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Author Topic: Everglades  (Read 2992 times)

stever

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Everglades
« on: May 29, 2016, 08:28:57 pm »

will be in south Florida in early Feb and would like to spend a couple days in the everglades - looking for information on locations and guides

any recommended guide books? 

have never been to south Florida before
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luxborealis

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #1 on: May 29, 2016, 09:02:49 pm »

Northeast of Naples - Audubon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary: easily spend a whole day along the substantial board walk; we were there from opening to closing.

Just south of Naples: Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Tower Road, Naples: trails through scrubby brush with deer and at least one massive Diamondback Rattlesnake.

East of Naples along Tamiami Trail:
Ten Thousand Islands NWR: great and easy walk in from the car park with an excellent observation platform. When we were there (March) it was like walking through an open aviary of wetland birds.

Fakahatchee Strand on the north side of Tamiami Trail: great boardwalk into the swamp.

Big Cypress Loop Road, off Tamiami Trail, particularly Gator Hook Strand and Sweetwater Strand

Don't miss Clyde Butcher's Gallery, along Tamiami Trail: great shooting right out front, and very impressive works inside.

There is also the drive north off Tamiami Trail to the training airport; some good ponds there with water birds.

We were there for 7 days, never made it to Everglades NP, yet never ran out of places, nature and wildlife to see and photograph. In fact, the day we tried to go to ENP, the parking was full, so we chose not to wait and discovered a bunch of unlisted ponds and wetlands west along Tamiami Trail.
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delaphotography

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2016, 10:53:52 am »

will be in south Florida in early Feb and would like to spend a couple days in the everglades - looking for information on locations and guides

any recommended guide books? 

have never been to south Florida before

Look up Paul Marcellini. He is all about the everglades and will take you to the best spots as a guide.

Also Clyde Butcher. He has a gallery down there in Big Cypress Swamp. He also has guides available.
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luong

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #3 on: June 27, 2016, 01:38:49 pm »

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algrove

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #4 on: July 09, 2016, 10:38:13 pm »

Look up Paul Marcellini. He is all about the everglades and will take you to the best spots as a guide.

Also Clyde Butcher. He has a gallery down there in Big Cypress Swamp. He also has guides available.
+1 with respect to Paul Mercelini. Excellent.

Clyd Butcher's swamp walk in winter months might be interesting. Some of biggest B&W prints I have ever seen in his gallery-but not the gallery in Naples as I have never been to that one.
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stever

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #5 on: July 13, 2016, 11:19:19 pm »

thanks. 

 i just downloaded Marcelini's ebook.  i also found Roger Hammer's paperback "Exploring Everglades National Park..." The combination looks like a good basis for planning.  Butcher's walks look interesting, but a bit pricey and not something i'm likely to persuade my wife to do.
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Alan Klein

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2016, 11:23:30 pm »

I visited Butcher's gallery and dark room and business in Naples.  Very interesting lab and really large photo prints in both digital and his traditional.

kayakfari

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #7 on: July 23, 2016, 12:42:48 pm »

These are all great suggestions above. I would add that without a boat, you will miss out on a lot if you've never been to S Florida.
By car, Everglades Nat Park has three entrances. The main entrance is just past the agricultural areas of Homestead. Once inside, easily the best place to see wildlife is at a place called 'Anhinga Nature Trail'. You can just about pet the birds there. Best bet is early AM to avoid the crowds!
The other entrance is off Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41) called 'Shark Valley'. You can ride bicycles or sit on a tram tour for a 15 mile loop. You will see lots of birds and alligators. It's a sober reality that the most wildlife congregates in these two very touristy areas like nowhere else inside the Park. I've been in some of the most remote places of the Park - without a boat these two are the best by far as long as you start early!
The third entry is on the Gulf side at Everglades City, right next to historic Chokoloskee. But this is mostly for boaters and fishermen or kayakers/canoeists.

On Tamiami Trail, you will go over the new One Mile Bridge - a part of Everglades restoration plans unfolding now:
https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/trips-sea-stories-pics/random-gallery-2/florida-south-florida/everglades-national-park/sloughs/paddling-under-the-everglades-skyway-the-one-mile-tamiami-trail-bridge-over-shark-river-slough/

This will give you a good idea of what the Shark Valley area looks like:
https://awakenthegrass.wordpress.com/trips/land/everglades-hiking-with-an-altitude-exploring-the-slough-and-sawgrass-prairies-of-shark-valley/

Further west, there is also the Big Cypress Nat Preserve, headquartered at the Oasis Visitor's Ctr. There's a big gator pit there and right across the street you can go hiking into the dwarf cypress forest - if you're so inclined:
https://awakenthegrass.wordpress.com/trips/land/among-the-big-cypress-soft-mud-and-green-magic-at-roberts-lake/

Kirby-Storter Roadside Park off Tamiami has a nice long boardwalk. It's really nice and dark if you have a moonless night!

Finally, top it off with a Ranger-led Pour:
https://kayakfari.wordpress.com/thematic/lets-take-a-ranger-led-pour-of-the-everglades/

;)

andaremos

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2016, 01:38:01 am »

Check any of the outfitters or kayak shops and try to get in the water. Hopefully we will have a dry season this coming Winter. Last year was rather wet and the birds were scattered all over the place.

Not sure if you will have time to go West but Rookery Bay is a great place to explore. Lots of birds nesting in the mangrove islands.

From the main entrance in Homestead, drive down to Flamingo and hike the short trail at the Eco-Pond.

If you are heading down to the Keys, you can also explore from the southern end of the Everglades. Lignumvitae Key is a state park and a great option. Expect less bugs in Winter but lots more tourists which will make it hard for you to get lost in nature.

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luxborealis

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Re: Everglades
« Reply #9 on: August 13, 2016, 09:55:50 pm »

Just remember, "the Everglades" are far more extensive that just the park called the Everglades. Don't be limited by only what's in the park itself.
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Terry McDonald - luxBorealis.com
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