A state park that has hiking and bike trails. There is a lot of history within the park. There are…read moredifferent areas of the park that highlight the history, like memorials and such. This is a place where a lot of people do camp. It was nice to explore. You definitely need bug spray.

This State Park does a good job of dotting the " i's " and crossing the " t's ". There's hiking…read moretrails, camping, fishing, kayaking / canoeing, a pavilion, picnic tables, kiddies playground, and some interesting historical items. Admission is $5.00 per vehicle (maximum of 8 people), or $2.00 per person (pedestrians or bicyclists). I was on my motorcycle so I fell in the top category. I rode to the boat launch area first. This was a nice place to launch a boat or kayak. It was a protected bay like area. There was a floating boat dock nearby where one could fish from. In the same area as the boat launch was the hiking trail. It was closed (the park employee at the entrance had already told me) probably because of Hurricane Ian damages? Also the picnic and playground area was in this area. here. Restrooms are on site too. The next stop I visited while in the park was the historic Bay City Walking Dredge No. 489. This feat of engineering was used in the 1920's to help build the Tamiami Trail through the Florida Everglades. From the information provided, "Built in Bay City Michigan, this walking dredge followed the drilling and blasting rigs, averaging 80 feet per 10 hour shift. Dynamite was used to blast the limestone into small enough chunks for the dredge to lift." The road was completed, finally linking Tampa to Miami in 1928, with the help of this machine. For the mechanical and engineering nerds (like me), you'll want to see and read about this. Ha! I had a good time here and recommend you check this place out. I am going with 4 stars because the hiking trail was closed and the canoe rental cabin where one could also buy drinks was closed. Hopefully these will open in the near future.

Just took a tour with the Shurr Co on the Turner River. They…read moreare a obviously very professional and experienced company, Highly recommend them! And... Ask for Nate, he was my guide. He was excited to be out there, knew a lot about the wildlife we saw, which included alligators, turtles and so many birds. He was in no rush to end the tour, was just happy to be on the River! He would get very excited when hearing an animal sound and Scott to edge of River to investigate. We had a great time! Can't recommend him enough!

We had a great tour with Mikayla! She was a very helpful guide. We had a bit of a windy day but we…read morestill caught a glimpse of a gator. The tunnels were fun and pretty to kayak through. We have limited kayaking experience and this was an easy outing.

Nice place. Unit was well equipped, neat and clean. Older yes, but charm is a factor. The view…read morewas so nice. Could use a few more ceiling fans on the porch, but that could be our fault for going to the everglades in August.

The only good thing about this place is the location -- it's really beautifull and peaceful by the…read morewater. But everything else was a big let down. The cabin looks like it hasn't been updated in decades. The furnitures are old and worn out, and the bed was just horrible -- lumpy, noisy, and way too soft. I could feel every spring when I tried to sleep. The sofa wasn't much better, totally sagging and sticky to the touch. The fridge was rusty inside and outside, and the handle felt gross. For the price we paid, this was honestly shocking. It's way too expensive for what you get -- feels more like a cheap roadside cabin than a "waterfront retreat." It's really a shame, because the nature around is amazing, but I wouldn't stay here again unless they fix things up big time. I see a wide variety in reviews, some of them speaking of clean rooms and comfortable beds, I can only assume *some* of the rooms might have been updated, because it's impossible that someone in our cabin would say the same. We paid 300USD+ a night for a horrible room.

Darlene took us on the 3 hour mangrove tunnel & sunset tour and it was unforgettable!!! Boy does…read moreshe know her way around that place - tunneling through the mangroves was so much fun... wooohooo, I want to do it again!!!! It was more than what we expected and learned so much. The birds, fish & all sorts of critters were all over the place. The following day, we went on the boat assisted kayak tour which was equally amazing, we learned so much about the 10,000 islands and the history of the mangroves. We saw so many amazing birds including various varieties of pelicans, osprey, eagles doing their thing out in the wild. We also saw many dolphins up close. One island had a small racoon running around on it -- the tour guide explained that they are smaller than usual racoons for various reasons -- google it, or better yet, take the tour :-) We stopped at an oyster bar -- no, they don't sell oysters, but the sand was so white and beautiful and shells and crabs of all kinds everywhere. We kayaked around one of the mangroves to get up close and personal with nature -- it was simply an amazing experience and you don't want to miss. Both tour guides were incredibly knowledgeable.

I have done numerous boat trips in my lifetime, so I had something to compare this to. We took the…read more3.5 hour morning trip, which went around the islands and stopped at one for a brief walk. The boat was comfortable, and the ride was smooth. We were at low tide, so our captain had to be very cautious where he went. The mangroves are pretty, but once you saw 10 islands, it was probably enough. We got to see a few dolphins, and he got two of them to surf the boat waves which was fun. Our little stroll on the one island turned up a few interesting shells. Overall, I think the trip is too long as you just keep seeing the same things, island after island. There weren't really as many birds as I anticipated.

Everglades City, population 500. Give or take…read more A little off the beaten path. In the beginning, this part of Chokoloskee Bay was inhabited by the Glades Indians. Their shell mounds are still in places apparent. Later, when the coast to coast Tamiami Trail was built EC was a staging area and construction camp. Today it's largely the gateway to the Everglades, with small local commerce supported by visitors who know what's good. The Everglades have three primary people places - Flamingo (near the southern tip of continental Florida), the main visitor center outside Florida City, and Everglades City. EC lacks the accoutrements of the other centers, and functions more as an administrative and permitting portal. This is where you begin the backcountry explore. In the year coming I plan to canoe the Wilderness Waterway from EC to Flamingo. This promise I made to myself after stumbling upon the town at the end of the road, after renting a skiff and exploring some of the mangrove islands and cypress-infested backwaters. The Everglades are indescribably beautiful. A water desert, a bird sanctuary, captivating skies, quiet. I stayed at the Ivey House, a very real, honest, solidly Everglades B & B. The rooms are clean, they have bikes to borrow, a living room in which to read or share the stories with fellow vagabonds. They're green and will hook you up with the best guides and outfitters for your explore of the backcountry. Show up with Tevas and sunscreen and they'll take care of the rest. My visit happened to coincide with the EC Cheese Cracker Festival. I didn't know it, and discovered only after returning my battered skiff (oyster bed), sunburned, elated, on my borrowed bike from the Ivey House riding back to town - what's this? A gathering in the square. A flatbed trailer with a Seminole Elvis impersonator singing Battle Hymn of the Republic. I ate a piece of the giant grilled cheese sandwich that had been their earlier afternoon attempt to make the Guinness Book (they made it the next year with a 320 pound sammy). Later that night the town showed Attack of the Killer Shrews on the whitewashed wall of the courthouse. All was right in the world.

my husband spent the night as part of work related reasons and they didn't make the bed for him…read morebefore he got there , sheets were sued by the previous people who was there cause there was even hairs of someone on the sheets.

What a perfect place to celebrate a friends 81st Birthday!!…read moreWe had a group with several rooms, including the 3 bedroom unit. All of the staff, especially Aaron (David was out of town). the 15 of us totally enjoyed our weekend and will definitely be back. From our boat tour with Captain Craig, to the home made cakes we celebrated with, they had the connections to make our stay top notch. I think we have established a brand new tradition. I highly recommend !!

Perfect friendly place for boat fuel, docking, ice, bait, some supplies and many helpful neighbors…read morefor things the store might not have... and there's even lodging. Very clean

Arriving at Everglades Isle was fine. They gave us a lovely purple bag, thanks!!…read moreThey have a beautiful clubhouse, a nice pool, and a small dog park area. You'll notice the landscape all around the resort is beautiful and mature. Makes it an extra pleasure when at the pool. Really adds a lot to the whole resort. The one thing I will caution you against is, the air boats run daily directly in front and it's very loud all day, every day. I do wish they would've mentioned that to us, although in a way, I'm glad they didn't, because I'm afraid we would not have come. We are glad to be here. I am not cautioning you against coming, I am just letting you know. I do think it's very nice to be here. The people here are cordial. But you can definitely tell the owners from the members. We bumped into and spoke with the owners of the resort here and they were friendly, seemed like good people. There are a couple of things to do here, but not much overall. There is a beautiful boat tour, airboat rides, and a few restaurants. You definitely want to do your grocery shopping before you get here. They do have a grocery store, but with very limited items. Naples is within an hour and Marco Island is within 45 minutes.

Under new management-ausome motor coach resort. Beautiful…read moreclubhouse lots of activities fantastic marina.

I love a good ol' vintage motel, so I was excited to stay here. The room appeared recently…read morerenovated, or at least in the midst of a renovation. This isn't a Hilton or a private resort with a ton of amenities, therefore it's not a five star place in my book. It's a basic motel room with a few pros and cons, which is why I am giving it 3 stars. We stayed for 2 nights so we had a good opportunity to try almost everything in the room once. The pros: 1) the room was clean and recently remodeled (or near the end of the process). 2) the beds were comfortable. 3) the Island Cafe is just next door, easily walkable (decent diner food with a homemade approach) 4) basic amenities, including a microwave, mini fridge, kitchen sink and some kitchen utensils. 5) lots of critters - this can be a con to some but we loved watching them: dragon flies during the day, baby & adult geckos at night as well baby tree frogs, some other lizards hanging out during the day 6) Friendly staff (you check in at the Ivy House Hotel a few blocks away) with decent hospitality. 7) Quiet neighborhood - at least while we were there. The cons: 1) The TV was not plugged in upon arrival, but fixed easily by unplugging the microwave. It appears the cord should have plugged in behind the TV but the way the backing was cut it did not align with the outlet so the power adapter filled the whole space. The presentation of the TV was sloppy with the cable box hanging below the TV (see photos) 2) The comfortable beds slide around on the new tile floor and they are resting atop a metal frame with solid siding that will scare you or others in the party if you kick it - it's hollow and LOUD. Was that thunder? No, it was mom kicking the bed at 2 am after returning from a potty break. 3) Hot water in the shower is HOT, hard to cool it off, even when it's supposed to be set to cold it's still very warm. 4) Tons of mosquitoes in the area - not the motel's fault but as other reviews mentioned they will follow you in your room if you dare open the door. Because it's just a basic single strip motel there are zero barriers from them getting in your room other than keeping everything closed. We killed 7 of them after cracking the bathroom window to peak at a thunderstorm rolling in. 5) Mystery ceiling item: a plastic cup filled a hole in the ceiling and was sorta painted so maybe it looked like it belonged there... not really sure of its purpose (see photos). Have you ever stayed at a friend's house that was in the midst of a remodel... some stuff was not quite finished but you could see it was headed in a good direction? That's how it felt to me and my family staying here. We would certainly stay here again, but we'd bring our own citronella candle to ward off the cloud of mosquitoes between us and our car

Well...being at these 2 hotel's (Ivy House) for The last 17…read moreyears...they are NOT improving... Even with the rates going from 70.00 a night to 180.00! No Breakfast still..blamed Covid, now it's just laughable...NO Coffee...nothing. We stayed at City Motel as it was the only room left for the holiday...ugh... Room's resemble a prison cell I would imagine..if you choose to actually sit down, it's the bed or nothing. No tables/chairs/dresser....fridge & microwave worked! Yeah, but then you eat on the bed! YUM! Invest some of your profits on improvements PLEASE!! It's a Monopoly...only 3 hotels & they run 2...so we'll be trying Captain's Table next...been years ago as well...we'll see! Might be back to Tent Camping...I have a table/chair/breakfast!! Don't miss the Everglades for the lack of good hotel's, just plan on being dissatisfied with the hotel's...but the EVERGLADES are well worth it!!