Rabbit Key Grasses shortcut?

[Ross Hancock]

Is there a creek route between Chokoloskee Bay and Rabbit Key Grasses that allows you to cut to the coast south of Rabbit Key without going out Rabbit Key Pass and way around Lumber Key? I saw a passage through the mangroves, called "the Auger," mentioned in an old book, and wonder if it is still findable and passable for kayaks.

[Kim Gass]

Found a stream out of the grases at N 25 46.435 and W 81 21.298.  Its about two hundred feet long.

 

The bad news is it is a tiny creek and may well be a tangle.  Other bad news is at the northern end you land in a green area on the chart. Green areas are mud at anything but high tide. And its a sizeable green area.

[00640flkqr3zy]

Ross...

Is the book you're referring to, "Day Paddling Florida's 10,000 Islands & Big Cypress Swamp", by Ripple?  

He has a segment on the "Rabbit Key via the Auger Hole & Rabbit Key Pass" -- it looks like an interesting route, but as Kim says, the nautical chart shows a lot of green (which is the modern-day equivalent of "here there be dragons" on ye olde sailing charts).

Ripple says, "There are simpler and more direct routes to reach Rabbit Key... but if you want to practice your navigational skills and see more interesting scenery... you will enjoy this route".

I will scan the relevant pages and upload in the next few days (I think that's legal for small sections of an author's work).

I paddled out to Rabbit Key on a cold, blustery, foggy day several years back, and was mighty glad for what channel markers there were with the visibility so poor.  On a clear and calmer day you ought to be able to pick your way through the mangroves, however, and make it over the flats on a high tide to reach Rabbit Key.  The campsite is on the southern side, and it is very shoal at lower water.

Depending on the campsites I can get from NPS, I may very well be heading out that way at month's end en route to Pavilion Key -- if I have enough time I will explore this route and see what it's like.  However, since I will have ten-days worth of supplies and water on board, I might not even make it out of the dredged channel!

[Rich Jones]

I've been through the Augar Hole/ Rabbit Key Grasses many times. You definitly want to time it with the tides. I wrote alittle about one trip in my blog http://kayakfishingtheeverglades.blogspot.com/2009/11/auger-hole.html.

 

[vivian]

I tried to get through last year after reading Rich's blog post. Unfortunately the winds had been very high all week and all the water in that bay had been blown out. We got as close as possible but there was no water at all to get through. Just alot of exposed oyster reefs. TIme with winds/tide as Rich suggested.

[Connie Mier]

Hey Rich, I would love to get in there when we can see the birds.  Keep me posted on conditions after the new year and maybe we can hook up for a day paddle into the grasses.  Soon after that, I'm hoping to get back to the pelican rookery again!

Connie

[Ross Hancock]

Thanks folks. I might do a day trip in the next few weeks to scout it before making it a part of an longer trip in January. Will get coordinates.

[Ross Hancock]

A friend and I are going to try to find this on the rising tide tomorrow (Sunday) if anyone wants to come along.

[Ross Hancock]

Found the little passageway on Sunday. Very navigable at high water. On a trip to Pavilion or points south, this would eliminate a lot of paddling around Rabbit or Lumber Key. On the chart, just locate the thinnest part of the isthmus that separates Rabbit Key Pass from Rabbit Key Grasses. Just where you would imagine it would be. The creek is not visible from a distance. There are two little mangrove islands almost in front of the opening. Once into the muddy little bay, follow the current or your intuition to proceed to Rabbit Key Grasses and the Gulf.

[Terry]

 

 Is this it?

 

 

[Ross Hancock]

Yes, that's definitely it. We hit it at high tide, full moon, so there was more than enough water and never saw an oyster. Saw a spoonbill in there, but not many birds in the mid-afternoon.

[Terry]

Ross, can you make an entry in the category "Trail Conditions"

on Auger Hole?   Dates, lat/longs, description, etc.

If this map is correct maybe this could be the start of including

an aerial of routes in "Trail Conditions".

There's also some good aerials with waypoints of the

Craighead Pond Canoe Trail on one of the forums but

I don't think it's where it should be in "Trail Conditions".

[Ross Hancock]

Will do.