| Please note: GPS waypoints were initially taken from Waterproof Chart No. 41 (where available), and positions should be considered approximate. I'm currently taking my own GPS survey of all campsites, and these positions can be distinguished by the seconds coordinate, which is accurate to 3 digits, instead of the 2 provided by the nautical chart. | ||||||||||||
|
Northern Campsites | ||||||||||||
| Tiger Key | ||||||||||||
| Picnic Key | ||||||||||||
| Kingston Key Chickee | ||||||||||||
| Rabbit Key | ||||||||||||
| Pavilion Key | ||||||||||||
| Mormon Key | ||||||||||||
| New Turkey Key | ||||||||||||
| Turkey Key | ||||||||||||
| Hog Key | ||||||||||||
| Lopez River | ||||||||||||
| Sunday Bay Chickee | ||||||||||||
| Sweetwater Chickee | ||||||||||||
| The Watson Place | ||||||||||||
| Darwin's Place | ||||||||||||
| Plate Creek Chickee | ||||||||||||
| Lostman's Five Bay | ||||||||||||
|
Home | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Tiger Key | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Tiger Key hosts the northernmost campsite in the Everglades National Park. The main camping area is located on the western side of the island and faces the Gulf of Mexico, and is open to the seabreezes that make the beach sites so comfortable and free of bugs even in warmer weather. The half-mile-long beach is subdivided by patches of mangrove that create a more secluded and private camping experience than you might expect from an open beach site. The water on this side of the island is very shallow with numerous patches of coral and worm rock, which can make it difficult to approach, so be aware of the possibility of a portage across the flats during a low tide. Take special care when rounding the southwestern tip of the island on a low tide - there are extensive outcroppings of submerged coral rock which can make navigation dangerous in rough seas. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Picnic Key | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Picnic Key is located just south of Tiger Key where a deep channel separates the two islands. The main camping area on Picnic Key lies along the northwestern shore of the island and consists of a few hundred yards of wide, sandy beach, backed by a thick tangle of trees and brush. The southern end of the camping beach ends in a clump of mangroves, and quickly narrows into a thin strip of sand strewn with water-worn stumps and driftwood. At the northern end of the island near the channel there is a portable toilet where a sign marks the camping area, and there are several broad, sandy areas suitable for camping situated along the channel. The approach to the island is across a shallow flat, which is exposed at low tide, but is much less extensive than the flats west of Tiger Key just to the north. A distinctive feature of Picnic Key is the long, narrow mangrove islet composed of coral rock that guards the western entrance of the channel. The one night I spent at Picnic Key was during a March warm spell, with nighttime temperatures in the upper 70s. This should have made for a very buggy situation, but the steady seabreeze made this a pleasant stay, and the mosquitos were all but non-existent. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Kingston Key Chickee | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Hurricane Wilma update: Kingston Key Chickee was destroyed by Hurricane Wilma, and all that is left are the pilings that held up the platform. The latest information that I have is that the chickee will be rebuilt in a new location nearby. More information will be provided as soon as I have it. The following description is being maintained for historical purposes, and will be updated once the new chickee is completed. | ||||||||||||
| Kingston Key Chickee is a short day's paddle from Everglades City, and is popular with the motor boaters because of it's location in a sheltered cove and the deep water approach. Built on the remnants of a dock that was once anchored to Kingston Key, the chickee is very roomy, and the two campsites are joined with a continuous stretch of wide platform, rather than the skinny catwalks that connect the two ends of most other double chickees. Over the years, storms and tides have eroded the shoreline, and the chickee now stands about fifty yards from the island. Kingston Key is slowly being cut in two by the wind and tides, and the two halves of the island are now joined by a narrow bar of sand that is partially submerged on a high tide. This little stretch of sand gets smaller every time I see it, and may be washed away completely by now. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Rabbit Key | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Because of it's near proximity to Everglades City, Rabbit Key is a popular campsite and it can be difficult to reserve a spot here during the winter camping season. The site is ideal for those out for an overnight trip, and also as a first-night stop for longer trips. The main campsite is situated on a narrow strip of sandy beach along the eastern shore of the island, where the portable toilet is also located. Reaching the campsite can be difficult on a falling tide, when the approach can become a quagmire of mud and oysters. Here, the low tide creates a land bridge that joins Rabbit Key to Lumber Key immediately to the east. Another smaller campsite is located on the northwestern point of Rabbit Key. Access to this spot is strictly governed by the tides due to the presence of a wide shelf of jagged coral rock that is exposed at low tide. Rabbit Key holds a distinctive place in the history of the Ten Thousand Islands as the spot where the frightened citizens of Chokoloskee buried the bullet-ridden remains of Edgar J. Watson, the losing party in the infamous showdown near Smallwood's Store in October of 1910. His body was later exhumed and moved to the cemetery at Ft. Myers. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Pavilion Key | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Pavilion Key is the largest campsite in the Ten Thousand Islands, and is an excellent first night choice for those heading south for a multi-day paddling expedition. The main campgrounds are on the northern point of the island, where it's popularity is attested to by the presence of two portable toilets. The northern point is also the only spot on the island easily accessible on all tides, which makes it a prime landing spot for motorboaters. There are a number of more secluded campsites to be found along the beach to the south, but here the island is fringed by mud flats extending as far out as 200 yards into the Gulf. I've had the dubious pleasure of portaging my canoe and gear across these flats at low tide and have since chosen to join the crowds at the north end at times when the tides won't allow an early exit. On the plus side, some of the finest sunsets I've ever witnessed were seen from the western shores of Pavilion Key. The island has a long history of human habitation reaching back hundreds of years to the Calusa Indians. The evidence of their presence can still be seen along the western shoreline, where the shallows are strewn with thousands of conch and welk shells that exhibit the distinctive holes that were punched into the shell to extract the meat. More recently, at the beginning of the 20th century, the flats to the west of the Pavilion were the focus of a clam dredging operation that supplied the canneries to the north at Marco Island and Caxambas, and the island was the site of a shanty town built to house the clammers and their families. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Mormon Key | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Mormon Key lies just south and west of the hidden entrance to the Chatham River. The main campsite is located on the northwestern shore of the island on the gently curving beach of a shallow cove. The beach here slopes upward from the waterline to a narrow shelf of white sand, which is backed by a scrub-filled depression. Another smaller camping beach is situated on the eastern tip of the island adjacent to the pass leading from Chatham Bend to the grassy flats to the south of the island. The story goes that the island earned it's name from an early white settler by the name of Richard Hamilton, who built his homestead there in 1895 and lived on the key with one of his two living wives. Hurricane Donna destroyed two houses that still stood on Mormon Key in 1960, and the broken remains of a concrete dock can still be seen on the western tip of the island at low tide. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
New Turkey Key | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| The cluster of small mangrove islands that comprise New Turkey Key lies at the southern end of the Ten Thousand Islands. While cut into several pieces by high water, low tide joins the individual pieces of the island into a massive flat of mud, shells, and worm rock. For camping purposes, only the southern half of the island is suitable. A deep channel that runs along the mainland side offers a comfortable approach on most tides, and is the recommended landing spot for those wanting to avoid a long, low-tide portage across the acres of shallow flats that extend to the north. The beach here is high and sandy, and in addition to the main camping area near the southern end of the island, there are several nice camping spots scattered among the mangroves to the north. New Turkey Key is located in an area that was once a center of activity for commercial fishermen before the Park was created, and the rotted stumps of the pilings where the floating fish houses and run boats were moored can still be seen in near the northern tip of the island. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Turkey Key | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Turkey Key is located less than a mile to the east of New Turkey Key, and is considerably larger than it's companion. I've never camped here, and my attempts to approach the island have been stymied by combinations of low tides and high winds. The western side of the island curves very gently in a shallow concave arc and a number of sandy beach aresa can be spotted along this side of the island, presumably camping areas. Unlike New Turkey Key, there is no portable toilet. Before the Park was created, commercial fisherman had built shacks on the island, and run boats out of Chokoloskee and Everglades City would pick up their catch and drop off supplies. The shacks were destroyed in 1960 by Hurricane Donna. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Hog Key | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| My most vivid memory of Hog Key was of being roused from a sound sleep by the snorting and snuffling of one of the feral hogs that give this campsite it's name. The animal was very large, and was rooting in the sand only a couple of feet from my tent in the pre-dawn morning, and I'm happy to say that it was content to move on down the beach without closer investigation of my camp. The hogs are descended from those raised on old Richard Hamilton's failed hog farm, their meat tainted and made inedible by the taste of the crabs and oysters that they were fed. The camping area on Hog Key is located on the Gulf side of the peninsula (Hog Key is not an island), along a narrow strip of beach that rises abruptly to a grassy shelf backed by thick scrub and forest. The beach runs out at the northern tip of the penisula in a stand of tall, storm-ravaged mangrove. Like so many of the Gulf coast beach sites, the approach can be difficult in low water, and careful planning is needed to avoid a long, muddy portage. Despite such difficulties, Hog Key stands out as one of the most beautiful campsites in the upper Waterway area and ranks as one of my favorites. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Lopez River | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| The Lopez River groundsite is the first campsite you will encounter when venturing into the backcountry from the northern end of the Wilderness Waterway trail. Located only 8 miles from the Everglades City Visitor's Center, the spot is a popular first night destination. The site is also the location of one of the oldest white settlements in the area, and the old rainwater cistern built by Gregorio Lopez in the 1890's still dominates the spot. Careful investigation will reveal an inscription written in the wet concrete when the lower part of the cistern was being built: "...child Lopes born April 20 1892...". Like nearly all of the local settlements, it was built on the remains of an even older site, an ancient Calusa shell mound. There are two landing areas, onee located directly in front of the cistern, and the other a few yards upriver. In both spots the shell banks slope steeply for several feet before leveling out into a shaded camping area. There are several tent spots scattered around the site, and picnic tables are provided. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Sunday Bay Chickee | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| At 11.5 miles from Everglades City, the chickee at Sunday Bay qualifies as the ideal first-night camping spot for those venturing deeper into the backcountry from the north, but it also has it's drawbacks. Sunday Bay is so shallow that the strong winds of a cold front will sometimes blow the water right out of the bay, and the Park service will close the site. Even at normal water levels, the lagoon where the chickee is located can become very shallow on a low tide, making the approach difficult. The bottom mud is very soft and very deep, and covered by thick mats of seagrass. When approaching the chickee on a low tide you should avoid cutting straight across the lagoon. Instead, follow the shoreline of the 2 islands that form the southern rim of the lagoon, where a narrow channel allows access to the right-hand, or "B" platform of the chickee. If you're lucky, the "B" platform will be vacant and you can take advantage of the wide bench that runs along the back of the chickee, which the "A" side lacks. Despite it's difficulties, Sunday Bay is a truly beautiful setting and the view from the chickee can be breathtaking, with spectacular sunrises and sunsets. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Sweetwater Chickee | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| My first encounter with chickee camping happened at Sweetwater Creek, and it was an incredible, if somewhat painful, experience - the first night of sleeping on the hard, wooden platform taught me that chickee camping requires a little extra padding! The campsite is situated in a gorgeous little bay about a mile north of creek's entrance, and the chickee is located far enough from the mangroves to be open to the breeze on all sides, which helps keep the bugs down. A small island dotted with palm trees occupies the center of the bay, and the fresh water spring that gave the creek it's name is rumored to be nearby, although I've never been able to locate it. The original Indian inhabitants and the white settlers that followed would travel by boat to this spring to fill their barrels with the precious fresh water, a scarce commodity along the mangrove coast. Sweetwater Creek continues on for a little way to the east, getting very skinny at points, but worth exploring if you have the time. On the one night I spent at Sweetwater Chickee I was treated to an astounding display of bioluminescence that lit up the lagoon after dark like an underwater fireworks show. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
The Watson Place | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Located on the Chatham River, the Watson Place is the largest ground site in the Park. Formerly the homestead of Ed "Bloody" Watson, it's also the most notorious campsite in the Ten Thousand Islands. The 40 acre Calusa shell mound was developed by Watson into one of the most productive and successful sugarcane plantations and vegetable farms between the Florida Keys and Marco Island. He built a sturdy two-story house which stood until 1960, when it was damaged beyond repair by Hurricane Donna and demolished by the Park Service. Believed by some to be the man who murdered Belle Starr, Watson's dark past finally caught up to him in the Ten Thousand Islands. Although the stories were most likely untrue, rumors were spread of "Watson's payday", on which several of his farmhands were believed to have been handed their final reward instead of a paycheck at the end of the harvest. These rumors eventually led to his shooting death by vigilantes on Chokoloskee Island after the hurricane of 1910. Today, the house is gone, and only the concrete piers on which it stood remain, scattered and covered by the thick scrub of Brazilian pepper which has overgrown most of the plantation. The large, open camping area is located on the site of Watson's sugar mill, and a small cistern, a rusted syrup kettle, and the remnants of farm machinery still remain. The deep water approach and the large dock invite motorboat campers, and the site can be busy on a weekend. The mosquitos can be fierce here, so take along plenty of bug dope if you plan a trip to the Watson Place in warm weather. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Darwin's Place | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Darwin's Place is named for Arthur Leslie Darwin, the last private resident of the Park, and he was only the last of a steady line of settlers who have occupied the spot known as Possum Key since the 1880s. The most famous of these was the flamboyant naturalist and plume hunter, Jean Chevelier, known to the locals as "the old Frenchman". As a child, Loren "Totch" Brown settled for a while here with his family when they took to the backcountry to live off the land during the Great Depression. The campsite is located on the channel separating Possum Key from a smaller uninhabited island less than a hundred yards away. This island shelters Possum Key from the strong easterlies that blow across Chevelier Bay and Cannon Bay. The concrete foundations of Arthur Darwin's demolished home still dominate the site, where fig and gumbo limbo trees now spread their twisted roots through the remains of the old fireplace. Darwin's Place is only a mile from the mouth of Gopher Creek and is an excellent spot from which to launch an exploration of the Creek and it's ancient Calusa ceremonial mound. A word of warning: Totch Brown tells of being attacked by "red bugs", also known as chiggers, on the first night he and his family camped here in 1930, and I can vouch for the fact that they're still there. I once fell asleep while lying on the shell bank in the warm sunlight one winter afternoon, and I was scratching chigger bites for days afterward. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Plate Creek Chickee | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Plate Creek Chickee is a bit different in size and shape than most other chickees. Formerly a diesel fueling station for one of the big land companies back in the 1920s, the platform has since been converted to one of the largest single-platform chickees in the Park. Instead of the usual 4x4 posts that support the other chickees in the Park, Plate Creek boasts massive pilings the size of telephone poles, remains of the original platform. My first visit to Plate Creek Chickee left me unimpressed by it's state of disrepair, but the site has since benefitted from the ongoing chickee renovation being undertaken by the Park Service, and the old log pilings have been reinforced and new planking covers the platform. A partially enclosed docking space invites motorboat campers and fishermen. The platform is backed up tight against the eastern shore of an island in Plate Creek Bay, and bugs can be a problem here. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||
 | ||||||||||||
|
Lostman's Five Bay | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Lostman's Five Bay is the former site of the boat landing where prospective buyers of the Poinciana Company's land development would set out to view the "The Coming Miami of the Gulf". The hurricane of 1926 brought the Poinciana development on Lostman's River to a crashing halt, ending one of the more outlandish sales promotions of the great south Florida land boom of the 1920s. As a campsite, Lostman's Five has garnered a reputation for being muddy during wet weather, and in response the Park Service has chosen to deck over most of the open camping area. I suppose that this qualifies as an improvement, and I suppose that the impact of frequent camping on the soft ground had it's negative effects, but I have to admit that it still disappoints me. It may have been a little soggy at times, but the natural ambience of the unimproved site, with it's surrounding forest of lush, tropical foliage, made it a beautiful spot to camp. In my mind that ambience has been diminished by the new artificial surface. Even so, this can still be a nice campsite, and the sunsets over Lostman's Five Bay are a sight to behold. | ||||||||||||
|
Back to Top | ||||||||||||