Location: Southern tip of FL. West of Miami, SE of Naples.
Area: 1,508,538 acres
Major Attractions: Huge wetlands, prairie marls, mangrove swamps, unique wildlife.
Miles of Trail: 150+ (Land and Water)
My Favorite Parts: Seas of grass. Alligators! Campsites on platforms in the water.
Website: http://www.nps.gov/ever/index.htm
With an average elevation just above sea-level, put this park on your to-see-soon list. Like Glacier National Park, its main attractions could disappear in our lifetimes due to climate change. Everglades National Park is the tenth largest national park in the United States. Most of the park is inaccessible except by boat or fanboat, but the views from the roads and few trails are pretty spectacular. Waterfowl are everywhere and alligators often sun on warm paved surfaces. The canoe trails along the coast that lead to camping platforms in the middle of the water are some of the most unique trails in the country (the platforms provide for relatively mosquito, snake, and alligator free camping). Expensive efforts are underway to restore the Everglades, while invasive pythons, agricultural runoff, and rising sea-levels threaten to destroy the park at least as we know it today. Next time you visit The Keys or Miami, spend a day exploring this amazing park before it is too late!
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| Pelicans, Everglades National Park |
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| Trail at Shark Valley, Everglades National Park |
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