A Paddler's Guide to Everglades National Park

"After hundreds of hours of actual experience in the field, which can't be beat, Molloy has written a much-needed guide to paddling the waterways of Everglades National Park--good, practical knowledge and common sense in a folksy, down-home style that is easy to read and follow."--Jeff Ripple, author of Southwest Florida's Wetland Wilderness: Big Cypress Swamp and the Ten Thousand Islands For the ultimate adventure by canoe or sea kayak, this guide to paddling the Everglades offers detailed information about every significant paddling route in Everglades National Park. These routes cover more than 400 miles of ocean, river, bay, and creek waters, plus the Gulf of Mexico. The 53 designated paddling routes-including the renowned Wilderness Waterway, the spine of the paddlers' pathways--provide access to Florida's endangered natural paradise, the wide sheet of water that includes pristine beaches, sun-drenched keys, and the world's largest mangrove forest. The routes include day trips, week-long excursions, and many not-so-frequented passages. A Paddler's Guide presents a rating system for each route that includes possible hazards, navigational challenges, potential wind and tidal influences, overall mileage and paddling time, and a running description of both physical and cultural landmarks along the way. It presents descriptions of every backcountry campsite in the park, from unusual chickees to old Calusa Indian mounds, to beachfront islands in the Gulf of Mexico. The book includes 22 trail maps, adapted from nautical charts and U.S. Geological Survey topography maps of the park. Johnny Molloy, an experienced outdoorsman, also tells you how to execute a paddling trip-what supplies and equipment to take, where to get them, and how to obtain permits. Once on the water, you'll get tips on navigation, coping with insects, and other situations paddlers face in the park. It's realistic and instructive information for serious paddlers, casual vacationers, bird watchers, and fishermen. Molloy has years of paddling experience in the Everglades, logging trips of two hours and up to two weeks. In the course of writing this book, he paddled over 500 miles in one season. Johnny Molloy is an outdoor writer and adventurer based in Knoxville, Tennessee. His camping and hiking guides include Beach and Coastal Camping in Florida (UPF, 1999); Trial by Trail: Backpacking in the Smoky Mountains; The Best in Tent Camping: West Virginia; Day and Overnight Hikes in Shenandoah National Park; and The Best in Tent Camping: Colorado.