Pure Florida Nature at The Fak

Just a short drive from Marco Island and downtown Naples is a beautiful paradise which many refer to as the Orchid Capital of North America, the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. For a three-dollar fee there are wonderful opportunities for birders, bikers, photographers, hikers, butterfly watchers, animal lovers and plant and flower aficionados.

The subtropics and tropics converge here with a unique landscape and some plant and animal species that cannot be found anywhere else in the United States. The Fakahatchee is the largest strand swamp in the world and is part of the Big Cypress Swamp Region. A swamp is a wetland where there is at least forty percent tree coverage. The name “Fakahatchee” is generally thought to be a Miccosukee Indian word meaning forked river, muddy water or hunters’ paradise. 

The “Fak” was made famous for Endangered Orchids focusing on Ghost Orchids with the release of the “Orchid Thief” written by Susan Orleans. The book was adapted into the movie “Adaptation” starring Nicholas Cage. The story, which is billed as nonfiction, details the arrest of a horticulturalist named John Laroche in 1993 and a group of Seminoles that poached rare orchids from the park. In a follow-up interview, Ms. Orleans stated that the Everglades is “a green hell.” Well, this is total fiction for anyone that has spent time in the park.

I consider this place a kind of heaven. I, Ginny Palmer-Skok, have officially caught the “Fak A Habit,” a love for the place that so many have gotten after visiting. Many years ago, I took my first swamp walk here. Standing on the side of the ditch just about to enter the swamp I remember wondering if this would be one of my last memories. Would I be eaten by an alligator or sink deep into quicksand like the scenes reminiscent of the old black and white Tarzan movies? Well, I was in for a surprise. The water is crystal clear, and most gators have learned over time to go far away when people are near. Of course, you still must be careful and mindful of them and snakes both above and below the water. My first walk was so impactful that I am now volunteering and giving swamp walks to others to share the magnificent beauty. 

“All state parks have things they treasure, but when you look at the Fakahatchee’s natural gifts of unique and endangered botanical offerings, both orchids and other plants combined, with the diversity of animal life, there is no comparison” says Tom Trotta an avid photographer of orchids, minks and panthers and a knowledgeable birder.

The Park has an interesting history to tell. Human activity has been documented at the park as far back as 2,500 years. There are some sites within that archeologists have indicated have had pre-Colombian activity.

Now to more recent history. In 1913 the Lee-Tidewater Cypress Company bought property for $1.4 million with a goal of logging the Cypress in what is now the Preserve. They started harvesting pine trees for construction of houses, floors, walls, roofs and furniture. Major Cypress logging did not occur till much later during World War II, in 1944, for war purposes. Bald Cypress was cut as the wood was great to use in wet conditions. It was used for the hulls of mine sweepers, decks of aircraft carriers and PT boats. After the U.S. won the war, the Cypress were still harvested for pickle barrels, returnable beer and coke cartons, stadium seats, shingles, and coffins. In the largest strand swamp, some trees that were 200 to 500 years old were destroyed. For a period of over nine years from 1945 to mid-1954, over a million board feet of lumber a week was taken. 

There have been accounts that say Henry Ford wanted to purchase the strand for the purpose of making it a State Park. Another attempt to preserve the park was proposed by a Miami lawyer and conservationist Mel Finn in 1964 and failed. 

The Lee-Tidewater Cypress Company sold the land to the Rosen Brothers who were hawkers of a lanolin anti-baldness tonic from Baltimore. Their Gulf American Corporation (GAC) targeted northerners in the 1960s - “Come on down and buy a piece of paradise; live like a rich man among the palms and warm sunshine of South Florida, all just for pennies.” They are famous in Southwest Florida for their scams in real estate. They would fly potential buyers over the Fakahatchee in a small plane and drop a sack of flour out of the plane during the dry season and tell folks that where the bag dropped was their piece of heaven. It is estimated that they sold over 1,000 lots. Buyers would come to see their land in the wet season, and were shocked when they saw their parcels underwater. In addition, the GAC was prosecuted for dredge and fill violations in Cape Coral. To settle the fines, the brothers gave approximately 9,523 acres South of US 41 to the state. Since then, continuous efforts have been made to acquire more park land. Mel Finn’s wish came true long after his death as it became a Preserve State Park in 1975.

I like to think of the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park as part of the real Florida. It is the largest park unit in the state park service with over 80,000 acres and many habitats or natural communities to explore including marl prairie, prairie hammock, stringer strands (or dome swamps if circular}, and pop ash and pond apple sloughs, mangrove swamps, freshwater marsh, strand swamp, and pine flatwoods. 

“All of the different ecosystems are fascinating as they are distinctly different, and they co-exist next to each other,” says Glenn Van Noord, Marco Island resident and frequent visitor to the Preserve.

The Preserve has been described as the Amazon of North America with its abundance of plant life. The Strand is 20.9 miles long and 3.5 miles wide. The geomorphology is chemical carbonic acid dissolved limestone. Interestingly, science tells us that the Everglades are not necessarily the original Everglades but one of many. This one is 4,500 years old based on carbon dating of muck six feet down where it hits limestone. It is young in the scheme of things as this is the time of the pyramids. Mankind was in Florida well before this - 10,000 years ago.

Hurricanes and bird migrations were responsible for bringing the varied plant life to the Strand. A difference of several inches in ground elevation helps to dictate plant life. In addition, hydroperiod, soil type and fire return interval determine what plant communities thrive. The park is world-known for its orchids and rare vegetation. A plant list is kept of species that grow here and the number tops 600 vascular plants.

Deep in the sloughs, which are rivers in the swamp, there are many beautiful epiphytes that are plants living on plants. A longer hydro period means that there is humidity which protects against cold and provides moisture for these beautiful plants. 

There are over forty-nine native orchids in the park. This is impressive as out of the one hundred and ten native orchids that the state has, over forty percent can be found here. One type, Prosthechea Pygmaea, or Dwarf Butterfly Orchid, is only found in the Fakahatchee. Among the most famous is the Ghost Orchid which are also some of the hardest to find. When not in bloom, they are a series of roots with white dashes and no leaves. Since 1993 there have been about 500 0f these orchids found in the preserve. The famous black and white Ghost Orchid images taken by well-known Everglades Photographer, Clyde Butcher, were taken here. Current efforts are being made by many to make this orchid Federally Endangered to disincentivize poachers from stealing these rare plants. Several months ago, poachers were caught stealing one of these and other endangered plants on a main tram by the Florida Wildlife Commission. Most of the plants removed from the swamp are doomed to die as they need the unique mixture of water, sunlight, humidity and fungi natural to the swamp. 

If there was a plant contest this place would win based on statistics. The “Fak” is the Royal Palm Capital of North America, which is state listed as endangered, with between 7,000 to 9,000 plants. Although frequently included in tree books, palms are a type of grass and not a tree. Also, the Bromeliad Capital of the U.S., the Fak has 14 out of 16 species found in the state. One of them, the Nodding Catopsis is Endemic, meaning only found in Fakahatchee in the U.S. Interestingly, South America has over 2,000 Bromeliads. When it comes to ferns, The Fakahatchee is number two compared to the Everglades National Park with only 38 native species compared to more than 40 that live there. One Florida fern, the Ophioglossum palmatum has a common name to reflect how it looks – the Hand Fern.

Birds along with happy birders can be seen everywhere in the preserve. Many types of wading birds, osprey, red shouldered hawks and other birds can be seen along Janes Scenic Drive. Many times, Great Blue herons that resemble prehistoric pterodactyls fly ahead of your car as you proceed down the road as if leading the way. The best birding opportunities are in March, April and May although every month there are many birds to see. In the fall, swarms of tree swallows dip and soar in flocks over lakes and trees where they find their favorite treats. In the winter, Painted Buntings pluck berries from various trees. American Swallow Tail kites can be seen March through July. The last Christmas Bird Watch held at the park had over 31 species of birds counted. 

Lions and tigers and bears oh my! Well kind of sort of, with five megafauna creatures living here including Panthers, Bears, Everglades Mink, River Otters and Bobcats. Due to the remoteness of the areas of the park and the different types of habitats, there are a large variety of animals you might see. These include various alligators, crocodiles, opossums, racoons, and deer. The mink in the park is a subspecies that is active in the daytime(diurnal) unlike other species that are typically nocturnal. There are very few of these species in the world. With the introduction of the python in the Everglades they are no longer seen there. Based on trail cam evidence it is thought that there are five or six panthers at any one time in the park. The best time to see these animals is morning or evening. 

There are many miles available to hike in the Preserve Park. Many people enjoyed the half mile Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk along State Road 41. It showcases old growth cypress trees thought to be over two hundred to five hundred years old. It is now closed for maintenance after being damaged four months ago from Hurricane Ian. A new boardwalk is scheduled to open further down the road towards Everglades City sometime in the fall with an Interpretive Pavilion.

There is one road that leads into the park called Janes Scenic Drive. It was not named after a lady dancer but an official with the last name Jane, a Collier County Commissioner who was an advocate of making the railway bed into a county road in 1964. It is a maintained six-mile road that was used to pull Cypress out of the swamp. The drive takes you past Marl prairies and leads through gorgeous swamp and land which features Cypress, Giant Sword ferns and royal palms.    

Along the Janes Scenic Drive there are trams or trails that connect to the main road. At six miles there is a gate where people can hike or bike further on the road for 4.6 additional miles that originally connected to the Picayune Strand State Forest. There is a good chance to see wildlife here as everything is much quieter. An alligator, which my husband and I have enjoyed seeing for over ten years and we named Kevin, can typically be seen with his smaller girlfriend sunning or as biologists call it thermoregulating. Eight-foot Kevin is missing part of his tail, a portion of his leg and an eye all from what I presume was lost in a fight with another big bull gator for a lady friend in mating season. 

There are several trams I recommend hiking. They can be accessed at Gates two, seven and 12. These trams are clearly labeled with numbers on the gates and are well maintained by park staff. A favorite of many is the Gate 12 tram also known as East Main where you can hike about two miles to the famous Fakahatchee Hilton. There is a boardwalk surrounding this private landowner’s cabin that he lets visitors venture on to see gators floating on the pond behind. It is a rite of passage for hikers to take a picture with the Fakahatchee Hilton sign behind them or by the nonfunctioning fire hydrant a friend gave the owner, a retired-fireman. 

Gate seven, also known as West Main, brings hikers down a path where you can seasonally find wild oranges that are ancestors of the ones whose seeds were spit out by cypress loggers during their lunches many years ago. The oranges are sour but are used for delicious Cuban cooking. My favorite recipe is an old Florida cracker pie that is somewhat like Lemon Meringue but made with sour oranges. Unlike the oranges we are familiar with from farmers today, these citrus trees have sharp spines some two or three inches long.  

Biking is another recommended way to quietly see all of nature’s wonders. There are several bike tours being offered. A lot of people are opting to use electric bikes to easily navigate the six miles of Janes and beyond the mid gate that separates this section and the next.  This expanse was closed to car traffic to preserve critical habitat. 

Wildflowers are in abundance on the marl prairies you see on the left and right when you enter the park. There are cascades of different species blooming from March to September especially after a prescribed burn.

The best way to take advantage of what the park has to offer is to take any of the many tours that are available. The Friends of Fakahatchee , a not-for-profit organization, offers a selection of tours. All are led by volunteers with all attendees’ donations going directly back to the park as support dollars. For more information, please visit www.orchidswamp.org. Tours include tram rides, introduction to swamp walks, more advanced swamp walks, moon tours and night sky viewing events.