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Everglades National Park

n 40001 State Road, Homestead nps.gov/ever

The Everglades are one of the most immediate and enduring images of Florida, and the Everglades National Park is the ideal place to explore this famous natural wonder. There are trails for walking and cycling as well as plenty of opportunties for boat trips.

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t Sunrise at Long Pine Key in the Everglades National Park

Experience The Everglades and the Keys

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n Double-tap image to read the labels

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Everglades City

n 815 Oyster Bar Lane; (239) 695-3311

This city is the self-proclaimed “Gateway to 10,000 Islands”, and is a common starting point for kayakers who want to explore the national park. Kayak fishing is a particularly popular activity in this part of the Everglades, and exciting excursions through the backcountry feel like a behind-the-scenes glimpse of nature. There are a smattering of perfectly fine accommodation and eating options for overnight (or longer) stays.

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t A great blue heron, one of the many birds of the Everglades

The Everglades Under Threat

The Everglades’ ecosystem and Florida’s human population are in direct competition for this priceless commodity: irrigation canals and roads disrupt the natural through-flow of water from Lake Okeechobee, and the drainage of land for development has also had detrimental effects on wildlife. Agriculture in central Florida uses vast amounts of water, and high levels of chemical fertilizers promote the unnatural growth of swamp vegetation. The state and federal governments are studying how best to protect the area and return water flow to its natural state.

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Royal Palm Visitor Center

40001 State Road # Mid-Apr–Mid-Dec: 9am–5pm; Mid-Dec–mid–Apr: 8am–5pm nps.gov

The highly informative Royal Palm Visitor Center is a great palce to learn more about the national park during your trip to this unique landscape.

Two nearby boardwalk trails are located on the site of Florida’s first state park, created in 1916. The popular Anhinga Trail, passing over Taylor Slough, contains slightly deeper water than the surrounding terrain; in the dry winter months it attracts wildlife to drink. Its open site provides better photo opportunities and fewer insects, but the intense sun can be hazardous. Alligators generally congregate near the beginning of the trail, and a wide range of fauna, including raccoons, deer, and the splendid anhinga bird, can also be seen.

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Long Pine Key

Main Park Rd nps.gov

The camp ground here occupies a stunning position and is one of the main reasons that people stop at Long Pine Key. Several pleasant, shady trails lead off from it, but remember not to stray from the path: the limestone bedrock contains “solution holes” created by rain eroding away the rock. These can be deep and difficult to spot.

This area takes its name from a large stand of slash pines that are unique to southern Florida. Insect- and rot-proof, they have been a popular building material for many years.

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Insider Tip

The Two Seasons

The seasons in the Everglades is split into two polar opposites: the wet season and the dry season. The wet season lasts through summer and fall, and visitors should expect a lot of insects at this time. The dry season lasts from around December through to mid-May.

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Flamingo

n 1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy, Homestead; www.flamingoeverglades.com

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t A tour boat from Flamingo taking visitors down the scenic Buttonwood Canal

The settlement of Flamingo lies 38 miles (60 km) from the main park entrance. In the late 1800s, it was a remote outpost and hideaway for hunters and fishermen. These days, a few park rangers are the only long-term residents.

Flamingo’s position on Florida Bay offers visitors a wide choice of activities such as hiking, fishing, boating, and watching wildlife. An over-night stay at the camp ground is recommended – especially for bird-watching, which is most rewarding in the early morning and late afternoon. Apart from countless species of birds and animals, the bay and creeks around Flamingo contain manatees and the endangered American crocodile. This is easily distin-guished from the alligator by its gray-green color and the fact that the teeth of both jaws show when its mouth is shut. You may spot one in this area. Flamingo’s visitor center provides wildlife guides and information about local ranger-led activities. These include evening slideshows and talks, and day-time “slough-slogs” – intrepid walks through the swamp.

Safety Tips

Protection against biting insects is vital, especially during the summer months. Follow the advice given by rangers and on information boards, and respect all wildlife: alligators can jump and move quickly on land; some trees and shrubs like the Brazilian pepper tree are poisonous, as are some caterpillars and snakes. If planning to go off the beaten path, let someone know your itinerary. Always drive slowly: much wildlife can be seen from the road – and may also venture onto it.

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Mahogany Hammock Trail

20 miles (32 km) from Ernest Coe Visitor Center nps.gov

The Mahogany Hammock Trail leads through one of the park’s largest hammocks. This area is home to a wide variety of fauna and flora; the bromeliads here are very impressive, and the jungle-like vegetation is especially dense during the wet season (mid-May through November).

The various trails and ponds between Mahogany Hammock and Flamingo tend to attract fewer people but they are no less rewarding, especially for the bird life. Try exploring West Lake Trail or Snake Bight Trail, which ends on Florida Bay.

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Shark Valley

n Highway 41; www.nps.gov

Shark Valley is a much more hospitable place than it sounds, and has a well-paved, 15 mile (24 km) looped trail. The wildlife that most people come to see is very accessible, with a diversity of birdlife and 'gators that nap close to the trail. It’s perfect for a bike ride – the only other traffic you’ll encounter is the slow-moving trolley service, which runs around four times a day.

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Pa-hay-okee Overlook

13 miles (12 km) from Ernest Coe Visitor Center nps.gov

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t An elevated boardwalk though golden grass at the Pa-hay-okee Overlook

The open expanse of sawgrass prairie that can be viewed from the elevated Pa-hay-okee Overlook is the epitome of the Everglades. The observation tower here is a perfect spot from which to watch the fluid light changes dancing across this sea of grass, especially in the late afternoon. Tree islands or hammocks break the horizon, and you will see a multitude of wading birds, hawks, and snail kites, whose only food – the apple snail – lives on the sawgrass. This prairie is also home to cattails and other wetland plants.

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Main Park Road

Main Park Rd nps.gov

A popular excursion in Everglades National Park involves stopping at the different boardwalk trails along the Main Park Road (Route 9336). There are some beautiful and less-visited trails located off the southern part of the road, between Mahogany Hammock and Flamingo. Information boards abound to help you identify the flora and fauna. Make sure to bring insect repellent and protection against the sun.

Did You Know?

In South Florida, some Great Blue Herons have plummage which is completely white.

EXPERIENCE The Everglades and the Keys

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Activities in the Everglades

Hiking

There are hiking trails for casual hikers as well as seasoned pros.

Kayaking or Canoeing

Some backcountry trails can be done in an hour, while others need a whole week.

Cycling

As well as paved routes, there are shaded pine-land trails through beautiful wooded areas.

Experience The Everglades and the Keys

The ECOSYSTEM of the Everglades

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t With its toothy grin, the alligator is the park’s best known (and most feared) resident

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t The wading Great Blue Heron perched on a branch

The Everglades is a vast sheet river system – the overspill from Lake Okeechobee that moves across a flat bed of peat-covered limestone. Some 200 miles (322 km) long and up to 50 miles (80 km) wide, its depth rarely exceeds 3 ft (1 m). Tropical air and sea currents act on this temperate zone to create unique combinations of flora. Clumps of vegetation, such as cypress domes and bayheads, break the tract of sawgrass prairie. There are hundreds of animal species – some 350 species of birds, for which the area is particularly renowned.

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t Hammocks or tree islands are areas of elevated land found in freshwater prairies.

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