible in my fishing boat . The whole time wondering what's behind the trees . I knew old timers traveled from salt to saw grass but as thick as the growth is in the back of those creeks I thought it was a thing of the past. till I found this network I thought that country was untouched . So this past week end I took off Friday and hauled my yak in the big boat to willy willy and set out for the grass . Went a long ways back but was unable to find a passage to go all the way through . I don't know why but coconut hammock is my goal just looks good on google earth I guess . If any body has info on that area I would love to talk about it

[Terry]

You can bet there's a way to connect Willy Willy to Coconut

especially after the 1970-80's activities that were going on.

That route would be a handsome find, it would make paddling

trips from Mitchell's Landing to Willy Willy possible.

Find it!

[Jr]

Maybe next time ! I made it way past the second water gauge but I think I went more north than east staying in the trees instead of poping throw them to the grass

[Jr]

Have you been to coconut? Should I try it during high water and paddle the whole way or hike With low water ?What is it like from Mitchell's landing to coconut?

[Swamp Hunter]

Im sure there is an airboat trail from Mitchells. Its the Mitchells that currently own Cocoanuts. The Park Service must give access to private property and that is the chosen route.

[Jr]

How grown up is the airboat trail and do you think it will have water in it this time of year ?
How lucky are they to own that and get air boat access to the hole thing.

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

I've been googling this too .. there's always been a route through there historically even before airboating.

Paddling down BC into the Park and then out to Choko/EC would be an awesome run!!

[Jr]

All I have left is to punch through from creeks to grass I followed a creek that had been cut out recently within a year or so but it opened to shallow area dotted with mangroves I weaved around trying to go east but found no more cut trails or even a thin spot to squeeze through next time I'm going to try to go over the trees if I can't go through them

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

It's good you have the mothership to do this recon! Please DO share when you find out !! :)

[Swamp Hunter]

The way I understand it, the Mitchells owned many acres including Mitchells landing. The NPS took away their land for the purpose of creating a National Preserve.  My guess, after a hard fight in the courts, all they were allowed to keep is their house on Cocoanuts with 3 acres. Is that considered lucky?  

 

The airboat trail is not grown up at all because the property owners and recreational airboaters use it often. Its also a designated trail. After that I dont know. When the NPS put up white boundary posts that ended airboat intrusions into ENP.  I would imagine there is still plenty of water now. I was out to the Loop recently and it still had water so south should still have water.

 

Jr said:

How grown up is the airboat trail and do you think it will have water in it this time of year ?
How lucky are they to own that and get air boat access to the hole thing.

[Jr]

WOW I didn't realize it was like that at least they got to keep their camp so much history I don't know about that area!

Thanks for that info!
I wish I lived closer so I could spend more time talking to locals but when I get to the glades I can't wait to get in the water and go exploring/fishing

When you say recreational air boaters is that just property owners or can any body with a air boat go
I thought it was only park rangers and tour boats that could operate a motor boat on the south side of 41

[yakmaster]

Here is a map of the airboat trails in the area.

http://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/upload/07272011-SSU-Map.pdf

They are generally clear, at least MUCH CLEARER than off the trails. They go all the way to the bottom of the steps. I would wait for high water to try this though.

 

Tony Pernas and one of his band of merry adventurers came down Lostman's years ago, but I've seen pix...it was a SLOG.

 

Jr said:

How grown up is the airboat trail and do you think it will have water in it this time of year ?
How lucky are they to own that and get air boat access to the hole thing.Here is the

[Jr]

Hell yea nice map I assume the c with the # beside it are camp sites are they dry spots or tie a hammock above the water sites