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Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park |
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
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Manager's Message
The shorter days and cooler, drier weather of the autumn will attract more and
more people to inquire about and visit the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State
Park. The Friends of Fakahatchee will offer guided swamp walks and canoe trips,
beginning in November, ending in April. They will begin taking reservations,
starting on October 16th.
Canoe trips will take place on the following Saturdays; Nov 4, Dec 9, Jan 13,
Feb 17, Mar 10 and Apr 14. The cost for guided canoe trips is $40 for Friends of
Fakahatchee members, $45 for non-members. Kids under 12 accompanied by an adult
are free. Canoe trip participants will meet at the parking lot across from the
Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk on US 41, at 9:00 a.m. After an orientation by the
canoe trip guide, participants will drive or be transported to the East River
Canoe Launch. Groups will be limited to 12 persons. Canoes, paddles and
flotation devices will be provided.
Swamp walks will take place on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month and the 3rd
and 4th Saturday of the month starting in November. The cost is $30 for Friends
of Fakahatchee members, $35 for non-members. Children under 12 accompanied by an
adult are free. Groups are limited to 12 persons. Swamp walk participants will
meet in front of the Preserve Office off of Janes Scenic Drive at 9:45 a.m. in
the morning. After an orientation from the swamp walk guide, the group will
drive or be transported to the area where the swamp walk/exploration will take
place.
For both activities wear long pants and lace-up boots or sneakers. A hat and
long-sleeve shirt is recommended. Bring water, snacks or lunch. Biting insects
are not usually a problem during swamp walks but they can be for canoe trips;
bring repellent if you are sensitive. Put anything you don’t want to get wet in
zip lock or plastic bags. For canoe trips, be prepared to explore the mangroves,
estuaries and lakes of the East River in the 10,000 Islands. For swamp walks, be
prepared to wade in cool water up to your waist for half a day, learning about
and enjoying the epiphytic flora of the Fakahatchee Strand. Participants can
expect to be back at the Preserve Office or the Boardwalk parking lot by 3:00
p.m. A change of clothes would make the drive home more comfortable.
To make a reservation for guided canoe trips and swamp walks call Barbara at
(239) 695-2440 or e-mail blewinski@webtv.net after October 16th. Leave your
name, phone number, number of persons in your group, the date you would like to
reserve and your e-mail address. Please be patient for a reply.
- Dennis Giardina, Park Manager
Welcome to Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
Welcome to the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, “the Amazon of North
America.” The Fakahatchee Strand is a linear swamp forest, approximately twenty
miles long by five miles wide and oriented from north to south. It has been
sculpted by the movement of water for thousands of years and clean fresh water
is the key to its existence. Beneath a protective canopy of bald cypress trees
flows a slow moving, shallow river or slough that is warmer than the ambient
temperature in the winter and cooler in the summer. The buffering effect of the
slough and the deeper lakes that punctuate it shield the forest interior from
extreme cold temperatures and this fosters a high level of rare and endangered
tropical plant species.
The Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park hosts a wide array of habitats and
forest types from the wetter swamps and prairies to the drier islands of
tropical hardwood hammocks and pine rock lands. Its groves of native royal palms
are the most abundant in the state and the ecosystem of the Fakahatchee Strand
is the only place in the world where bald cypress trees and royal palms share
the forest canopy. It is the orchid and bromeliad capital of the continent with
44 native orchids and 14 native bromeliad species. It is a haven for wildlife.
Florida panthers still pursue white-tailed deer from the uplands across the
wetlands. Florida black bears and Eastern indigo snakes, Everglades minks and
diamondback terrapins can still be found here. The resident and migratory bird
life is spectacular and attracts many enthusiastic visitors.
Changes on an ecosystem-wide level are predicted to occur within the Fakahatchee
Strand over the coming decades as the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan
(CERP) is implemented. The restoration of the Prairie Canal which defines the
western border of the Preserve is an especially important aspect of CERP. For
almost half a century the Prairie Canal has hastened the drainage of water that
the native plant and animal communities of the Fakahatchee Strand depend upon.
Once the Prairie Canal is completely filled in, the surface water will move
across the landscape, draining slowly instead of poring into bigger canals and
gushing into the estuaries of the 10,000 Islands. It will recharge groundwater
and pass through the natural filtration processes of swamps, prairies, marshes
and mangroves before gradually mixing with salt water. It is and will continue
to be an important source of fresh water for human and natural communities.
The southern portion of the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve is a part of one of the
most productive estuarine ecosystems in the world. Beneath the surface, where
fresh water gradually becomes more saline, ideal conditions exist for spawning
and the development of the fry of commercially and recreationally important fish
species. Rookeries of wading birds color the landscape with dots of white, blue
and pink. Canoeists and kayakers enjoy exploring amidst the scenic beauty.
Anglers ply the mangrove-hugged backwaters for snook, snapper, tarpon and
redfish. West Indian manatees float about in slow motion while American
crocodiles carry on their secretive existence, slipping in and out of the of the
tannic water to bask in the sun. On the coastal keys of the Ten Thousand
Islands, loggerhead and green sea turtles return annually to nest on the same
spits of white sand beach from which they themselves once emerged.
In spite of the ecological damage visited upon the Fakahatchee Strand in the
past by clear-cut logging, road building and drainage, it has recovered
remarkably well and remains a fairly intact and functional natural system. The
raised railway beds or trams of the old logging train still crisscross the
Fakahatchee Strand and they create a grid of trails, many of which are
maintained for hiking. The Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk provides visitors a
glimpse into the past as it winds through a stand of primary cypress forest. The
Fakahatchee Strand is an ecological gem. It has much to offer and every season
presents different opportunities for visitors. Contact the Preserve Office for
upcoming activities like guided swamp walks and canoe trips.
Contact the Florida Park Service Information Center for general inquiries.
For Information about Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, please call
239-695-4593.
Hours of Operation
Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.
Driving Directions
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is located on Janes Memorial Scenic
Drive, just west of Copeland on S.R. 29.
Park Fees
Admission to the park is free
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
P.O. Box 548
Copeland, Florida 34137
Phone: 239-695-4593
Fax: Contact Park for Number |
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