The Everglades (Florida) and Exploring the Everglades

The Everglades (Florida)

The Everglades (Florida): The watery plain known as the Everglades (toll road south to Homestead, then take State Route 27; follow signs to the National Park) has given swamps a good name as wonderlands of natural beauty. A 50-mile (80km) band of brackish water from Lake Okeechobee flows lazily through Florida to the ocean. Called the 'River of Grass,' the slow-moving bog teems with wildlife. Everglades National Park (www.nps.gov/ ever) covers nearly half a million acres (more than 200,00o hectares) under the protection of US Rangers. The rangers, stationed at visitor centers throughout the park, advise on how to enjoy- and not spoil - the wilderness.


From the park entrance southwest of Homestead (pick up a map at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center; tel: 305-242-7700), the road runs 38 miles (61km) to the western Gulf Coast. Marked turnoffs take you to campgrounds and picnic areas beside lakes or near 'hammocks' - raised areas in the swamps. The first turnoff leads to Royal Palm, on the edge of a freshwater slough. In the clear waters of the pond, you can see shoals of fish, among them the Florida garfish, enjoyed by alligators. You can watch one of the short slide shows at the Visitor Center before taking the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo foot-trails.

Exploring the Everglades

The Anhinga Trail's raised boardwalk circles over saw- grass marsh where you can see alligators, egrets, herons, and the snake-bird. The Gumbo Limbo is a circular half-mile track through jungle vegetation. Watch for raccoons, opossums, tree snails, and lizards, which are very common around these parts.

At the Shark Valley Visitor Center (tel: 305-221-8776), you can rent bicycles or take a guided tram tour. The main road ends at Flamingo, a former fishing town on a shallow bay dotted with islands. In the good old days, it produced illicit 'moonshine' alcohol; now it caters to tourists with a Visitor Center (tel: 239-695-2945) and a campground. Find your own way up to Everglades City through a chain of lakes and rivers called 'The Wilderness Waterway The abundant wildlife on the coast and in the interior includes ibises, ospreys, white herons, bald eagles, snowy egrets, otters, roseate spoonbills, green turtles, manatees (the gentle 'sea cows' increasingly threatened by fast motorboats), and rare Florida panthers. Coat yourself in insect repellent and be sure to follow the rangers' advised precautions about poisonous plants and snakes. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center (tel239-695-3311) in Everglades City can advise on restaurants and lodging.
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