Fakahatchee Slough Slog - Half Day Trip

You haven't experienced a swamp until you've waded into the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve up to your belly and faced this plethora of wild and beautiful ecosystems on its own terms.

What's so special about this place? Here, 500 year old cypress trees reach for the sky, wrapped in vine-like trees called strangler figs that a storybook character named Jack would have loved to climb. Here, hundreds of types of plants take root, some growing no where else in the world. Here, the largest concentration of Florida royal palms on our planet are scattered among the cypress, some of them over 60 feet tall. Here, dozens of varieties of ferns are easily seen the deeper we lose ourselves in the swamp. Among them are the strap, serpent tale, shoe-string and leather ferns.









The largest concentration and variety of orchids in North America grow here and bromeliads cling to tree branches like large colonies of bird nests. These "air plants", or epiphytes, don't have roots in the soil to draw in moisture. They solve the problem by collecting dew and rainwater in the cup-like bases of their leaves. One epiphyte called a resurrection fern, turns brown and shrivels up, looking dead when no rain is present. But as soon as it gets wet, chlorophyll is pumped through the plant, turning it green and bringing it back to life. The rarely-seen Ghost Orchids hide here, blending in so well, even well-trained eyes have difficulty spotting them.

The Fakhatchee and Big Cypress region surrounding it is home for the 50 or so remaining Florida panthers. Other endangered animals such as the Florida black bear, mangrove fox squirrel and Everglades mink have been spotted here, along with an animal some people wish was endangered--wild, or feral hogs. Snakes too, thrive in this moist environment, as do turtles, lizards, wading and song birds, owls, bobcats, raccoons, river otters and...well, just about everything.

The 70,000-acre Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve is unlike any other wetland in North America. Although it's gorgeous year-round, Fall and the winter months are the best times to pop in for a visit. Everything seems to be on the move or in a state of change then -- both plants and animals. The bald cypresses begin their annual "balding," which means they drop their needles in anticipation of the dry season. There's less humidity in the air, and the mosquitoes are actually tolerable.

A swamp such as the Fakahatchee functions in three major ways. First, its vegetation serves as a filter to clean the water as it makes its slow journey southward. This process is extremely important to juvenile fish, shrimp and crabs who get their start in the shallow estuaries where much of the fresh water ends up. Secondly, it's a major habitat for wildlife and plantlife. And finally, it actually prevents flooding by slowing down the flow of water after heavy rains.

No, we're not going to try to feed you to the alligators, but we might encounter one of these toothy reptiles which are living cousins to dinosaurs. Or perhaps a Florida cottonmouth as it suns itself on a half-submerged log. Sure, there's some danger, but overall, alligators and snakes want nothing to do with humans. Gators and the wide variety of snakes inhabiting the Fakahatchee, are happier munching on a tasty fish than our preservative-filled bodies.

Geographically, the preserve borders Alligator Alley at its most northern point, averaging three to five miles wide as it flows southward for 20 miles, passing under the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) and emptying out into the Gulf of Mexico. State Road 29 borders it to the east. The strand is the major drainage slough of southwestern Big Cypress Swamp. (A "slough" is the deepest part of a swamp.)

What to bring: Old tennis shoes, hat, light-colored clothes that can get wet, change of dry clothes for later, small back pack with sunscreen, Deep Woods Off, light lunch, candy bar, water, camera, extra film, 5' walking stick, plastic zip-lock bags, apple for the guide.

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For prices and reservations, call (941)368-3252 or toll free:1-800-304-9432
E-mail address is fossilx@earthlink.net