Route #26 – Chekika – Aerojet – Crocodile Lake

This route crosses one of the most isolated territories in southern Florida without leaving Miami-Dade County, passing through interior areas of Everglades National Park marked by canals, marshes, and former roads that are now almost invisible. The itinerary reflects the conflicted relationship between human occupation, water control, and environmental conservation.

Chekika was a former sulfur spring resort located in the Eastern Everglades, widely frequented in the mid-twentieth century. The site takes its name from a nineteenth-century Seminole chief, descended from the Calusa, who fought against the United States Army during the Indian Wars. The area was abandoned after hurricanes and failed drainage projects.

One of the most distinctive points along the route is the Aerojet industrial complex, built in the 1960s to test engines for the space program. Today, its ruins remain hidden in the jungle. The final stretch leads to Crocodile Lake, one of the few refuges where crocodiles and alligators coexist.

The complete route and its historical context are part of Discovering Florida – Volume 2.