Everglades National Park
40001 State Hwy 9336, Homestead, FL 33034
Introduction
Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and the third biggest park in the U.S. national park system. It has the largest mangrove system in the Western Hemisphere is one of the most significant breeding grounds for tropical wading birds in North America. It is a wildlife lover’s paradise, this is a place you need to see with your own eyes.
Wildlife Highlights and Logistics
It’s hard to wrap your head around how big this park is, it essentially covers the whole southern tip of the state. Even with a map, planning the day can be overwhelming.
If you only have time to visit one spot in the park, it should undoubtedly be the Anhinga Trail. Here you can find every wetland bird imaginable, multiple turtles species, and of course alligators. It’s close to the entrance and a relatively short loop (0.8 miles) and even wheelchair-accessible. It is also one of the most popular spots in the park, because of the abundance of wildlife. There’s a large lily pond with lots of viewing platforms. We spent three days photographing here, because it was the most reliable spot to see amazing wildlife and it was the easiest logistically.
Anhinga Trail Wildlife Highlights:
All photos taken on the Anhinga Trail
The American Alligator is an incredible reptile and they can be found all over the trail. Look for groups of them sunbathing in the grass, or individuals swimming under the boardwalk in the lily pond. With some luck you can see some truly massive alligators here. Be careful and respect their space, they do move silently and can sneak up to the trail without notice.
The Florida Red-bellied Cooter is a turtle indigenous to South Georgia and Florida. They’re primarily vegetarian, the one pictured was eating these flower bulbs that were sticking out of the water (the biggest challenge was pushing down the stem, to get the bulb at mouth-level). These turtles are fairly easy to find in the lily pads and fascinating to watch!
The Anhinga is a bird that looks like a cormorant, and the reason behind the name of the trail. From the boardwalk you can get some incredible views of their nests perched in the bushes. If you visit during the right time (we went in late March) you can get a peek at the babies. They look like little puppets, whining all day and begging their parents for food.
If you’re eager to explore more of the park, the next best stop to visit is Flamingo. Flamingo is at the end of the main road (a 1 hour drive from the entrance), where the park meets the southernmost tip of the Florida peninsula. The marina is an excellent place to explore for wildlife, since there’s saltwater, you can find animals here that aren’t in other parts of the park. Highlights include manatees, american crocodiles, and osprey nests. Take a look at the diagram below for more information.
Flamingo Wildlife Highlights:
All photos taken at Flamingo
The American Crocodile can be seen in the mangroves of the marina. They are much more tolerant of saltwater than alligators, making the marina a good place to see them. Crocodiles snouts are skinnier than alligators, and their teeth show when their mouths are shut (unlike alligators). Keep your distance, crocodiles are also known to be more aggressive than alligators
Believe it or not Manatees can be found swimming around the marina. The best way to find them is to walk around the docks, paying attention to the water’s surface. Every few minutes, they’ll come up for air and you can get a peek at them. These huge aquatic mammals need warm water to survive, making Florida a perfect habitat for them.
Ospreys are a large, fish-eating raptor that has adapted to environments all over the world. Flamingo is a great place to see them, as they’ve built large nests all over this part of the park. Many of the nests aren’t far from the ground, meaning you can get a particularly good look at them with binoculars.
If you still have time, there are plenty of interesting stops between the Anhinga Trail and Flamingo that are worth visiting. The above two spots seem to be the most reliable in terms of wildlife, but you never know what you might find across this endless park.
Wildlife Photos from Everglades National Park:
