Description of the ride:
- It's a 14 mile ride out from Holiday Park, with about half the distance on a well traveled levee. Most of the motorized traffic seems to be ATV's, and you can expect to see about a half dozen out on any given weekend. This first part of the road is a bumpy but reasonable ride for any hybrid or mountain bike, and goes for about 6 miles. The next 8 miles are on the same levee as it heads south past a canal intersection, but it is much less travelled and much rougher. I've done it on a solid frame bike and on a front suspension bike, and the suspension made a world of difference. Average speed is 9 mph, with 14 mph being the limit before the rough road becomes bone jarring. The total ride is about 28 miles there and back again.
What you'll find:
- On the north half of the ride, the only ground high or dry enough for shrubs and trees is the levee. The rest is sawgrass and small plants. It is vastly open and empty. No traffic, no buildings, no people. Along the levee is a canal well traveled by boats who often park to fish. On weekdays, there are only a half dozen boats all day. On weekends, there will be a boat buzz by every five to ten minutes. On the southern half of the ride, the water gets deeper in the sawgrass, and there are hammocks, like islands in the sawgrass, with large shrubs and trees. Potential animal sightings depend on how noisy you are. I make noise, or at least don't try to be quiet, with the intention of not surprising an animal with teeth and claws. I have seen alligators, iguanas, many kinds of birds, turtles, and what I believe was a pig. There are snakes that will sun themselves on the trail/levee that seem to be very shy, and have disappeared the moment they saw me coming.
- The crash site is not discernible from it's surroundings. There is no debris, and the vegetation has re-established itself. The levee has a raised portion put in place at the time of the rescue effort, which affords a rare elevated view of the surroundings. Bicycle and foot traffic are restricted to the levee, as the ground is deep mud covered by water, thickly grown with sawgrass. The area east of the levee is also designated a state memorial, with entry prohibited. The only activity around the area is an occasional mowing of the top of the levee, maybe once a year.
Of Note:
- On a clear day from the raised portion of the levee, you can see the Miami sky line.
- Night time in the everglades is very dark. I hadn't seen darkness like this since being a pilot in the Navy and flying at night (many many years ago). We called it being inside of a black cat at night. Bring a light, just in case. An open cell phone is a poor substitute.
- It may seem there is no way to capture the vastness of this place in a picture. Bring a camera anyway.
- There are people living along the eastern edge of the sawgrass, and at fish camps, who may stop to talk. They have always seemed friendly and helpful.
