Paddling on the Craighead Pond Canoe Trail.

Paddling among mangroves and periphyton,

under a big blue sky.

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Satellite view of Nine Mile Pond and Craighead Pond areas.
Approximate round trip route equals about 16 miles!

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The wide expanses of Craighead Pond in Everglades National Park.
CLICK for interactive panorama!

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It’s a beautiful thing!

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Somewhere on the Craighead Pond Canoe trail

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The Craighead Pond Canoe trail is about a 16 mile round trip if you start and end at Nine Mile Pond. You’ll paddle through some of the most pristine and picturesque freshwater interior Everglades territory! In the Craighead Pond area, you can paddle along and parallel to  the “reef” line and also intersect with the smaller of the two main Everglades sloughs – the Taylor Slough. This trip should probably only be done during times of high water, otherwise you will find yourself slough-slogging at lot.

Although there are pvc markers, they are hard to spot & you’ll probably miss some or many of them. Here you can free-range most of the way and orient via compass heading and/or a gps unit. This is very different from the typical creeks, channels and trails that paddlers are used to in other parts of Everglades National Park. If you find the old abandoned research platform, it  makes a great turn around point. You can also get to Craighead Pond if you’re running down the Taylor Slough!

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Mangrove canopy under that big, big sky on Craighead Pond.

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Warren Richey and Esther Luft heading out of Nine Mile Pond

I asked Esther to take a group photo of us .,.,

Going through hoops, mangrove hoops!

Free-ranging the marl prairies off Craighead Pond Canoe trail

Map check with everglades cheese on top, Craighead Pond

Craighead Pond Canoe trail

BIG Big big sky out there!! Craighead Pond

Craighead Pond

Periphyton – “Everglades Cheese”

Periphyton from below – base of the food chain

Old research platform could make a great chickee in the future!>?

Old research platform on Craighead Pond

Esther and Warren enjoy lunch at the old research platfrom

Holy stripes.. Great place to get absorbed into the moment!

Přemysl leads the way back into Nine Mile Pond

Paddling into the sunset at Nine Mile Pond

Nine Mile Pond

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BIG thanks to the good folks at Everglades Exploration Network and

the Miami Kayak Club !

Additional and much more detailed info here.

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Enjoy!

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© 2015 – 2021 Flex Maslan / kayakfari.com / awakenthegrass.com. All original photographs, artworks and music in this portfolio are copyrighted and owned by the artist, Flex Maslan, unless otherwise noted. Any reproduction, modification, publication, transmission, transfer, or exploitation of any of the content, for personal or commercial use, whether in whole or in part, without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

All rights reserved!

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DISCLAIMER:

The maps and images on this site are not intended for navigation, I am not a guide; use any and all information at your own risk! Your mileage may vary .. so use good judgement before venturing out!

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I hereby disclaim any sponsorship, endorsement, nor association with any product or service described herein. The photographs, depictions, products, and ideas presented on this site are for informational purposes only. Your results may vary, and I do not imply nor guarantee the effectiveness, suitability, design or operation to adhere to any standard. I assume no legal responsibility for the implementation of anything herein presented! Use any and all information at your own risk! By using any and all information from this website, you accept the final liability for any use or possible associated misuse!

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With that said..
Blessings friends!

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