Thinking about exploring the Wilderness Waterway of Everglades National Park?
This backcountry experience is not for everybody. Southwest Florida can be hot and humid, even during the winter, with the mosquitoes nothing short of maddening.
But with a little planning even a novice can embark on a one- or two-night trip and survive, even thrive.
Most paddlers (canoeists and kayakers) plan trips for December through April. If you have a powerboat and hope to take advantage of the region's extraordinary fishing, you can travel during the spring and summer, as long as you bring plenty of insect repellent and a screened tent to sleep and/or eat in.
Canoeists should allow seven to nine days to complete the 99-mile route from Everglades City to Flamingo. Kayakers can make it in as little as three days. Powerboaters can cover the distance in one day, but the trip should not be attempted in boats longer than 18 feet or with drafts deeper than 2 feet. The tides and weather can be unpredictable, especially when traveling upstream in the rivers and inland bays.
Up-to-date nautical charts available through the Florida National Parks and Monuments Association Web site: www.nps.gov/ever/fnpma) and a Global Positioning System receiver with preprogramed waypoints are essential for navigation.
Backcountry permits can be obtained at the visitors centers in Everglades City or Flamingo. During the summer, permit desks may not be staffed and campers should follow self-registration instructions.
Everglades National Park has 48 designated backcountry campsites. Campers can choose from chickees, ground sites and beach sites. Chickees are 10- by 12-foot wooden platforms built over the water away from land, and land sites are usually just a few feet higher than the surrounding mangroves.
There is no fresh water in the Everglades. Campers must carry what they need to drink. Plan on at least a gallon a day, with at least a gallon extra in case you get lost or stranded.
File a float plan with a friend or relative, so if you are overdue somebody knows where to look.
