Everglades National Park

Florida

February 2022

Everglades National Park

The weather had changed, so we drove eagerly to the Everglades for a new adventure on this beautiful day. We spent a long day hiking six trails, ranging from short loops to longer treks, totaling about 11 miles.

A Glimpse of the Everglades at Royal Palm

Near the Royal Palm Visitor Center, we began with the short Gumbo Limbo Trail, which meandered through a hardwood hammock showcasing the distinctive peeling red bark of the gumbo limbo trees, followed by the Anhinga Trail, a boardwalk that offered views of the wetlands and the wildlife that inhabits them. Alligators moved slowly in the shallow water, turtles and small fish swam among the reeds, and anhingas were drying their wings.

Discovering the Endangered Pine Rocklands

A different Everglades landscape awaited us on the Long Pine Key Nature Trail, which winds through the globally endangered pine rocklands. Knowing this hike would take over four hours, we explored only a portion of this trail, so we still had time to visit other parts of this immense park.

The Guy Bradley Trail: Birds, Beasts and Bites

We parked near the Flamingo Visitor Center and walked to the Buttonwood Canal. Wildlife was abundant here. Looking down on the bridge, we saw an enormous crocodile lying still in the water while people were getting into or out of their kayaks nearby. That’s not my cup of tea; I gladly leave these close-up encounters to the kayakers! We spotted manatees for the first time in the little harbor; we had been trying to see one since arriving in Miami. We also saw two of the Everglades birds of prey: an osprey sitting on its nest and a red-tailed Hawk on a fence.

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Afterward, we hiked the short 1.5-mile out and back Guy Bradley Trail along the edge of Florida Bay. We occasionally got glimpses of the beautiful Florida Bay. Even in February, the mosquitoes were intolerable; we were glad we were covered and protected with an anti-repellant.

Snake Bight, Where Birds Hide and Mosquitoes Feast

The Snake Bight Trail is a 1.9-mile out-and-back trail leading to Snake Bight, a shallow bay and bird paradise. The trail is perfectly straight and ends in a boardwalk overlooking the water.

We had looked forward to seeing the mysterious roseate spoonbill, a pink-colored ibis. Apparently, we arrived at the wrong time of the day without any colorful waders. Because mosquitoes were hunting us relentlessly, we quickly returned to the car.

A Short Walk, a Big Tree, The Mahogany Hammock Trail

The Mahogany Hammock Trail is a short round-trip and winds with boardwalks through a dense hardwood hammock with beautiful trees, air plants, and other vegetation. A hammock is a slightly elevated area surrounded by wetlands. It provides an ideal environment where hardwood trees and other plants thrive. The trail guided us to the largest mahogany tree in the United States.

Pahayokee "Grassy Waters" Overlook

Before we headed home again, we made a last stop at the Pahayokee Overlook. The short trail and boardwalk revealed the immensity of the Everglades with sawgrass in shallow water. Since the Everglades is technically a very slow-moving, shallow river, it is also rightfully nicknamed the “River of Grass.”

Our day in the Everglades was an intense exploration of its diverse and unique ecosystems. We thoroughly enjoyed the various landscapes and wildlife the park had to offer.