Everglades – Florida

 

 

Date of Visit: April 4, 2015

How we got there: Day trip from Miami Beach.

Lodging: Clay Hotel, Miami Beach

Favorites:

• Anhinga Trail – 0.8-mile loop mostly boardwalk trail through sawgrass marsh with abundant wildlife viewing.
• Pa-hay-okee Overlook – Short boardwalk leads to lookout platform with sweeping view out over the famous “river of grass” marshlands.
• Mahogany Hammock Trail – 0.5-mile boardwalk passes through one of the numerous islands of dense hardwood vegetation surrounded by grassy marshes.
• Guided Boat Tour – Backcountry Tour from Flamingo visitor center. 2-hour tour took us up the Buttonwood Canal and into Coot Bay and Whitewater Bay.

Tips: This is the largest park east of the Mississippi River, so plan for enough driving time to experience several sights. Visit during springtime to avoid the hot summer off-season.

Next time: Visit Gulf Coast and Shark Valley Visitor Center areas. Kayak on one of the Canoe/Kayak trails.