Everglades National Park Has 10,000 Islands, Perfect for Vacation

You don’t feel like you’ve gotten the most out of summer yet, do you? The 10,000 Islands, a tangle of islands and mangrove keys off the coast of Everglades National Park, nonetheless have enough left over. This 49-mile 10,000 Islands Loop, which showcases some of the best of it, allows you to share the natural shoreline with shorebirds and marine life.

So Many Islands!

Launch from the boat launch and paddle three miles southeast along the beach to reach Chokoloskee. Continue 3.5 miles to the southeast and turn Gulfward at Wilderness Waterway marker 127 to navigate Rabbit Key Pass’s tangle of mangroves. Before making the 2.3-mile trip to Rabbit Key, proceed via Turtle Key’s paradise of white sand. Before traveling southeast for the 3.7-mile passage to Pavilion Key’s long, sweeping beach, have lunch on shell-covered beaches.

Set your tent on the northeastern part of the island. The next day, go southeast between two islands covered in mangroves before making the 8.2-mile open water journey to Mormon Key. Follow the coastline to the Chatham River’s mouth, then zigzag up rivers dotted with sandbars to the highland camping at Watson Place.

Trip Planner

Drive 32 miles south on US 41 starting in Naples. Turn right on Collier Ave. and go four miles to a left on Copeland Ave. To get to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center, continue for 6 miles, and then turn right into Oyster Bar Lane.

Permits from November to April, campsites must be reserved 24 hours in advance.

Rent kayaks, paddles, and other gear through Gear Up.

Pack one gallon of water per person every day as there is nowhere to refuel on these islands.

When to go? Fall! Temperatures remain tolerable throughout the season, with lows in the 70s and highs in the 80s in October. By November, rain (and the risk of hurricanes) usually subsides.

West Indian Manatee

Everglades National Park is perhaps the most acceptable spot on earth to witness one of the 3,000-4,000 West Indian manatees still living in the wild. Sea cows, which can reach a length of 13 feet and a weight of 1,800 pounds, frequently gather in river mouths like the Chatham because they can drink fresh water and graze on seagrass in both salt and fresh water. When foraging, manatees leave a line of muck and sand behind them, which is known as a “trail.”