Trip to Myakka River State Park

March 1,
Deep Hole! Myakka River and Lower Myakka lake: Land of a Thousand River Dragons.





  I was excited for this one, and I'll admit it, maybe a little scared. To venture into a sinkhole that is home to over a hundred gigantic alligators should make anyone a little nervous. I looked at countless photos, read trip reports, and  the time was now....before mating season!
 Deep Hole is a section of the Myakka River that reaches depths of about 140 feet.  This small area, just west of Lower Myakka Lake is home to countless very large alligators. What brings them here? Well, some say that Deep Hole is a natural fish trap. Fish head there, but they can only survive up near the surface as the lower depths are anaerobic and can't suport much life because of the lack of oxygen found there. Knowing this, aligators congregate here to feed and bask on the banks. The Myakka River runs through the state park which bears its name, where I'll be camping tonight if I'm lucky to score a campsite in the busy season. I will be venturing on the path less travelled. If you head south beyond the SR 72 bridge, you need a permit to enter the wilderness section. Only 30 people a day, either by watercraft or by foot(Deep Hole is also accessible via a hiking trail) are allowed. The ranger instructed me in a gruff voice to bring the permit back when I finished or they would have to look for me. Then they would send me the bill that would be "too large to pay off in this lifetime". Sounds like my kind of place. Anyways, some amazing photos and videos have been produced here that really stirred up my adventurous spirit, as well as confronting me with a challenge: would I be man enough to travel here alone in a kayak ?

toothy residents of Myakka River

Deep Hole from my kayak.

I arrived  a little early and waited patiently outside the gate.I could feel my heart beating a little faster and my mouth felt dry. Images of giant scaled dinosaurs danced through my head. Soon , I had my permit and map, and headed to the put in which was at the first bridge that crosses the Myakka and leads you into the state park. It was a nice worn path leading right into the river amidst some high marsh grass. After checking my surroundings carefully and watching a 10 footer cross in front of me, I set off on my adventure. I have been thinking of kayaking this river for years but I seemed a little comfortable in putting it off. Was it fear?
 The Myakka is a blackwater river in the truest sense of the word- the water is dark and you can't see the bottom. Better to imagine monsters.Most of my trek today will be through a prairie of high marsh grass and I will be crossing a large body of water, Lower Myakka Lake. Sunscreen and a hat are mandatory, unless you want melanoma. Upon entering the wilderness preserve,crossing under the SR 72 bridge, the river is somewhat narrow and canopied and very beautiful.  A nice shaded forest on one side and on the other, tall grass. Very soon, the river snakes narrowly through the marshland, and I begin to see some large black alligators contrasted against the pale, white brown straw; the reptiles stick out rather drastically here. With the river being so narrow and curvy, I am cautious around each bend. the current really picks up here in this section, and if you're not careful, it will drive you right into the bank with its toothy denizens.
 Upon reaching Lower Myakka Lake, I have to be careful and take note of my suroundings. The river enters the lake rather subtly, so I quickly spot a dead tree on the northern bank, which has two branches that reach upward like a ref signalling touchdown in a foot ball game. The river's entrance into the lake is also marked by marsh. Again, if you get careless, you could get lost.
 Another thing to note is that Florida has received a lot of rain this winter and we were absolutely pounded by rain this past summer, so the water level is very high. This can hide a lot of landmarks that are normally visible during lower water conditions. This will, unfortunately, affect how many alligators I will see at Deep Hole; deeper water means more hiding spots for them.
 Crossing this big lake is an arduous process: The sun beats down on you, muscles get tired quicker, you don't seem to be moving at all, and the wind, which can cause rough water. I hate open water crossings, however, I spot several huge alligators in the distance, crossing the wide expanse of the lake,  resembling barges crossing Tampa Bay.  I scan the nearby northern bank for wildlife. The water beneath me, although very dark, is alive with swirls,spalshes, and sudden whirlpools that keep me wide awake.  The wind, today, is non existant; the surface of the lake looks like glass.
 Reaching the end of the crossing, much to my chagrin, there is an airboat present right in front of what seems to be Deep Hole. Its occupant seems to be spraying some sort of disfoliant on the bank. There is a large compressor running, not to mention the airboat itself which is LOUD.I aim to give the airboat a wide berth and  head towards an enormous black alligator  sunning itself on a sandbar. Before I can get a good picture , it flies into the water. I cross over towards a cluster of exotic looking palm trees onshore that look like the ones from the pics of Deep Hole, and then I see it: vultures on the bank and higher up in the grass are a few gators.

Deep Hole 3/1

Deep Hole at skinny water conditions

I'm here! As I get closer , I realize that while I won't see 100 alligators here today, I will see and do see about 20 gators or so, in this tiny cul du sac. Most are in the water. I notice one beast that would probably measure 12 feet or so if he were on land. I get as close to the shore as I dare, and an eight footer rises up on its legs and enters the water, always a cool sight to see them "walking". I circle along the bank and notice that I am probably moving over what was months ago, land. I'm not sure how much of this area comprises this sinkhole; I saw a documentary by National Geographic, that had divers in steel cages sinking to the bottom in an effort to see what was down there and measure the depth, but they gave no clue how wide across the sinkhole was. Since the water is black, it is hard to tell unless you slip off your kayak and swim to the bottom! I make one more cautious pass by the East bank where the sunning gators are and head back. I will have to come back when conditions are drier and no airboats are present, however, this was still a beautiful and wild sight.I had never seen more alligators concentrated in one area than I've seen here. It reminds me of documentaries about Africa and the clusters of wildlife you see there. The sensation of gliding across this area in my kayak hearing nothing but the water from my paddle strokes, the beating of my own heart, and the tension I felt of being surrounded by big aquatic creatures capable of killing me, is unforgettable.
 Speaking of unforgettable and tension, there was still the paddle back remaining, which would be even more memorable. Once reaching the river succesfully, as I remembered my landmarks, I had to paddle against a moderately strong current that created some strong eddies along each river bend. Not long after I entered this maze of grass and black water, I heard a very deep and unmistakeable low growl. Was it an airboat? My stomach? I pressed on and rounded a couple more river bends, and then I heard it again; this time the sound was louder and more menacing. My throat instantly dried up and my heart skipped a beat as I realized something: I was in the vicinity of a very large predator who was pissed off! I rounded one more bend and I heard another LOUDER warning from a very large bull alligator. It sounded as if a lion would come bursting through this wall of grass and seize me from my kayak. I went into hyperdrive, desperate to make distance between us. I rounded one more corner and came within a paddle length's distance from a very fat, 10 foot bull alligator lying on a mud mound in the grass, sizing me up. This was the closest I've been to an alligator of this size. Very cool.
 I once again reached the canopied area of my trip and the scenery here is very beautiful. I relaxed and considered pulling up to a bank and having a well deserved lunch break in the shade, when I spotted two large alligators on a bank. Maybe some other time. I glided up slowly to get a close up photo with my ipod which does not take good pictures. I made one little twitch and in a fraction of a second, the 9 footer exploded into the water violently. So fast and quick. I soon left the wilderness preserve and entered back into Myakka River State Park. I had lunch on the bank at a beautiful picnic area. The ranger station called me earlier as I checked my phone and they had some good news: there would be a campsite available for me tonight!
 The Myakka River was so different from any other river I've paddled. The wilderness preserve definately gives you a sense of isolation(although, not from airboats). Lower Myakka Lake is a huge expanse of water, and on bodies of water such as this, I am used to seeing signs of civilization such as plenty of boats and jetskis. I was the only one on the water for miles around and that is a pretty cool, although a little scary, feeling. I didn't count the alligators, but I'll be confident in saying it was 100 even. I saw NO trash in the water which gives me hope. Any minor aggravation in having to secure a permit to enter the preserve is worth it to keep the human impact to a minimum. If you want to experience wild Florida, this is as good as it gets.
Myakka River State Park
 This park encompasses 58 square miles of wetlands, pinelands, oak hammocks, and a large dry prairie. The park was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1934. It is a gem. There are at least 7 miles of paved road that goes through the park and it's very ideal for biking. The bridge, where I put in for my kayak trip , is a very popular place for campers to fish and gaze at the alligators, especially at night. I enjoyed the Canopy Walkway and Tower, which is 76 feet high. I visited it three times for the fantastic view at the top. It's a must see. Linking you to the tower section is the canopy walkway which is supported by cables. Only 4 people are allowed on it at once, and it swings and bounces you along as you walk 25 feet over the ground.
 The Myakka Outpost is the main hub of action:the fishing platform on the river near the weir or dam, airboat tours,tram tours, etc. I bought firewood at the outpost. It is built right on Upper Myakka Lake which is a huge body of water, a little bigger than the lower lake I kayaked. You can even eat aligator stew there , although I don't like alligator meat much...too greasy. This time of year is definately the busy season and there are RVers galore, so when I pulled into Big Flats campground, it resembled a retirement villa. I was pleasantly surprised to find my tent campsite down a ways from the main circle and isolated. I even had a view of the vast meadows to the west and I had a great view of the sunset.
 At dusk, they sound air cannons and fireworks to scare the vultures away and for good reason: they tend to eat windshield wipers off of cars! This sound is like a velociraptor passing gas.
 I met some interesting people. One was Paula, who I met up at the bridge. She was a 60 something year old lady visiting the park with her elderly mother. She was interested in kayaking Florida and I told her a few stories about the rivers here. She was from Michigan and bike camped to Mackinaw bridge there, over 500 miles and 9 days with some friends of hers. She loves to bike and kayak like I do. She was telling me about how beautiful Lake Michigan was, and how I had to visit it someday.
 Another interesting character was my camping neighbor, whose name I forgot. She was visiting with her dog and had a nice camper. She was fond of wine and song and serenaded the campsite for hours with her ukele. Her 11 yr old doberman was skittish at first, but very friendly once she got used to you, diving her head under your hand like Macy and Bonsai do, demanding you to pet her. After finishing a rousing renditon of The shaving cream song, she invited me over for a glass of organic strawberry lemonade(I don't drink anything stronger than organic lemonade). She was a nurse and after a few glasses of wine(obviously), told me some harrowing childbirth stories of her own experience, and professional(she worked in labor and delivery). She exclaimed proudly at one point: " I could drive a mack truck through this pelvis". At this point, I thanked her for the lemonade and bug spray, yawned very loudly, and retreated rapidly for my tent!
 I was amazed by the awesome wildlife sounds of the birds of Myakka. I heard on owl right above my head, and a flock of some weird high pitched echoing bird calls. The doberman next door chased off a raccoon, and at some point during the night, I thought I heard a pig squealing. I heard sounds I have never heard before. I brought my headphones into the tent to listen to my ipod, but I couldn't do it and was whisked to sleep by the wild.
General information:
 To access Myakka River State Park from I-75 near Sarasota, exit onto SR 72 and head East for about 10 miles or so. Park entrance is on your left. $4.00 to enter the park for a day, 30 bones to camp. Bring a kayak and bicycle if you can.