Page Updated: November 10, 2023
Everglades National Park
2022 MAY
American Alligator - Everglades National Park
I wasn’t super excited about having to tick this one off our National Parks list. In my mind, the Everglades equated to stinky stagnant swamp water full of gator and mosquitos. In reality, it’s a unique diverse wetland ecosystem fueled by the world’s slowest river (from Lake Okeechobee overflow) at a rate of 3ft per hour – and it’s surprisingly beautiful.
We technically popped into the Gulf Coast Everglades Visitor Center on day 365 on our way to the Keys, but we just stopped long enough to see what the west side of the Everglades had going for it, grab a park map, and notice that this Visitor Center still had not been rebuilt since its destruction in 2017s Hurricane Irma.
The temporary building had a couple of tiny information stations in its small space; including one on the native Calusa.
Agreeing Everglades National Park was worthy of a real visit, we drove up out of the Keys the following weekend to explore Shark Valley; according to the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau, the area is home to several species of shark.
We saw zero sharks, but found Shark Valley sits in the heart of freshwater marshland dominated grass, waterfowl, and alligator.
We biked the 15 mile round trip Shark Valley Tram Road with minimal shade and easy sweat; breaking halfway to explore the 70 foot tall observation tower that reaches the highest elevation one can climb in the park. From the top, we were treated to magnificent panoramic views of the Florida Everglades.
After seeing the Everglades from above and biking the trail from within, we took an airboat ride through the river of grass that is the Everglades with Everglades Safari Park. It’s just as amazing as you think it is!
Gio, our guide, was fabulous; pointing out birds, snails, various plants, and obviously the alligator. Highly recommend!
Thrilled to be wrong about this park! It turned into an amazing day! We looking forward to returning for hikes, camping, and kayaking through the waterways.
-b&b
Big Cypress National Preserve
Biking Shark Valley
