"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." Marjory Stoneman Douglas, The Everglades: River of Grass
The swampland’s slow pace is evident from the stock-still water and frozen in time sawgrass. The lacy needle-like leaves of the cypress trees, extensively found across the Everglades, swaying ever so slightly. However, don't mistake the languid pace of the Everglades as dull or boring. Excitement awaits at every corner.
It’s hard to believe that in less than an hour and a half drive from the world’s party capital, Miami, there is a remarkable world of distinct habitats, rare species of wildlife, and a moving river of grass known as the Everglades. Most of this ecological wonder was turned into the Everglades National Park (about 1.5 million acres), making it the third-largest national park in the USA after Yellowstone and Death Valley.
If you have any doubts about visiting the Everglades on your next trip to Florida, read on.
It is the only place where the American crocodile and alligator coexist; nine different ecosystems are found here; the largest subtropical ecosystems in North America; largest mangrove in the western hemisphere; the only place where you can find the elusive Florida Panthers. Convinced yet?
The main entrances of the Everglades National Park are: the Gulf Coast Visitor Center; Shark Valley Visitors Center; Ernest F Coe Visitors Center; Flamingo Visitors Center.
The Gulf Coast Visitor Center allows you to explore the mangroves-dense part of the Everglades, also known as the Ten Thousand Islands. The other three have several walking and biking trails, guided tours and even a tram ride.
The Everglades is fun and education for the entire family. Alligator encounters, bird watching, and exploring the rare sawgrass and low-laying cypress tree habitat are just a few ways in which you can enjoy this park. Don’t forget your binoculars, sunscreen and plenty of water because you are about to enter a rugged and hot part of Florida.
Contrary to popular beliefs, in our two years for living in Florida, our most frequent outings have not been to the beaches of South Florida but to the Everglades. We have hiked, biked and even taken boat rides different entrances of the Everglades. Here are a few of my family's favorite ones.
Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo Trail: The trails start from the Royal Palm Visitor Center, which is about a 4-mile drive from the main entrance (Ernest Coe Visitor Center). The Gumbo-Limbo trail is a short 0.4-mile paved loop that takes you through a shaded hammock of gumbo limbo trees, air plants and royal palms. The Anhinga trail takes you through sawgrass marsh where you can spot alligators, birds like anhinga, heron and egret, and plenty of marine life.
Don’t miss this trail because of the abundance of wildlife and bird species. Right at the entrance of these two trails is a slough where you are likely to encounter an alligator. Sloughs are areas of the Everglades where alligators seek refugee when the rest of the wetland dries out during the dry months (Oct-May). This Gumbo-Limbo is a paved trail while the Anhinga is paved and boardwalk style.
Shark Valley Trailheads: Shark Valley is our favorite place to go in the Everglades because of two walking and biking trail, a tram ride, and a scenic lookout tower that provides the best views of the Everglades. Whether you choose to walk the 7-mile loop, bike along alligators strewn on the path or take a guided tram tour, this is one part of the Everglades National Park not to be missed.
Mahogany Hammock Trail: It seems like a long drive of 20 miles from the park's main entrance to get to this 0.4-mile trail. But it is well worth it. Here the lookout point gives you amazing panoramic views of the Everglades. Don't foget to spot the largest mahogany tree in the USA on this trail.
Long Pine Key Nature Trail: Adventure lovers will love this trail that takes you through dense pine trees and tall grass on each side of a dirt-road trail. This trail can be accessed from the Ernest E Coe entrance and is connected with other trails, forming a 22-mile long stretch. This trail is popular with bike riders too.
Do you have plans for visiting this national park in the future? Drop me a comment on what you would like to see when you visit?
What to Pack:
Sunscreen, bug repellent, plenty of water, binoculor and sunhat. If planning a tram ride at Shark Valley, booking beforehand is recommended during peak season (Oct-March). If visiting during the wet months (May-September) an umbrella or poncho is a good idea.
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