Part of the islands lie outside the Park in an area know as Gullivan Bay.  These do not require reservations.  This is where we canoed.  We were able to camp on any accesible beach that we found, without a permit.  This makes the canoeing less regimented and it is possible to alter your itinerary.  Beaches are on the outer Gulf islands where the wave action builds sand or shell beaches.  The inner islands are muddy and covered in dense mangroves that extend into the water.  There is no place to pitch a tent.

 

We started on the south side of Marco Island, leaving from the Goodland Bridge.  It is the perfect place to begin a trek to the islands just outside Everglades National Park.  We did not need reservations, permits or a set itinerary.  This gave us flexibility in canoeing when and where we wanted.  You can camp on any accesible place you can find.

 

We camped on outer island beaches and then canoed inside passages during the day.  Since all the water is saline, it is necessary to bring quantities of fresh water for drinking and cooking.  We had a five day trek and took about 4 -5 gallons per person.  We did not use all the water, as it was rather cool weather, but when perspiring in hot weather, I believe that we would have consumed all the water.  Better safe than sorry.

 

It also got very windy and the Gulf waters were choppy.  We had long rope lines that we used to secure our gear.  We ran the rope through the water jug handles, through any other items that we could and used smaller line to create a criss-cross net system to secure other items.  Kind of imagine the big rope as running from the stern to the bow on one side, then returning down the other side, laced through any item that we could  and wrapped around the seats or supporting framework to keep the rope from moving too much.  Then imagine a smaller twine type rope being linked between the two ropes in a repeating X pattern over the top of all the gear in the canoe.  It held things firmly in place.

 

Naturally, you need life vests and a bailing bucket.  We canoed at night on the return and found headlamps to be very useful.  They were also great when cooking at night, because they allow you to have both hands free.  A mosquito repellant will be necessary for most people.  We use Avon's Skin-So-Soft or Repel, type of repellant carried at Target stores, that is made with citrus and eucalyptus.  There are no chemical ingredients and it does not cause allergic reactions in most people.

 

A marine map of the area is absolutely essential.  It is extremely easy to get lost.  There are thousands of islands and channels that wind every which way.  After a while, all the mangroves look the same.  We also had a GPS, and personally, I would not think of canoeing in this area without one.  Previous canoeing on rivers was pretty straight forward, you just go in one direction.  Not in the Ten Thousand Islands!  It is like being in a maze.  Also, storms change the placement of things quickly.  Therefore maps do not stay current and can contain errors. 

 

We camped two nights in a channel between two islands, except that it was now a narrow shell beach that made the two, one continuous island.  Clearly, the recent summer hurricanes had deposited large amounts of sand and shell in the passageway.  Because this beach was so new, it had little vegetation on it.

 

It is essential to have a tide schedule.  Much of the area is very shallow and approaching a beach at low tide is difficult to near impossible.  The sand and mud can come up to thighs or waist if you try to portage.  It is not firm in many places.  Be careful if stepping out of the canoe in very shallow water.  What looks solid may not be.

 

A weather radio is also a good idea.  Storms can form quickly.  You need to know if it is time to find shelter or abandon the trek.  We encountered some nasty weather and on our final night, abandoned our beach for another in a more protected location.  The wind was actually blowing salt spray completely over our little beach.  We found a beach facing the opposite direction and the mangroves there afforded us protection from the strong winds.

 

To waterproof things, we used contractor bags for large bulky items.  We took our sleeping bags out of their compression sacks, put a plastic bag inside the sack and then stuffed the sleeping bag back in.  Yes, the sacks got wet, but they prevented holes from being made in the plastic and the sacks will dry quickly.  The protected sleeping bags stayed nice and dry.

 

We also used five-gallon buckets with a special top.  These tops can be ordered online.  They have an outer ring that you snap onto the bucket.  It is threaded on the inside and a lid with an O-ring screws into it making a nice water-tight seal.  The buckets were simple orange Home Depot buckets that were brand new.  This system worked extremely well and being inflexible, protected fragile items much better than a dry sack.  Dry sacks or dry backpacks are also recommended.

 

Most importantly, if canoeing or kayaking in this area, have some prior experience in handling watercraft.  This is best done on inland waterways, not out in open waters like those encountered in the Ten Thousand Islands.