About Everglades

Everglades National Park protects 1,508,976 acres of subtropical wetlands at the southern tip of Florida, located roughly 40 kilometers southwest of Miami. Nine interconnected ecosystems—ranging from hardwood hammocks to marine estuaries—stretch across a flat limestone seabed. Water flows slowly southward from Lake Okeechobee down to Florida Bay, creating a massive, shallow river of sawgrass. Thirty-six endangered species, including the Florida panther, West Indian manatee, and American crocodile, rely on this specific habitat for survival.

Visitors step onto elevated boardwalks directly over freshwater sloughs. Wild alligators sun themselves on muddy banks just feet from the paved Anhinga Trail. Wading birds like herons, egrets, and roseate spoonbills spear fish in the shallow water. The air feels heavy and humid, carrying the scent of decaying vegetation and salt spray near the coastal mangroves. Mosquitoes swarm aggressively during the wet season from May to November, forcing hikers to wear long sleeves and heavy repellent. The dry season, running from December through April, drops the humidity and concentrates wildlife around remaining water holes.

The park holds three major international designations: a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a Biosphere Reserve, and a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance. It contains the largest continuous stand of sawgrass prairie in North America and the most significant breeding ground for wading birds on the continent. South Florida residents depend on this exact watershed, as the slow-moving sheet of water recharges the Biscayne Aquifer, providing drinking water to millions.

Three main entrances provide access to completely different sections of the reserve. The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Homestead leads to the Royal Palm area, the Gumbo Limbo Trail, and the Flamingo marina at the southern extreme. Shark Valley sits along the Tamiami Trail to the north, offering a 15-mile paved loop into the deep sawgrass. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City serves as the gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands. These entrances do not connect internally. You must drive outside the park boundaries to travel between them, often taking over an hour. Standard entry costs $35 per vehicle, and you should buy a digital pass online to skip the long winter lines at the Homestead entrance.

A highly active limestone substrate forms the foundation of the Everglades. This porous rock sits just inches below the surface, covered by a thin layer of peat and marl soil. The terrain remains almost entirely flat. Water moves across this 1,508,976-acre seabed at a glacial pace, dropping only two inches per mile as it travels from central Florida to the southern coast. This slow-moving sheet creates the defining river of grass, a massive expanse of sharp-edged sawgrass growing directly out of the shallow water in the Shark River and Taylor Sloughs.

Nine distinct ecosystems transition rapidly based on elevation changes of just a few inches. Hardwood hammocks grow on slight limestone ridges, supporting dense canopies of tropical trees. The Mahogany Hammock Trail takes visitors through one of these jungle-like islands, showcasing the largest living mahogany tree in the United States. Pinelands require frequent, low-intensity fires to clear underbrush and open pinecones for seeding. Coastal lowlands give way to the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. These salt-tolerant trees prop themselves up on tangled stilt roots, filtering water and providing a nursery for juvenile marine life.

The transition from freshwater to saltwater dictates the wildlife you encounter. Alligators dominate the freshwater sloughs, lying motionless on the banks of the Anhinga Trail. American crocodiles hunt in the brackish waters of Coot Bay and the Buttonwood Canal near Flamingo. This geographic overlap makes the Everglades the only place on Earth where both species coexist in the wild. Further south, the Florida Bay marine environment features shallow, aquamarine waters where West Indian manatees and dolphins swim among seagrass beds. Backcountry boat tours from the Flamingo Marina venture deep into Tarpon Creek, providing a safe way to observe this transition zone.

Water levels fluctuate drastically between the dry and wet seasons. During the winter dry season, water recedes into deeper limestone depressions called gator holes. This process concentrates fish, turtles, and birds into small, highly visible areas. Summer rains flood the prairies entirely, dispersing wildlife across a million acres. A 45-foot observation tower at Shark Valley allows visitors to look down over this vast, flat expanse. Bring a telephoto lens to photograph animals safely from the required 15-foot distance.