Whitney River

[Pavel]

Hi everybody!  Does anyone here have done the Whitney River from US-41 to Buttonwood Bay?  It is possible?

[Terry]

I took a look at this Whitney River and it looks like the upper part

is going to make us work, unless it's used like the Fakahatchee.

Pavel, you have your routes starting at that parking lot at the end

of that gravel road.   I see a gate at that road and the Trail.

[Swamp Witch]

That’s part of the “new” upgrades to the parking area off 41 for the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge.  Visitors cannot drive down that road.  It’s now a hiking trail about a mile long.  The road was called Oil Pad Road and the trail Marsh Trail.  I did not find it very exciting.  It’s just a dirt road.  You can launch a canoe at the parking area or unload your gear at that gate and then park your vehicle in the parking area.  It’s about 200-feet from the parking lot to the launch.  You can also park along 41 at various places.  I’ve attached a map of the canoe trails.  It’s just a photo of the sign.

[Terry]

Very good you took a picture of the road side sign, there doesn't seem to be much on-line

about the 10K islands.  It's good there's some 'brochure trails' over there,

we'll use them before we go on our own.   I talked to our airboat pilot and

'Whitney River' caught his attention, however, we need to find out the restrictions.

Regardless, paddling and investigating the established trails will reveal a lot, odds

are there has been some traffic in there which could mean hidden tunnels.   Every other

probe of the area around Honky-Tonk City has found modern passage, if tunnels

exist we'll find them.

[Pavel]

Terry you're right, I saw the gate at the trail head. We are obligated to start the adventure from another point!
Thanks you Swamp Witch for all the information; your nickname is very popular around Fakahatchee...I notice your log at the Nautilus cache in the East River last year!

[Terry]

Obviously the bridge is where the original river went but

we will probably start at the established parking lot and use the brochure trail going off to

the east to get to the original river.  Dropping south on the original river is

where the fun begins.

[Terry]

Wait-a-minute!

What's this Pumpkin River and Pumpkin Bay?

New plan, better plan, everybody will want in on this -

Whitney River and up Blackwater River is far to 'brochure',

the plan is going to be down Whitney River across

Buttonwood Bay, across Pumpkin Bay and up

Pumpkin River.   Now we're talking GladesGoDeep,

almost all off-the-bochure.

[Jim Peele]

That's the spirit!  Two for the price of one.  River running at its finest!

Terry said:

Wait-a-minute!

What's this Pumpkin River and Pumpkin Bay?

New plan, better plan, everybody will want in on this -

Whitney River and up Blackwater River is far to 'brochure',

the plan is going to be down Whitney River across

Buttonwood Bay, across Pumpkin Bay and up

Pumpkin River.   Now we're talking GladesGoDeep,

almost all off-the-bochure.

[Gary M]

If you do go up the Pumpkin River, allow for an extended lunch time exploration of the indian mound. I guarantee you will be surprised - it is the least disturbed and most accessible of any I've been to.  I  fish that area frequently, and always end up (and I do mean up) just trying to imagine how many people lived there and for how many years! Watch out for the rattlers though!

[Gene]

Last week I spoke with the nearby airboat tour operators with regard to the possibility of linking either the Whitney, Pumpkin or wood rivers with 41. For the the most part they were dismissive of the idea and seemed tired of having to rescue paddlers (in conjunction with law enforcement) lost in the area.

Thankfully, one much older woman confided in me that there was indeed a connection to the Whitney although she felt that it would be impassable at this time due to overgrowth. She indicated the route would entail some dragging for a short period to reach the mangrove line.

The water is high. It time to try it.

[Tyler Thompson]

Lets do this, Gene!!!

[Phares Heindl]

How would you get from Buttonwood Bay to Pumpkin Bay without a long paddle past Dismal Key.  I don't know of any direct passage between Buttonwood and Pumpkin.

[Gary M]

Well, you are correct, there is no "direct" connection between those bays without paddling out a bit, not all the way to Dismal though. But that is an easily paddled protected route through mangrove creeks. Some current may be a problem, but your main concern should be way up above where there will be no routes until you guys make 'em!

Y'all have proved me wrong enough times that I'll not doubt ya anymore. I can't wait to see how you do it.

Phares Heindl said:

How would you get from Buttonwood Bay to Pumpkin Bay without a long paddle past Dismal Key.  I don't know of any direct passage between Buttonwood and Pumpkin.