Section 3.5: Blueways & Wild Waterways

Paddling the Great Calusa Blueway — a scenic water trail through Southwest Florida’s coastal and inland waterways. Photo courtesy of VISIT FLORIDA.

On the more placid side, visitors can try one of the blueway trails crisscrossing South Florida, leading paddlers across marshes, along the coast, through mangrove tunnels and countless other water features, while the communities along the trail provide equipment outfitters, trail information and lodging. Encompassing the Southwest Florida communities of Sanibel, Pine Island, Fort Myers and Bonita Springs, the 190-mile Great Calusa Blueway paddling trail takes visitors along routes once traveled by the Calusa Indians, past pristine islands and waters teeming with fish and other wildlife. To the north, a paddle across Charlotte Harbor and its islands will introduce your clients to bird and marine life, while interior trails include the wild Myakka River and fossil-rich Peace River. From Everglades City, paddlers can take the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway to Flamingo, with day paddles and overnight camping both popular choices.  

Paddling the Loxahatchee River offers a peaceful escape into Old Florida, surrounded by cypress trees and rich history. Photo courtesy of VISIT FLORIDA.

Then heading northeast, the bustle of Palm Beach County cities fades away as visitors head along the Intracoastal Waterway, Lake Worth Lagoon and the Indian River. A huge draw on this route is Florida’s first wild and scenic river—the Loxahatchee—with its virgin cypress and historic trapper’s cabin. A don’t-miss is Jonathan Dickinson State Park, a historical treasure where visitors can discover a secret World War II training camp; immerse themselves in the story of the park’s namesake, a shipwrecked Quaker merchant; and paddle down to the restored 1930s camp of Trapper Nelson, the legendary “Wild Man of the Loxahatchee.”