Paddling the Everglades Wilderness Waterway

The Everglades Wilderness Waterway winds an enthralling path through rivers, bays, and streams on the southwestern edge of Everglades National Park. Rich with wildlife and scenic beauty, it also poses many challenges for paddlers. Canoeists and kayakers must deal with wind, waves, limited campsites (in the form of “chickee” platforms over the water and historic groundsites), and no fresh water. As veterans of this complex passage, authors Holly Genzen and Anne Sullivan turn those limitations into glorious, safe adventure. Some out-and-back paddles lead to the rivers and bays of the Everglades National Park’s interior; others wind to Gulf Coast sites; still others loop around islands, mangrove forests, or other natural phenomena. The authors provide marker-by-marker route descriptions (both north to south and south to north), and comprehensive information on safety, supplies, campsites, and navigation. They also chronicle the waterway’s wildlife, social history, and origin of place names encountered along the way.