The Everglades is wet. In fact, it gets around 60 inches of rainfall each year. Whether a lake, pond, or river, you will always be surrounded by water in the Everglades. Since the Everglades is made up of water, why not travel through it that way? An airboat tour is one of the best ways to hit the Everglades by water, but another great option is canoeing. If you love being active in the outdoors, canoeing and kayaking are the perfect activities in the Everglades…and the views are breathtaking!
On a canoe or kayak, you can explore the Everglades’ freshwater marshes, mangrove forests and Florida Bay. You can take a vessel out on your own or go on a canoe or kayak trip – these trips vary in length and difficulty.
You can bring your own canoe or kayak and launch them from several locations around the park. If you need to rent a canoe or kayak, you can rent them from the Flamingo Marina or Gulf Coast Visitor Center in the park.
Ready to paddle through the park? Here’s some info on a few canoe/kayak trails in the Park:
Flamingo Canoe Trails – These trails are for beginners and advanced levels. They are located 38 miles south of the Homestead park entrance. You can access these trails from the Flamingo Marine or the main park road. The trails are 1.6 to 7.7 miles in length. You will sail by grassy marsh, mangrove islands, narrow passageways, mangrove creeks, and more.
Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail – This trail is a Park favorite. It’s off the main road before the Flamingo area of the park. On this trail, you can see alligators, wading birds, turtles, and fish. This trail is a 5-mile loop, and it takes 4 to 5 hours.
Hell’s Bay – Want to experience something magical? Go on the Hell’s Bay trail and sail right through mangroves. It’s popular but also difficult. Hell’s Bay is accessible from the man park road south of the Homestead entrance.
Gulf Coast – Gulf Coast Trails include: Sandfly Island Loop, Turner River Canoe Trail, and Halfway Creek and Loop Trails. These trails are accessible through Florida City, and can take anywhere from 4 to 9 hours to complete.
Book a Private Everglades Airboat Tour
Canoeing and kayaking can get exhausting. If being active isn’t your thing or if you want an additional way to explore the everglades on the water, jump on an airboat tour. On an airboat tour, you can sit back and zip through the water and see all sorts of plant and animal life. Contact Captain Mitch of Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours today to go on the ride of your life. To book a reservation, call 800-368-0065 or click our private airboat tour in the Everglades page.
