Discover the beauty of the coastal Everglades!
Explore mangrove mazes, pristine beaches and immerse yourself into one of Floridas most remote and unique ecosystems!
multi-day sea kayak camping adventures
Why choose Wild Bones?
We are committed to doing our best to ensure that your tour is high quality, fun and memorable. Our experienced naturalist guides are held to the highest standard of knowledge and training. Multi-day trips are our sole focus and we take pride in crafting the best expedition available in the area. You won't get a part timer or "casual" guide like many of the other seasonal outfitters, we live and breathe sea kayaking and our guides invest significantly to do this as a full time career.
Safety:
We are certified sea kayak Instructors and trip leaders through the American Canoe Association to ensure a high level of proficiency as paddlers, strict safety standards and effective navigation in deep wilderness of Everglades National Park. Having the ability to efficiently teach beginner clients the necessary basic kayaking skills, allows them to safely make the most of their paddling adventure. For more experienced guests we can also offer more advanced instruction to really master boat control, maneuvering or even rescues, surfing and rolling! We know the area well and keep close tabs on tides, wind, and weather so we can choose the best paddling routes to fit the skill and energy level of the group.
Guides are required to maintain a minimum active medical certification of Wilderness First Responder to keep guests safe in the unlikely event of an accident or emergency. Though we've never had to use them, we also carry VHF radios and GPS Beacon devices to contact Coast Guard just in case.
Food:
We do all the provisioning so you don't have to! From the planning and prep to the cooking and even the post meal dishes! We provide all meals starting from lunch day one, ending with lunch on the last day.
You might be surprised some of the meals we can pull off in the wilderness, guides typically have restaurant or back country cooking experience. We avoid the typical freeze dried backpacking meals, instead opting to focus on fresh high quality foods. There ARE limits to what we can bring in a kayak but we try to include lots healthy fruits and vegetables daily.
We take food allergies very seriously, and do our best to accommodate specialized diets(GF, vegetarian/vegan etc). Please communicate any dietary restrictions to ensure the best experience.
Paddling and Camping Equipment:
We provide "everything but your toothbrush and underwear." All the necessary gear needed for each trip, Including high quality kayaks, paddles, safety equipment, dry bags, tents, sleeping pads, and sleeping bags. You just bring your own personal items. Check the "What's Included" section on the general info page for a full list of gear we provide.
Interpretation:
Our guides have extensive knowledge on Everglades history and ecology. Education is an important component to every tour! We absolutely love sharing stories, wildlife identification and facts, geology as well the extensive human history of the area.
As guides we feel it's our responsibility to be good stewards of these sensitive and unique ecosystems. Its our goal to give our guests an experience that they will carry with them long after the tour is over.
As Marjory Stoneman Douglas once said:
“There are no other Everglades in the world. They are, they have always been, one of the unique regions of the earth; remote, never wholly known. Nothing anywhere else is like them.”
For many, even a short time spent in the back country here can have a life-long impact. It can transform the way they see and feel about the natural world, as well as our individual and collective place in it. Sea kayaking itself is not only an enjoyable activity, but also very low impact, and it allows entry into the most remote and otherwise inaccessible parts of the Everglades, places that are bypassed by the majority of visitors.
Our tours are designed to enrich your
experience physically, intellectually and personally. They will also get you out there and informed in this amazing and beautiful wilderness.
Tours and Lessons
3 day Beach Camping Excursion (Beginner Level)
4 Day Rivers and Islands Safari (Intermediate level)
4 Day Rivers and Islands Safari (Intermediate level)
Family Friendly day paddles with 2 nights spent at "base camp" on a Gulf facing island beach.
4 Day Rivers and Islands Safari (Intermediate level)
4 Day Rivers and Islands Safari (Intermediate level)
4 Day Rivers and Islands Safari (Intermediate level)
Similar to the 3 day with just a little more paddling and one campsite change.
5 Day Mangrove Explorer (Advanced Level)
4 Day Rivers and Islands Safari (Intermediate level)
5 Day Mangrove Explorer (Advanced Level)
Take a deeper dive in to the different ecosystems of the coastal Everglades. Longer miles, multiple different camp sites.
8 Day Wilderness Waterway (Expert Level)
8 Day Wilderness Waterway (Expert Level)
5 Day Mangrove Explorer (Advanced Level)
99 mile point to point through Florida's most remote waterway. Up to 20 miles a day, with a new camp each night. Previous experience required.
Lessons and Training
8 Day Wilderness Waterway (Expert Level)
Lessons and Training
Looking to fine tune your paddling skills, learn to roll or get a professional certification through the ACA?
Discover Wild Bones Expeditions
Our Story
Wild Bones Expeditions was founded in 2023 by John "Bonesy" Jones, a professional sea kayak guide and instructor, who's spent the last 10 years guiding around the cold waters of the Great Lakes in the summer, chasing the sun to south Florida to paddle in the Everglades during winter, and exploring the world in search of new exciting kayak adventures in between.
Working as a guide for many other outfitters, the desire to "leave the nest" grew with each passing season. Finally, at the end of 2023, with the news that a previous boss and mentor was retiring from everglades guiding, it was perfect time to take the plunge and fill a niche that was left empty.
We've been passionate about kayaking since we first dipped our paddles in the water and enamored by nature since we first stepped out into the woods. We're dedicated to sharing that passion with our customers and helping them find the perfect vessel for their next adventure.