Called the Pa-Hay-Okee or River of Grass by the local Seminole tribe. It's 97km/60mi wide and flows so slowly that I couldn't see the water moving, draining Florida's main lake into the state's southern coast. Ecologically it's fascinating, with like 4m/12ft of elevation gain across it representing multiple ecosystems linked to how much water persists throughout the year. In the Rockies the ecosystems change every 300m/1000ft, here it's whether the water is at your ankle or your knee.
Highly recommended. It's remarkable.
I'm going to the main part of the national park in a couple days. Even the periphery and Big Cypress Nature Preserve were stunning, so I can only imagine how beautiful it is around like Thousand Islands.
Sounds so cool. Closest I got was Naples but, that was many years ago.
I'm in North Central Florida (plz don't dox but you know what that means). I've seen the prairie but not this. One day.
Honestly, it's easier to see Paynes Prairie for me too. I was going to go a few weeks ago but, it fell through. Never been there either.
It's about 6 miles from my home to multiple short trails on the prairie. I live in a swamp. I grew up with my father's paintings of landscapes and wildlife on the Suwannee and at Cedar Key hanging on the walls.
I'm glad we're not all Florida Men on the Internet. It's not all bad. The nature is beautiful, I just wish we had some natural forests, not just woods with briars and human planted pine trees
Have a good one comrade. Hit me up if you want to chat about the hell of states.
Thanks. It's good to find folks who appreciate this place. It's all I've ever known my whole life.
It's a shame the history of land development was/is so fucked in Florida. The natural side makes me jealous and I live in the Switzerland of the Americas an hour away from mountains that qualify as cathedrals. Those efforts to protect it instead of industry/tourism/luxury housing have come so late that the area around Tampa at least seems like it's barely starting to recover. Doubly so for the Everglades which is so humbling that it's the kind of thing that should be defended with guns.
I agree. I even felt a profound sadness when they cleared a lot near my neighborhood recently. Those trees were there forever and they just took them all out in a day and a half. Just no regard for nature. They want to turn the whole state into a giant strip mall.
I'm jealous you get to live in a swamp. The one today was one of the most lush places I've ever been, and apparently those northern ones are where all the carnivorous plants and Psilocybe mushrooms are. My horticulture brain was overstimulated everywhere I looked just on the basic boardwalk trails of Big Cypress.
From what I've been told my area was prime cow field territory back in the 60s and 70s. I've not hunted wild because honestly I'm just not really qualified. I know how to identify a cube, but not confident enough to risk my life. Also this is Florida and people are itching to shoot you.
