From the simplicity of Patagonia we were catapulted into the mass consumer culture of Miami. Up to 9 million people surround the rivers of grass in the Everglades National Park, a wilderness area unique in the world. 

Luckily our ‘plane from Chile (American Airlines: dreadful!) landed at 5 am so we had plenty of time to argue with the rental car company. They wanted to add a US $70 a week surcharge to cover the tolls on Florida’s highways. 

We retired to do some online research, working out that one can buy a Sunpass transponder for between US$5-15 in any local pharmacy, create an online account, then upload a minimum of US$10 to it via card or cash to pay the tolls. You stick the pass in the car window and remove it when you finish with the car. 

As it was we decided we would just avoid the toll roads which made getting out of Miami slightly interesting! Those with working mobiles should set their Google maps to ‘toll free’. After celebrating our arrival back in America with a large Dennys breakfast, we did some shopping for our trip. 

Walmart was a bit of a culture shock after Patagonia. Does one really need all this stuff? I could see why Doug Tompkins had suffered a melt down and headed for the hills. 

It was difficult to find a single ingredient item and after scrutinizing 2 aisles of breakfast cereals, I apologized to Simon and announced that we were sticking with porridge. It was quite funny in that there were numerous shelves of health supplements yet those browsing them weighed about 30 stone. 

I remarked to Simon how easy life was when one only had one brand to choose from. 

‘Yes, and if you were lucky they didn’t even have that!’ he replied. 

Finally we arrived in Homestead, the stepping off point for the southern section of the Everglades National Park. Park entry was US$35 for 6 days or US$80 for a year to cover every park in America. As we were to be around for a little while we chose the yearly option.

Our first campsite at Long Pine Key had well spread out grassy spaces with picnic tables. Unfortunately it also had an abundance of mosquitoes but that is apparently normal for the area. It is small consolation that they are a vital part of the food chain – take 100% deet and cover up, particularly at dusk! 

Darkness actually came early at about 6 pm after our 10 pm sunsets in Chile and further adjustments were needed in the bathrooms: not only were soap and loo paper supplied but the latter actually went in the loo rather than in a bin beside it – and although the showers were cold, at least they weren’t literally glacially cold.

The time difference between Santiago and Miami was a fairly painless 2 hours so we attended an evening talk in the camp amphitheatre on the history of the park. 

The History of the Everglades National Park 

Early mapping mentioned the river glades but this was subsequently corrupted to Everglades. I initially referred to the area as one big swamp but this is technically incorrect: the waters, which drain from Lake Okeechobee, drop only 14 feet in over 100 miles – but they are moving, albeit at a rate of only about 7 metres a day.

Early attempts at preserving the area were instigated by three ladies who lunched when in 1914 they initiated a project to protect the Royal Palms area which at the time had between 650 – 1000 palm trees.  Relatively few remain today after years of hurricanes, droughts and removal for landscaping.

The park as we know it was created in 1947 and is unusual in that it was founded to protect the biodiversity of the area, rather than its intrinsic beauty. A well known book by conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas called Rivers of Grass sums up the sawtooth grass that covers the 1.5 million acres of wetlands making up America’s largest subtropical wilderness.

Well known for its alligators which prefer fresh water, it also has critically endangered crocodiles on its seawater coast, making it the only place in the world where the two species coexist. 

Royal Palms

This area is found shortly after the Ernest F. Coe entrance gate, where it is worth pausing to check out the Visitors Centre with its comprehensive displays on the park.

Don’t miss the beautiful skeleton of a Burmese python. This invasive species was released in the 1930’s from petshops but Hurricane Andrew in the ’90’s didn’t help when a python farm was destroyed. They have since grown to epidemic proportions with estimates of between 100-300,000 individuals; unfortunately they are equally at home on land and water.

The 17 foot python had 87 eggs inside her when caught in 2013; the snakes have had a devastating effect on the mammal population. A ranger told me how he would once drive to work and see hundreds of Marsh Rabbits, but now there are none. Raccoons are no longer seen in the campsites and the main diet of the few cougars which remain is bobcat – which themselves were recently filmed eating python eggs as other food sources disappear. 

The Anhinga Trail at Royal Palms is the most popular walk in the park: 1,200 m of well laid out boardwalk which skirts the edge of a freshwater slough (pronounced slew), a deeper area in the marsh. It holds water all year so in the dry season many fish, animals and birds become concentrated around it with very good wildlife viewing.

As it’s name implies, it is also a good area to see Anhingas or snakebirds, a cormorant type bird which feeds by diving and spearing the fish on its beak. On surfacing, they flip in it in the air and swallow it head first. There were plenty of them in the surrounding trees with their wings open to dry and their backs to the sun; they also liked the roof of the shelter at the end of the boardwalk. The female has a turquoise eye ring in the breeding season and a neckline of buff feathers year round. 

We were also entertained in watching the giant white egret with his sinuous neck very successfully hunting insects and small lizards in the water margins.

Purple gallinules with their large yellow feet are rather like a more colourful version of a moorhen and they were quite amusing to watch as they tip toed amongst the flat leaved splatterdocks looking for insects.

We also encountered our first alligator which can be distinguished from the crocodile by its preference for fresh water, its black colour, thicker U-shaped snout and invisible lower teeth when the mouth is closed. It was quietly basking in the flattened vegetation at the edge of the water.

We soon discovered that the Americans are fascinated by these reptiles and will go to great pains to point them out. It was usually the first question: ‘Did you see any alligators?’

There is another minor 700 m amble from the carpark called the Gumbo Limbo Trail which leads through a subtropical hardwood hammock or elevated tree island. It is named after the distinctive Gumbo Limbo tree, which is also known as the tourist tree due to its peeling red bark.

The wood is quite soft and in the early 1900’s was used for carving carousel horses. In the Caribbean, they still use it to produce a sticky bird lime to catch the (now endangered) white crowned pigeon. 

The Nike Missile Site

Not many people visit the Everglades thinking to see a nuclear missile base but in a forgotten corner off the Royal Palms road there is exactly that. A relic of the Cold War, it was completed in 1964 following the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, when Soviet missiles came to be stationed on Cuba and appeared a direct threat to the US.

The site was closed down in 1979 and handed over to the Park. A lot of infrastructure was dismantled but three missile barns, a missile assembly building and a dog kennels were kept intact at the site, as well as a strikingly pink painted barracks a mile away. 

Interest in the structures revived in more recent years and now they are open every day 10-2pm and there is a guided walk at 2 pm daily. We joined the latter to get a bit more inside information.

The base was one of four in the area and is now the only surviving one. Having passed the Assembly Building which is adorned with a painting of a missile, the tour ended at one of the barns which once housed three missiles with another three on readiness outside. Only one in four of the missiles possessed nuclear capabilities, ranging up to 40 kilotrons (the Hiroshima bomb was 14).

Today there is an inert Nike missile on display, along with a carrying canister and various info boards. Thankfully, in the end there was only one US fatality of the Crisis: a reconnaissance pilot who was shot down over Cuba in October 1962.

A Night Walk on the Anhinga Trail

Guided night walks are offered regularly: we met a ranger at 7.30 pm on a drizzly night at Royal Palms and meandered around the Anhinga Trail for an hour.

Initially I thought we were going to draw a blank but the ranger’s powerful torch finally rewarded us with the red wink of alligator eyes and later we found two baby alligators resting on the lily pads – they are self-sufficient from birth. These were about 9 inches long and actually looked quite cute in miniature. In the end, it was actually quite an atmospheric way to spend an hour. 

The Wet Walk

Another ranger led activity on offer was billed as a wet walk but is commonly known as a slog: this involved an hour long wade through the Everglades cypress trees with some botanical information thrown in. Sign up for free at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Centre and wear lace up boots and long trousers.

It is a way to get down and not so dirty within the Park – it is wet but the limestone and vegetation filtered water is beautifully clear and there is only a light mulch on the ground.

After the initial shock of walking into the water, which was a pleasant temperature, we were able to enjoy the cypress forest, which looked rather dead but apparently is only hibernating until spring.

Airplants and orchids had found homes on the branches and light reflected on the dappled waters. It was all quite enchanting although I could probably have foregone the one minute meditation at the end whereby we all pretended to be cypress trees!

It was very gentle on the exertion scale and in the end I didn’t even get wet above the knees which was a bonus as we were still suffering the after effects of the trenches and mud of Cochamó. 

Flamingo

Flamingo is the end of the road in the southern area of the park and marks the area where the Gulf of Mexico and the Bay of Florida meet with 10,000 mosquito-ridden mangrove islands.

It has a large campsite, eco-lodges, lodges, and a newly opened restaurant. We checked into the camping area for a couple of nights which was pleasantly grassy with a few shade trees but lots of mosquitoes. 

There is a helpful information centre (free wifi) with displays on the area. With the aid of a friendly ranger I was able to sort out an overnight kayaking trip in the area. 

A water sport provider at the marina (free wifi) hires canoes, kayaks, boats and even houseboats to explore the area. They only have a limited number of overnight canoes available so check their availability before booking the wilderness permit for whichever campsite you are aiming for. 

A wander around the marina rewarded us with some excellent wildlife sightings with no effort whatsoever.

Manatees lifted their whiskey noses from the water at intervals, their huge bulk largely hidden. These large aquatic mammals spend up to 8 hours a day browsing on seagrass and other plants at the bottom of the bay, consuming up to 9% of their body weight a day. On average they are 10 feet long and 1000 lbs. 

They have no natural predators but unfortunately often get injured by motor boats, especially as they have an unfortunate habit of lying suspended just under the surface of the water. 

Nearby, a large pole harboured an untidy osprey’s nest and on the edge of the mangroves a large crocodile was resting. 

We decided to take a canoe out for a couple of hours (US$ 34 with tax) and so enjoyed a gentle paddle up a waterway lined with mangroves. There are actually three species of these but the most obvious are the red mangroves with their huge prop root systems.

They provided handy perches for a variety of hungry water birds: as well as the great egret, we saw a variety of herons.

It was very peaceful on the water, in between the passing of motorboats which have to slow down so as not to cause a bow wave which could swamp canoes.

As we returned to the pontoon we saw a large crocodile in the water – I suspect he might have been getting surreptitious scraps from fishermen who were cleaning their catch nearby. Simon showed no inclination to be anywhere near it, so we returned the canoe and walked around to see him in safety from the marina – he was actually quite an impressive size and a local later told me his name was Fred!

We had an early night at the campground: the mossies were in blitzkreig mode and so awful one just didn’t want to be outside. 

Nine Mile Pond

This was suggested as an ideal kayaking introduction to the Everglades, so we organised a 4 hour canoe trip at the marina where one signs waivers and is given life jackets and paddles. There is then a 20 minutes drive to Nine Mile Pond Trailhead (on Main Park Road) where a code unlocks a canoe.

Annoyingly part of the four hours was getting from the marina to Nine Mile and back again, so we effectively only had use of the canoe for 3 hours. The marina recommended we only do the 3.5 mile circuit rather than the 5.3 one. However, we felt afterwards we could have easily done the full circuit in the time available which was a bit annoying. 

The route is marked by white upright plastic poles and is generally easy to follow, although we did make a wrong turn  at the very start and headed up some challenging mangrove tunnels for 10 minutes before realising we had gone wrong somewhere – it didn’t bode well for the overnight trip I had booked!

Once we were back on track, we had an enjoyable enough time meandering around mangroves and Islands with sawgrass marshes in splendid isolation, finishing with three increasingly large lakes. 

There was a disappointing lack of wildlife, other than a few moorhens and anhingas. We headed back to the marina and picniced overlooking the manatees. 

Snake Bight Lookout

One of the rangers suggested the Bear Lake walk but we gave up as the road to the trailhead was simply too rough and muddy for our hire car. 

Instead we did the 2 mile walk off Main Road to Snake Bight (not bite!) which was an easy flat yomp through thick scrub to an overlook of the coastal mudflats.

Fringed with mangroves, there was a good variety of bird life and we saw our first roseate spoonbills – they look a bit flamingo like and have the same diet and colour so it was a easy mistake for the first settlers to make when they called the area flamingo after them. 

Shark Valley

Just when you think it is safe to go in the water..! Shark Valley is actually a small area where one can access the Everglades National Park from the north. It is predominantly a freshwater sawgrass prairie which floods annually and becomes a 30 mile wide river which flows south into the Shark River – so called due to the bull sharks at its mouth. Although it isn’t an obvious valley, it is actually running between two minor ridges.

The visitors centre sits on the I-45 (which is known as the Tamiami Trail) about 40 miles west of Miami and the valley is accessed by a 15 mile loop road which has an observation tower (and toilets) half way.

Most people climb aboard the trolley bus to cover the circuit but you won’t see much if you are squashed in the middle. We elected for bicycles which can be hired at the visitors centre for US $25 each for the day, although in reality the circuit will be easily done in 3-4 hours. 

It took me a while to get the hang of the basic model: the braking system consisted of peddling backwards to lock the brake so some coordination was required. It seemed quite bizarre to me although Simon said he had encountered such models in his childhood. I certainly hadn’t and I’m older than him so Australia must have been quite backward!

We set off anti clockwise on the west trail of the circuit which led along a canal. Immediately we started seeing alligators and by the time we reached the Observation Tower after 7 miles I had lost count of the number we had seen – most of them were simply sitting on the sides of the canal warming up in the early morning sunshine, but we were lucky enough to see one eating a fish.

Just before the tower, we found a crocodile and there was another large one in the car park. They are greener than the alligators, with narrower noses and both top and bottom teeth are visible.

There were also numerous turtles and lots of birdlife. It was nice being able to stop on the bicycles and take one’s time – and quite strange to be cycling along the road with alligators about 2 feet away from one’s wheels. 

As we returned on the east trail, we stopped to admire a particularly large specimen which was partially submerged in a mud wallow or burrow. Maybe we inadvertently scared it, but it suddenly leapt forward several feet. Luckily it was pointing in the opposite direction to us, but Simon must have gone backwards equally rapidly!

Alligators can actually only reach about 10 mph briefly on land, preferring to hunt from the water, and the Florida ones are considered fairly good natured as alligators go, but it is better to keep a safe distance  and give them lots of space.

We were quite hot by the time we had finished the circuit and handed the bicycles back with some relief. After a picnic lunch we drove a little way west to camp at Mitchell’s Landing on the Loop Road in the Big Cypress National Preserve.  The campsite was small and set amidst the forest; we need not have worried about seeing alligators in Shark Valley as they were quite evenly dispersed along the culvert and ponds on the loop, even in residential areas. 

The Big Cypress National Preserve 

I knew little of this area before arriving in Florida but it is an important part of the Everglades eco system. Congress created the preserve in 1974 to protect the flow of fresh water into the Everglades, whilst the slightly looser designation allows oil and gas extraction, off-roading and hunting. 

The juxtaposition always amazes me in America whereby you have the great parks where everything is preserved whilst beyond the boundary everything is fair game – except the Florida panther who is protected as there are so few left and decreasing every year due to road accidents. 

However there is a season for deer, wild turkeys, ducks, migratory birds, foxes, coyotes and hogs, down to what I would have considered the fairly harmless opossums, raccoons and otters. Bobcats are also on the list and one can only wonder at the pressure of hunting species  which are under such stress anyway due to loss of habitat and road deaths – one day all that is left of nature will be confined to a few zoo specimens.

The Seminole and Miccosukee Indians are also allowed to use the Preserve for customary and traditional use – which (call me a cynic but..)  probably means shooting everything. 

Still, for those of us that enjoy nature and wildlife, Big Cypress is a rewarding place. About 45% of the 1,139-sq-mile Preserve of mangrove islands, prairies and marshes is protected today, although most of the great bald cypress trees have been lost to logging in the past. 

The Florida National Scenic Trail which stretches 1,900 miles to Pensecola actually starts on the loop road and the first 31 miles heads north through Big Cypress. It would certainly get one into a wilderness of water, forests and hammocks. Trekking through swamps all day could be challenging (lots of mossies too, I suspect) although the trail does have the redeeming feature of being flat! There are 3 basic campsites on the section.

For those of us with less time there are shorter walks, such as the 5 mile return Gator Hook Trail which leads out and back to a rare stand of old growth cypress trees – the trail actually follows an old logging track in places. The helpful visitors centre is worth a visit for background information on the area. 

The Loop Road

This 25 mile loop leaves the Tamiami Road soon after Shark Valley and is a stunningly beautiful drive through marshland and swampy forest, the deeper pools providing numerous alligator hideouts and prime fishing for birds. We saw our first woodstork here, a tall, rather ugly, white bird with a distinctive black head.

It is worth stopping at Sweet Water where the tall trees grow close together aand create a myriad of reflections in the dark water. The scenery in this part of Florida is unique and has its own beauty.

The second night we camped at Burns Lake, all the sites being neatly spread out along the banks of a small lake. Three alligators were in possession and people were warned not to swim or take pets close to the edges.

It was a lovely peaceful spot, marred by a large RV running it’s generator until 10 pm – it’s Florida FFS, haven’t you heard of solar power!? 

Ochopee

Our visit to the Everglades was coming to an end and there was one rather unusual sight as we drove westwards.

Blink and you’ll miss it: Ochopee is America’s smallest post office, housed in an old pumphouse building. Amazingly it still has regular hours and is popular amongst philatelists for its postmark. 

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park

A turn to the north on the I-29 leads to the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, the largest state park in Florida. It is now protecting an area that was logged from the 1940’s through to the 1960’s.

We called in but did not have time to explore it as I would have liked. The popular Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk is closed at present but there are several interesting trails in the park which follow old logging routes – I would allow a day at least.

We backtracked to the junction with the Tamiami Trail which on its northwestern side was a hive of bird activity – there must have been a particularly good pond as we saw wood storks, roseate spoonbills and egrets and herons. On the other side of the road, a rather smelly dead alligator had attracted a host of vultures. 

Everglades City

We then followed the I-29 south to Everglades City, the westernmost access point to the park. There is a temporary visitors centre after  2022 hurricane damage, but they can advise on boat trips to the 10,000 Islands or kayaking. 

The 99 mile Wilderness Waterway is a kayak trail which connects Everglades City to Flamingo with lots of chickee campsites en route. It is the biggest wilderness area outside the Rockies so should not be underestimated.

Everglades City does not really qualify as a city but is a pleasantly ramshackle town with lots of Trump supporters. A little further on, Chokoloskee Island (reached by a 1956 causeway) is the end of the line. Other than the historic Smallwood Store, which opened in 1906, there are not many sights, but it is a pleasantly laid back area catering primarily to fishermen.

The Marsh Trail was our final stop in the park and involved an easy 2 mile return walk along a levee although the first 400 m to a viewing tower over the wetlands was actually the best section with lots of birdlife and alligators. 

The western beaches of Florida lay ahead but we had both enjoyed our time in the Everglades – I would certainly never think of it as just a big swamp ever again. However, the mossies would not be missed! 

NOTES 

Park entry is US $35 for up to 6 days or US $80 for a yearly pass which covers every National Park in America. 

There is the Ernest F. Coe visitor centre at the southern entrance to the park with an extensive display and another 38 miles later at Flamingo: the Guy Bradley Visitors Centre. The visitors centre at Everglades city is more limited due to hurricane damage but has rangers for advice. 

There is an extensive array of ranger led walks and talks which are free and informative. Wet walks need to be booked at the Ernest F. Coe visitor centre but the others are mostly just turn up. There are programmes of events at the visitors centres and camp grounds. 

Tent and RV camping is available at the quieter Long Pine and Flamingo – the latter also has eco lodges, a lodge and a restaurant. There is a large marina and various boat and kayak rental options. 

Campsites are US $33 in the week or US $38.50 at the weekend. Reservations can be made here. 

Big Cypress has numerous campsites at between US $10-30. Reservations can be made here.