EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
Main Visitor Center
Don't miss this new
center recently inaugurated after the old building was seriously damaged
by Hurricane Andrew in August 1992. The center is open daily from 8:00
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Information, exhibits, and publications sales. Inquire
in this center about nearby hiking trails that pass through marsh, hammock,
and pineland communities. The staff at any of the visitor centers can help
you plan the best use of your time and answer questions about park facilities
and ranger-conducted activities.
Royal Palm Visitor Center
Open daily from 8:00
a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Information and publications sales. The well-known habitat
exhibit by Charles Harper is also on site.
Anhinha Trail
1/2-mile loop. This trail offers one of the
best opportunities to view wildlife, including alligators, turtles, garfish,
and a variety of birds, up close. You will have magnificent views of the
sawgrass praire and Taylor Slough, which is one of the prime wildlife-viewing
areas in the Park. A boardwalk takes you into the meadows and over the
water pools and streams.
Gumbo Limbo Trail
1/2-mile loop. This trail winds through a
once-dense tropical hardwood hammock, recently reshaped by Hurricane Andrew.
Along the Main Park Road
Along the main road
that leads to Flamingo, there are several short trails. Visit the road-site
exhibits to learn more about the diversity of the Everglades.
Pineland Trail
1/2-mile loop. Explore a subtropical pine
forest maintained by fire. The pine rocklands are the most diverse habitat
in south Florida.
Pa-hay-okee Overlook
A 1/4-mile boardwalk leads to an observatory
tower offering an excellent view of the vast Everglades sawgrass praire
from horizon to horizon dotted by small island-like hammocks.
Mahogany Hammock
1/2-mile loop. A boardwalk crosses the glades
and enters a beatiful subtropical tree island with massive hardwood hammock
containing the largest mahogany trees in the United States.
West Lake Trail
1/2-mile loop. This boardwalk takes you deep
into mangrove forest and allows you to walk along the shores of this large,
shallow lake. Three kind of separate species of mangroves are found here:
red, white, and black. The red mangroves are predominant and reach farthest
out onto the mudflats. These salt-tolerant trees rise from the shallow
water on prop roots.
Flamingo Visitor Center
The information desk
is staffed from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Florida Bay Museum opens
daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Information and a map of the numerous
local canoe and hiking trails are available in this Center.
Eco Pond
An extremely interesting area for observing
bird life. A walk around this small pond at twilight affords the spectacular
nightly view of hundreds of ibis and egrets flying in from surrounding
areas to roost for the night in trees along the shores.
Snake Bight
Accessible by foot, bicycle, or canoe from
Flamingo, provides good birdwatching opportunities at hight tide.
Mrazek Pond
At certain times is also a birding hotspot.
2. Chekika
Open daily 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. In addition to the campground Chekika has a picnic area and nature trails.
Shark Valley Information Center
Opens daily between
8:30 a.m. and 5:15 p.m. Information desk and publications sales. Information
about walking trails and the two-hour tram tour provided at this site.
Cars are not permitted beyond parking lot next to the Information Center.
Parking facilities are limited here.
Bobcat Boardwalk
A 1/3-mile round trip walk starting at
the Visitor Center passes through sawgrass marsh and a bayhead.
Otter Cave Trail
1-mile round trip from the Visitor Center.
Enters a tropical hardwood hammock.
Paved Loop Road
A 13-mile road that enters deep into sawgrass
expanses of the Everglades. No private motorized vehicles are allowed on
this narrow road. One way to explore Shalley Valley is to ride on one of
the open-sided concession trams narrated by a park ranger. Also you can
ride your own bicycle or rent one next to the Visitor Center. You can as
well walk along the trail at your leisure. Keep in mind that there are
no facilities along the way and that depending on the season of your visit
and the time of the day it can be very hot. Midway along the road there
is an observation tower. The tower provides a great view of the vast stretches
of the Everglades.
Gulf Coast Ranger Station
The desk is staffed
from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. This location is maily a station for
boat tours into the mangrove estuary and Ten Thousand Islands. The station
offers information, a small exhibit and publication sales.
To
return to the Everglades
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