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General Information
The Everglades, sometimes called the "river of grass," is seasonally dominated by a shallow, slow-moving sheet of water that flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay. During the wet summer months, the vast grassy prairie acts both as a home to a tremendous variety of plants and animals and as a filter for the fresh water river. These clean waters ultimately supply and nourish the productive coastal estuaries further to the south.
Camping, whether in the backcountry or at established campgrounds, offers the opportunity to enjoy what the park offers firsthand. Ranger-led activities, offered throughout the park, may help you to enjoy your visit even more. In addition to ranger-led activities, there are other ways to enjoy a guided tour through the park. Concession boat captains narrate boat tours along the mangrove coast at both Flamingo and the Gulf Coast, and tram drivers help you explore the Shark Valley Slough. Canoe and bicycle rentals are available for self guided exploration. Please call individual concession operators for times and prices.
Everglades National Park is the third largest park (1.5 million acres) in the United States, outside Alaska. Plan on staying at least one day and perhaps several to get a good feel for what the park offers.
There are a number of things to do while enjoying Everglades National park. These activities include but are not limited to beach combing, birding, camping, diving, fishing, hiking, photography, ranger led activities, snorkeling, swimming and wildlife watching.
Join a National Park Service ranger to explore Everglades's natural and cultural history. Join a ranger to learn about the forces that once shaped this landscape - and continue to do so, see the Calendar Page. Ranger / Naturalist programs include scheduled talks and walks. These are just some of the ways to discover the diversity of the scenic, natural and historic wonders that comprise Everglades National Park. Check at the visitor center for information.
Walking and canoe trails, boat tours and tram tours are excellent for viewing wildlife, including alligators and a multitude of tropical and temperate birds. Camping, whether in the backcountry or at established campgrounds, offers the opportunity to enjoy what the park offers firsthand. Ranger-led activities, offered throughout the park, may help you to enjoy your visit even more.
Flamingo Area
One small mangrove leaf falls into Florida Bay, an area where the fresh water of the Everglades combines with the salt water of the Gulf. The decomposing leaf, along with the millions of other leaves which fall from the coastal mangroves, supports an intricate food web within the park. Crocodiles, roseate spoonbills, raccoons, manatees and humans in South Florida all depend on this special web of life. Join rangers in the Flamingo area as they venture out on walks and canoe programs in search of the many forms of life that thrive within the coastal estuary.
Gulf Coast Area
While traveling the woven waterways of the 10,000 Islands, solitude envelopes you. You may see the snout of a manatee breaking the water's surface, or the spinning grace of dolphins swimming. The maze of the mangroves shelters an abundance of birds, plants and marine life. Ranger-led boat trips, walks and canoe programs allow you to learn more about the human and natural history of this fascinating gateway to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness.
Royal Palm Area
From the open grassy slough, through the towering pines and into a dense tropical hardwood hammock. The Royal Palm Area provides the visitor with the opportunity to see several South Florida habitats within close proximity to each other. Join ranger-led walks, talks and evening programs to learn more about the natural and human history of this portion of the park, first protected as Royal Palm State Park in 1916.
Shark Valley Area
The vast openness of the saw grass prairie stretches for miles before your eyes, broken only by the silhouette of small mysterious tree islands. Ranger-led trams, walks, bike hikes and slogs reveal the subtle beauty and abundance of wildlife within Shark Valley, the largest fresh water slough, a slow moving shallow body of water within the Everglades.
Wildlife Viewing
See the Flora and Fauna Page for more information on wildlife viewing.
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This site is in no way associated with the United States Government, the Department of the Interior or the National Park Service
