If you come to South Florida and you don't visit The Everglades you're missing one of the greatest natural attractions in the world.
You can easily spend an entire day or more on The Everglades and the best way to visit is through the Everglades National Park administered by the National Park Service.
Entry to the park is quick and convenient and there are many fine trails that you can wander at will. We entered near Florida City not far from Miami. Since you can walk over The Everglades on planked passages you will get a wonderful up-close and natural view of much of the wildlife including many alligators.
The National Park Service also sponsors organized programs and guided walks throughout the day if you're so inclined. One of the newest programs is a tour of a former Nike missile site that played a key role in the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. Yes, that's part of The Everglades as well.
The Everglades is one of the largest wetlands in the world.
Hundreds of years ago, this wetlands was a major part of a 5,184,000 acre watershed that covered almost a third of the entire state of Florida. The Everglades consist of a shallow sheet of fresh water that rolls slowly over the lowlands and through billions of blades of sawgrass. As water moves through the Everglades, it causes the sawgrass to ripple like green waves; this is why the Everglades received the nickname "River of Grass."
Our visit to The Everglades has been one of the highlights of our trip to South Florida -- but we barely scratched the surface in terms of visiting this sprawling natural wonder.
Here's an important tip: Try to visit in the "cool" weather months (November through February)as this time of the year will allow you to see more without being bothered by mosquitoes and other insects.
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