Everglades National Park
HIGHLIGHTS
The largest subtropical wilderness in the United States.
SWAMP THING
We’ve visited Everglades National Park a handful of times and each time brings a different experience. The park is vast. Simply driving from the main visitor center to the Flamingo Visitor Center will set you back easily 45 minutes to an hour. Assuming you don’t stop very often.
On this visit, we didn’t venture too far into the park. We brought the folks with us and walked the Anhinga Trail (you can see the webcam here). It’s a nice hour or so walking through the swamp on a boardwalk with the likely chance of seeing wild alligators within your grasp. We saw a small alligator on a log while walking the boardwalk but were pleasantly, and horrifyingly, surprised when we saw a handful of gators on the walking path back to our vehicle (pictures below).
There are two other great opportunities at Everglades National Park which, if you have the time, are worth a look. Shark Valley, for cycling enthusiasts, is a fifteen-mile loop through the Everglades with a viewing tower at the halfway point. Frequented by cyclists, I highly recommend bringing your bike and tackling a few loops. Second, and high on our bucket list, is the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway. It requires a wilderness permit and some careful planning but you canoe from Everglades city on the western edge of Everglades National Park all the way to the southern tip of mainland Florida where the Flamingo Visitor Center is located. This trip takes multiple days and requires camping in chikees (elevated platforms over the water) throughout your trip. We discovered this unique adventure experience on this visit and have added it to our list of must-dos. If you end up taking this trip, please let us know!