Paddling the Everglades Wilderness Waterway: Your All-in-One Guide to Florida's 99-Mile Treasure plus 17 Day and Overnight Trips (Menasha Ridge Press Guide Books)

For anyone who has ever dreamed of truly experiencing America's unique Everglades National Park, there is only one way: by canoe or kayak. And Paddling the Everglades Wilderness Waterway is the all-in-one guide for safe adventure on this spectacular 99-mile route. No time for such days-long expeditions? No matter. Authors Holly Genzen and Anne McCrary Sullivan entice with their favorite day- and overnight trips from various Everglades departure points. Having spent years exploring this maritime labyrinth, the authors now share their intimate knowledge of historic Everglades rivers and bays, the endless horizon of its Gulf Coast, the eerie beauty of its mangrove forests, and the secrets of ancient tribes and early-American pioneers who left their distinctive traces. Descriptions of wildlife abound (the birds! the alligators!), as do the details of exquisite flora that flourishes here. But Genzen and Sullivan do not skimp on practicalities nor on threats to this environment. Safety, weather, insects, food, fresh water, and camping on rustic "chickee" platforms stilted above the rivers all earn many pages here. As does what lies in store for the timeless but fragile Everglades ecology. This book is a treasure trove for all paddlers—from novices to champions.