Tamiami Trail
Natural Wanders…
exploring the natural world through writing

A Tamiami Tapestry
Introducing Naples
by Linda Lee Rathbun
photos by Steven David Miller

 Images: Copyright Steven David Miller, protected by international copyright laws.
Do not copy or reproduce in any manner. All rights strictly reserved.
Text: Copyright Linda Lee Rathbun, protected by international copyright laws.
Do not copy or reproduce in any manner without the express permission of the author.
All rights stricly reserved.

A Tamiami Tapestry
text by Linda Lee Rathbun
photos by Steven David Miller

There are two ways to bisect South Florida from east to west: the fast way, and the slow way. On Alligator Alley you can streak across at 75mph, watching the scenery hurl by in a lovely green blur. On Tamiami Trail, you can ramble and enjoy the subtle beauty of Florida's classic ecosystems.
Tamiami Trail was blazed, literally, over a 14 year period beginning in 1915 and ending in April of 1928 with a 500-car motorcade. It is named for its two divergent points: Tampa and Miami. Before the Trail, there was no access across the state, leaving Southwest Florida a remote outpost. In those days, it was an 18-day journey by foot and canoe if one cared to cross the state. Today it takes but a few hours--and while crossing the Trail, one should spare a thought for the men who built it. At the time, it was considered the road construction marvel of the 20th century; looking back on what was involved, it is still astounding.
Battling heat, swarms of mosquitoes, swamp critters, and primitive living conditions, crews worked six days a week in ten hour shifts. A single mile could take two weeks to complete and cost up to $25,000. The work was hellish, yet in those days the men considered themselves lucky to have a job.
The early days of the Trail brought a host of independent settlers, along with those who looted the bountiful wetlands. Bald cypress trees, many hundreds of year old, were felled by the millions, as were other trees. Alligators, numerous bird species, otters, and any other animal that could be exploited, was--some into extinction. Happily though, those plundering days are gone, and today part of the Trail is a designated Florida Scenic Highway. For 55 gorgeous miles from Collier-Seminole State Park to the border of Dade County, the Trail pushes through the wetlands of Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park.
RVers planning to cross the state on the Trail should give themselves the better part of a day to really enjoy it.
Let me escort you from west to east, and introduce you to what you'll see. I suggest you fill up at one end or the other: fuel along the way is sparse and expensive.
In life, one should always begin at the beginning, and this beginning is Collier-Seminole State Park. Stop in for a bit of a look around: my favorite spots include the salt marsh with its a blend of subtle hues, Blackwater River reflecting billowing white clouds, and the many royal palm trees reaching up to the sky. There are also tour boats and guided canoe trails. For anyone interested in the construction of the Trail, the original walking dredge is on display near the entrance of the park. In winter, rangers conduct illustrated talks on the history of the Trail.
For more information, call 941-394-3397.
Back out on the Trail, a coastal marsh and small clusters of mangroves lie to the south, and strands sprawl to the north. A strand is formed when the ground level drops just enough to allow cypress trees to grow. Within this there are hammocks: islands of vegetation rising up no more than a few feet. I love to look out at the wet prairie with its sweep of strands dominated by pond cypress trees, and the mounds of pine, palm, and hardwood hammocks--all islands in a sea of grass.
Since I am leading you from west to east, let me point out a few practical stops along this route. A few miles past Collier-Seminole is a picnic pullout on the south side. It has parking suitable for small to medium-size RVs. A bit further on, where the road bends and heads west, is the Port of the Islands RV Park on the north side with access to the Gulf. Call 941-642-5343 for information. Moving on, about 13 miles from our starting point at Collier-Seminole, is Big Cypress Bend. One MUST stop here to do the short boardwalk into Fakahatchee Strand. What an exquisite little spot this is, with a few majestic old growth cypress trees lucky enough to escape the saws of the lumberjacks. At the end of the boardwalk is a patch of swamp: birds, alligators, raccoons, and others all gather here to feed, and the air hums with their cries and murmurs. Larger RVs should park directly across from Big Bend, but be very careful crossing the road. Small RVs can park on the same side as the boardwalk.
After Big Bend, the landscape hugs the road. There are more strands of pond cypress, more hammocks rising in the distance. In the grasses to the south look out for egrets and herons standing tall amongst the blades. In the distant horizon, the blue sky and green earth merge. How vast it all is. To the north, the saw grass bordering the canal is a classic example of the "river of grass"; you have a good chance of seeing an alligator anywhere along this long stretch of water. Watch for cormorants and anhingas perched on lines drying their wings. A few miles along, there will be another picnic pullout on the south side.
The last chance for a real gas station and restroom stop is at the intersection of Tamiami Trail and State Road 29. The Everglades City Chamber of Commerce is on the southeast corner. Call 941-695-3941 for more information. Dozens of brochures will invite you to head south about five miles into Everglades City and Chokoloskee. There is a boardwalk into a slough, Jungle Erv's Alligator Park, a number of boat tours through the northern section of the Ten Thousand Islands, and a couple of RV parks. Everglades National Park also conducts 90 minute guided boat tours with trips leaving every half hour.
Another sidetrack is a short distance north on SR29. Head up, then right--following the signs to Janes Scenic Drive. This 12-mile, unpaved road takes you into the heart of Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve. There are a few walks you can do from the Drive along the old logging tram tracks. The easiest are accessed from Gate 7, and Gate 12; both walks are about four miles round trip. In winter, the rangers do guided swamp walks. Call 941-695-4593 for more information. Return the same way you came.
Back on the Trail, you'll be invited to have a better look at the terrain you are crossing with a stop for an airboat ride. Signs will advise you of several. Wootens will be on the north side; they also have native wildlife on display: an otter, several Florida panthers (actually a sub-species of the cougar), alligators, American crocodiles, and a number of snakes. On the south side is another airboat operator; each has plenty of parking for RVs. I don't recommend one over the other, but I can promise you a thrilling and noisy ride through the swamps.
In the same "town", Ochopee, as these airboat operators is the smallest post office in the world. It is the size of a tiny shed, with an American flag blowing in the breeze, and a plaque explaining its history. This is on the south side, with a large area for parking. There is also a campground in Ochopee, with no facilities.
If I had to fault Tamiami Trail, and I really don't want to, my only complaint is that there are precious few places to pull off safely. There is a grassy area along the south side of the road, and this provides plenty of room, however you have to be sure it is dry or you might get stuck if you're driving a heavy RV. Therefore, picnic pullouts are the safest stops. One place to stop on the south side is next to a huge statue of a Florida panther, there is a small store there, and the Big Cypress Trail Lakes campground (private with facilities).
Continuing east, one of the best places along the entire Trail is H.P.Williams Roadside Park on the north side. This has parking, picnic tables, and a lovely little setting next to Turner River. I highly recommend heading a few miles up Turner River Road (839). Turner River hugs the west side of the road, where you will surely see an alligator; to the east is a wetland dotted with wildflowers and birds soaring up above. Do a U-turn at the intersection of 837 (the first road on your left), head back down the way you came, and carefully turn back onto the Trail.
By now you are driving through a beautiful, treed section of the Trail. Many, many times I have seen cars pulled over, the occupants standing by the canal fishing--a sort of emergency fishing stop, if you will. Alligators float sunny side up in the water. Herons and egrets feed in the shallows. Today the Trail blocks the natural flow of water, but in the next few years a series of culverts will be built to allow water to rush through, re-hydrating the "glades". Future plans for the Trail also include more boardwalks and pullouts to help travelers enjoy the road more safely.
Several strands along the way are named and signposted: Skillet Strand, Gannet Strand, New River Strand: here the branches of cypress trees and live oak are draped with lacy Spanish moss; in the tree trunks, bromeliads and orchids bloom. On the south side, stop at Kirby Storter Wayside Park for a little walk or a picnic. Next, to the north, is Monument Lake campground (no facilities), to the south is Monroe Station and the beginning of the Loop Road. The Loop drops down below the Trail and emerges 26 miles further on at Tamiami Ranger Station. This is a very rough, very narrow road not at all suited for RVs. If you are towing a suitable vehicle and would like to try the Loop (leave your RV at Monument Lake campground, and only try it in the dry season) you'll see lots of birds, and most likely an otter where a body of water passes under the road. For the condition of the Loop Road, call Big Cypress National Preserve at 941-695-4111.
As you travel, please take note of the speed limit. It is there for the sake of the animals that frequently cross the road: Florida panthers, otters, alligators, turtles. During the day the limit is between 55 and 60mph, at night it is 45mph. The Trail is not for those who want to make time. It is for those who want to spot osprey in the trees, and flowers like the swamp lily, the pickerel, and the spatterdock blooming in the canal. It is for those who take delight in vultures soaring up above (waiting to clean up any unfortunate road kills), and belted kingfishers darting from phone line to tree branch. It is for those who take joy in the handsome shape of a slash pine tree set against a blue sky. Along here you may very well see snowy egrets, swallow-tailed kites, bald eagles, hawks, purple gallinules, swamp hens, wood storks, and lipkins. For a perfect swamp scene, (and a safe place to stop), pull over at the Clyde Butcher Gallery on the south side. Clyde's beautiful black and white photographs of the Everglades hang in the gallery, and there is a little walk out to the back. By the water here, look out for dragonflies, tree frogs, butterflies, and grasshoppers.
At the Big Cypress Visitor Center you can stop for information, and to see a display of wildlife inside. A short distance along, is the Midway campground (no facilities). For information about the Big Cypress campgrounds call the preserve at 941-695-4111. Here the landscape is changing: the elevation has dropped into Shark River Slough, a slow-moving body of water much like a very lazy river. The designated scenic highway section of the Trail officially ends at the Dade County Line, but I suggest you continue to enjoy its beauty on to the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians Cultural Center. If you have taken note of, and an interest in the number of Indian Villages along the Trail, this is a good place to stop to discover the fascinating history of this tribe. They have cultural festivals through the year: after Christmas, and in July. Call 305-223-8380 for more information.
And so, we come to what I consider to be the end of the Scenic Highway: Shark Valley, at the northern boundary of Everglades National Park. I highly recommend stopping here. There is a two-hour tram tour, and a number of short walks. The tram road gives a lovely vista of the slough; in summer when it is saturated in green (and mosquitoes), it is a sight to behold. If you don't see an alligator here, you are indeed unlucky--they come out to sun-bake right on the road! For more information about tram tours, call 305-221-8455; or 305-242-7700 for general Shark Valley information.
Well, you are on your own now as you move on into Miami, or Biscayne National Park, or the Everglades, or the Keys. I hope I have tempted you to travel along the lovely Tamiami Trail.

THE END