Slow down to take in the beauty of Florida’s forgotten frontier

EVERGLADES CITY, Fla. ― As my boots crunched along the unpaved pathway, I heard a huff from the mangroves. Was it a black bear, a Florida panther or maybe the mythological Skunk Ape? Alone on the Marsh Trail, I was eagerly anticipating and admittedly afraid to encounter one of the many predators that stalk these swamps.

Inches from my shoe, a thick, dark rope wiggled into the marsh grass too fast to know if it was a black racer, an Eastern indigo or a Southern swamp snake. I looked over my shoulder at the murky brown water where an alligator snout side-eyed me with indifference.

Still, I didn’t dare sit on a nearby bench, lest my feet dangle too close to the water’s edge. Instead, I stood on a weathered boardwalk to gaze out at Florida’s submerged southwest border and was reminded that this diverse Everglades region is unlike any other ecosystem in the world.

A century ago, industrious entrepreneur Barron Collier convinced northerners to explore this wild side of the United States. Although Florida’s once exotic frontier feels largely forgotten today, it still offers a rare opportunity to discover why the swamps, not the beaches, once lured the wealthiest of Americans.

Central hub for exploration

“Birds of every color of the rainbow. Big game hunting. The tarpon craze. It’s one-stop shopping in Collier’s mind,” Lockyear said. A short boat tour convinced the young advertising magnate to purchase more than 1 million acres in the region, spurring the growth of Everglades City as the seat of Collier County in the 1920s.

Collier also broke ground on a two-lane road connecting Naples on the west coast to Miami on the east coast. Now part of U.S. 41, the roadway passes through 109 miles of wilderness, home to the Everglades National Park, Collier-Seminole State Park, Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.

The Skunk Ape Research Headquarters is located on U.S. 41 in Ochopee. (Courtesy of Nick Dauk)

As these unique habitats received designation as protected areas, the development of Everglades City, located 4 miles south of U.S. 41, remained isolated from the rest of Collier County’s expansion along the Gulf Coast. No longer the county seat, it is now part of the Naples-Marco Island metro area.

Tourism has always been the lifeblood of Everglades City. The central hub for exploring these protected ecosystems, it is home to some of the oldest historical and cultural landmarks of Florida’s last frontier.

Jeffrey Campbell holding an alligator at Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tours & Alligator Park, (Courtesy of Nick Dauk)

Since Collier’s time, the wildlife population in the Everglades has diminished significantly, say locals. But conservation efforts often meet resistance. Smallwood Store Museum owner Lynn McMillin says she rarely sees marsh rabbits like she did in her youth, but she’s had as many as five invasive Burmese pythons in her yard at once. Skunk Ape Research Headquarters owner Jack Shealy laments how increased traffic on U.S. 41 has caused the death of virtually every species of animal that calls this region home.

However, both express frustration over governmental conservation efforts that restrict boat tours, preventing them from living off the land the way their families did for generations.

An alligator in Big Cypress National Preserve. (Courtesy of Nick Dauk)

Scenic drives and hiking trails

The best time to visit is November through May, when there are fewer bugs, lower temperatures and more diverse wildlife sightings. A certified Dark Sky Park, it hosts monthly astronomy programs. To learn more, visit the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center.

Families with children and casual adventurers looking for easy hikes will enjoy the short, low-impact strolls on the boardwalks at Kirby Storter Roadside Park and H.P. Williams Wayside Park. There’s also a 16-mile Turner River Scenic Drive for exploring the scenery from the comfort of a vehicle. For intrepid explorers, the 5-mile out-and-back Fire Prairie Trail offers one of the best opportunities to spot wildlife far from the highway.

No matter what kind of explorer you are, visitors are advised to bring sunscreen, plenty of water, bug repellent, a hat and sturdy (ideally waterproof) hiking shoes. Many trails are flooded to ankle or waist levels between May and November, so waders are recommended for deep exploration. Also note that Big Cypress National Preserve is home to the South Florida immigration detention center nicknamed Alligator Alcatraz, and visitors are advised to steer clear of it.

A great blue heron in Big Cypress National Preserve. (Courtesy of Nick Dauk)

Safer than highways

Driving along the 24-mile, mostly gravel Loop Road in Big Cypress, I noticed that nearly every culvert I passed had a great blue or white heron in it. I was tempted to chance an animal encounter by wandering onto the loop’s many hiking trails. But only a few minutes onto the Gator Hook Trail, the path required wading into the knee-deep cypress swamp. I decided instead to hike the dark, dense Tree Snail Hammock Trail until I saw signs warning visitors not to venture into this panther-prowling territory alone.

Near the end of the route, I came upon a cottonmouth snake dying in the center of the road. No matter how vulnerable I felt on the trails, statistics say I’m safer alone with the wildlife than the animals are on the roadways. Florida has had a single fatal black bear attack in recorded history while roughly 250 bears are killed on Sunshine State roadways each year.

I slowly eased my way off Loop Road and onto U.S. 41, knowing that the next time I wander the trails of Florida’s forgotten frontier, I’ll be just as safe — if not safer — than on the highway.