Cayo Costa State Park

Day Three of my Christmas weekend, Sanibel paddling adventure took me to Cayo Costa State Park on December 26, 2008. Six miles to get to this island State Park from Pine Island. The southern tip of Pine Island is about two miles from Sanibel across San Carlos Bay. By car, over the Sanibel Causeway to Fort Myers, over the Calosshatchee to Cape Coral, northwest through Cape Coral, across Matlacha Pass through the town of the same name to the hamlet of Pineland near the northern tip of Pine Island, is considerably longer. Almost an hour's drive.




My Great Calusa Blueway, Pine Island Sound-Matlacha Pass map indicated two launching spots. Pineland Marina, and the Pine Island Land Monument. I found the latter, which had five cars parked. I had the sixth, and final spot. The monument is this adjacent Calusa mound.







It was low tide. Egrets fed in the mud flats as I walked a long way before the yak would float with me inside. The map showed the route to Cayo Costa running west by northwest between several islands. One, Useppa, I knew had large homes, so that would help distinguish it from the others when I came to it. The map showed a boating channel and something labeled " Wilson's Cut" I saw what appeared to be a tour boat headed west, what appeared to be a marina, likely the Pineland Marina, and an artificial channel- riprap leading to the Marina. That had to be Wilson's Cut. I was on my way, pushed by a 10-15 mile east wind.






Wildlife viewing opportunities are not as good in open water as they are on a narrow creek. The exception was the flock of white pelicans. At low tide many areas of Pine Island Sound were quite low. After I passed Useppa Island, I saw another island with a few structures and a large metal water holding tank. Was this Cayo Costa ? Seeing no brown Florida State Park sign, I gathered it was not and kept paddling. Oyster bars surrounded this island. On the return paddle, the bars were under water.


In one shallow section, a dorsal fin. Not a dolphin. Could it have been a small shark ?



I arrived at Cayo Costa about 11:45. Vultures and this osprey perched in the trees of this long island, located between North Captiva Island and Boca Grande Pass.







It was still a long paddle up a long bay, Pelican Bay, to the Park's landing area. I saw a group of paddlers coming out of a channel south of the distant docks. Was there a paddle craft landing there ? I went in, there was a dock on small cove, but it was private. So, on to the Park docks.
























I talked to the other paddlers, one said he saw an alligator in the cove. Later a ranger told me a manatee lives in the cove. I wonder if that is what the paddler really saw, just the nostrils out of the water, perhaps.





I took this path/road to the beach. A section closer to the Pine Sound side has a many live oaks. It seemed like a very long walk. I noticed some areas where the the dirt on the side of the trail was disturbed. Looked like hog rooting to me. When the park tram, a tractor towing a long trailer with benches along the sides stopped, I gladly hopped on, joining the other passenger. The trail is not even a mile, .9 mile according to a sign I noticed later at the landing area. A second sign warned against feeding wild animals as "raccoons and feral pigs can carry disease" I was correct about the hogs.






The unspoiled Gulf beach is worth the trip. There are tent camping site just off the beach and a few "rustic cabins". They look like trailers to me.

I began the walk back, this time a Park worker in golf/utility cart asked if I wanted a lift. Sure. Nothing beats the service at an isolated, only accessible by water, Park.

I had lunch in the shade of a sea grape tree, then was back in the water. I though of revisiting the cove to see if I could spot a manatee or gator, but that would require extra paddling and now the east wind was in my face. I wondered how the same forecast that predicted 10-15 mile winds could also have a light chop. In addition to the seas, I kept a eye out for power boats, using caution when crossing boat channels. Still, I failed to time one crossing correctly, coming to close to a wake and took on a bit water over the bow.





The wind was perfect for sailors.

I landed at 4:30, no long walk across mud flats to the car now. It took three hours to make the crossing.