Emerson Point to Bird Island and Rattlesnake Key
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 9.22 mi
- Elevation gain
- 3 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 3 ft
- Max elevation
- 2 ft
- TrailRank
- 12
- Min elevation
- -0 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Coordinates
- 144
- Uploaded
- March 16, 2020
near Palma Sola, Florida (United States)
Viewed 130 times, downloaded 1 times
Itinerary description
9-10 mile paddle over seagrass beds and around mangrove keys, past one of the two most diverse colonial water-bird rookeries in Florida. Launch at Emerson Pt, at the end of the road in Emerson Pt Preserve. Follow the north shore of Snead Island pass Little Bird Key and Gus Pt and cross to Bird Key (Washburn Sanctuary) in Terra Ceia Bay. Enter Rattlesnake Key via Flounders Pass. Bisect Rattlesnake Key via Critical Creek, a shortcut that smugglers used to escape the Coast Guard during Prohibition. Stop at a beach on the Tampa Bay side of Rattlesnake Key for lunch. Explore mangrove trails on the south end of Rattlesnake Key. Cross Terra Ceia Bay to Snead Island and return to Emerson Point.
Waypoints
Waypoint
0 ft
Little Bird Key
Waypoint
1 ft
Bird Key
Waypoint
0 ft
Flounder Pass entrance
Waypoint
0 ft
Critical Creek
Waypoint
0 ft
Critical Bayou
Waypoint
2 ft
beach
Waypoint
0 ft
creek?
Waypoint
0 ft
tunnel
Waypoint
0 ft
tunnel2
Waypoint
0 ft
Terra Ceira Bay
Waypoint
1 ft
South pt Rattlesnake
Waypoint
3 ft
Snead Island north pt
Waypoint
0 ft
Gus Pt
Waypoint
0 ft
Emerson Bayou
Waypoint
1 ft
Launch Emerson Pt
Waypoint
0 ft
Snead Cutoff
Waypoint
0 ft
Little Miguel Pass
Comments (1)
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Do you remember what the tide was for this trip? I launched at Sea Breeze Point and paddled to Flounder Pass but found it too shallow. I would like to explore the mangrove trails on Rattlesnake Key. Thanks for adding your waypoints.