2015 Map of Alligator Bay

About this map

The Watson Place and the small settlement of Chatham stand as lone human outposts at the edge of a complex coastal labyrinth where the western Everglades National Park meets the Gulf of Mexico. This environment is defined by an intricate network of mangrove-lined water bodies, including Huston Bay, Cannon Bay, and Alligator Bay, connected by the Wilderness Waterway and various winding channels like the Chatham River. The presence of the Gator Bay Canal and Gator Bay Prairie suggests the delicate interface between freshwater wetlands and tidal estuaries. Moving inland toward the northeast, the terrain shifts as the map captures the transition into the Big Cypress National Preserve. Key geographic markers like Chevelier Point, Opossum Key, and Gopher Key provide navigational reference points for this water-dominated landscape, which includes remote locations like Lostmans Five and Plate Creek Bay.