May trip - Gator Hook to Roberts Lakes Strand

[Keith W]

I have a mind to try and reach Robert's Lakes Strand from the Gator Hook Trail on the Monroe Station leg of the Loop. I know the Fl. Scenic Trail runs through the Strand on the eastern end but I have yet to hear of anybody coming in from the west. The first couple of miles of the old Gator Hook logging tram that runs southeast off the Loop has been cleared, but it's all wild after that. The line of the tram is still evident after the cleared path runs out, and I was able to follow it for about another half-mile but it gets pretty boggy in places. Anybody else have any info on this route?

[Megan Digeon]

Zoltan - I was there yesterday with the FL trail group plus Dale and Bill and we can confirm that there are many gators in the lake.  We were told that the water was significantly lower than even one month ago so now would probably be a great time to go.  Also, Dale and Bill, it was great to finally meet you.  Please let me know when you are planning on going out to work on the trail because I would love to join you.

Zoltan Torok said:

Hi, sorry about asking again but seems the conditions are getting drier and drier so I am just curious to know if anybody  visited Roberts Lake Strand very recently. As I wrote earlier I would like to fly over and make some aerial shots from a helicopter for our nature documentary but only if there are gators in the drying lake.

Thank you!!

[Bill Riley]

This weekend was great. I'm usually stopped around the third leg and the w point as that is the area we are still trying to locate the missing tracks. It was a great experience going all the way through. I can't thank your group enough for letting us tag along. I should be going back the weekend after next. I'm going to try to get that app that Chris had as it should help put the trail back on its original location in the messed up area. I did notice the fourth leg is completely unmarked except for the end coming close to the Florida trail so that will be the next part.

[Swamp Hunter]

Great trip with nice people. I hope Flex got some pics. Yes the trail needs some work at Holey Rock just before the center of the W point and the 4th leg is unmarked..

One of Roberts Lakes that we visited was great and the gators turned to face us lining up like tiny battleships. But something was missing. They were mostly under 5 footers of no threat to us. Where were the large gators?  I saw many more the last time I visited.  What happened? Were they submerged or scattered in the cypress?  Legend tells us that in the extreme dry season of 1898, alligators estimated at 10,000 gathered in Roberts Lakes. Of course that was before canals were dug.

Here is a paragraph from Florida's Vanishing Trail by James Hammond.  A short distance off what trail?

[yakmaster]

Tamiami Trail?

[shawn beightol]

There were many trails across and through the glades and big cypress, used by Native Americans, hunters, army, etc.

[shawn beightol]

you may enjoy this OCR of a document/map that instructs military personnel in the various routes from points A to B in south Florida (south of Tampa): http://www.archive.org/stream/memoirtoaccompan00unit/memoirtoaccomp...

Including routes across everglades/big cypress.

This 1856 map shows Dawson and Wright blazed trails through the Robert's Lakes area

[Swamp Hunter]

not in 1898

yakmaster said:

Tamiami Trail?

[shawn beightol]

BigCypressHunter?

Message me?

[Swamp Hunter]

Good links I will save them. I dont have a Florida map in front of me to compare but I studied those Seminole War trails much in the past and I believe your map shows canoe trails down Shark Valley and many northern trails.. The treeless sawgrass Everglades meets forested higher ground at Waxy Hadjos and Prophets Landing but thats too far north of Roberts Lakes..Fort Shackleford has been discovered north of Alligator Alley on the Seminole Indian reservation.  There was a trail to Fort Harrel but again not through Roberts Lakes. Any remnants of these trails should be preserved however. Some of them became airboat trails but many were probably just abandoned after Tamiami Trail was cut. It is however fun to search for them and the Fort Harrel site still remains lost to this day. 

I replied to the friend request if you want to message me..

At least one trail will not be lost as the old tram (Gator Hook Trail) is being saved.

Concerning  the southern and south-western part of the Big Cypress, little  is known ; few exploring parties having ever passed through  it. It is probable that most of it is impracticable, even for  the Indians, at all seasons of the year. Over the northern  and north-eastern part, Indian trails run in all directions and  to every field, garden and hedge. Whenever, in the course  of explorations, these trails have been deviated from, great  difficulties or impassable obstacles have been encountered. 

shawn beightol said:

 

This 1856 map shows Dawson and Wright blazed trails through the Robert's Lakes area

[Swamp Hunter]

It looks as if one of the Army trails passes near the Jetport area.  It will be interesting to check when I get back to town but I kinda doubt they went into the thick cypress strands. I see now that the paragraph says that the gator hunters had to cut their own trail and the author describes Roberts Lakes as a short distance off of todays trail so yakmaster is correct.

 

[daniel]

wow, those are really cool links, thanks! 

[Swamp Hunter]

No pics Flex?