Visiting the Everglades is one of the rewarding experiences! Regardless if you’re a Floridian or not, you should definitely do these 10 things when you visit the Everglades! The Everglades is welcome to outdoor lovers where you can watch nature, take a hike in the many trails, sail, snorkel or dive, etc.
The first thing we recommend you do is taking the road from Homestead to Flamingo. Taking this route will show you every major natural habitat, including pinelands, saw grass marshes, cypress domes, Cloughs and mangroves before ending at the campgrounds of Florida Bay. Drive slowly and feel free to stop often to enjoy the scenery and watch the wildlife of the Everglades. At the Anhinga Trail boardwalk you can witness the alligators and wading birds at exhilarating close range, while the boardwalk around Mahogany Hammock winds through a West Indian hardwood forest that contains the largest living mahogany tree in the Unites States today.
The second thing we recommend you do is explored Cape Sable and Florida Bay by boat! Cape Sable is a wild, desolate beachscape at the very bottom of peninsular Florida. If the trail winds are light you should explore by canoe to see the gulls, wading birds, shorebirds and pelicans.
The third thing we suggest you do is taken in the Shark Valley panorama! Shark Valley is the visitor center of exhibits and programmers and a 15-mile loop road that leads to the 65ft observations tower. The tower has the best view of the everglades and its wildlife.
The fourth thing you should do is wallow in the wilderness waterway. We recommend rent a canoe, kayak and small powerboats to enjoy the 100 mile marked boat trail through mangrove-lined creeks, rivers, lagoons and open bays. You can take a great day trip to the Turner River Canoe Trail where you can see birds, alligators, manatees, sea turtles and fishing.
The fifth thing you should do is hike through the Big Cypress National Preserve. There are more than 40 miles of trail extended north to Alligator Alley and south to Loop Road.
The sixth thing you should do is go diving for coral! Florida’s coral necklace is the third longest in the world and the first undersea preserve in the United States.
The seventh thing you should do is get beneath the surface at Biscayne Bay. You will find half a dozen historic shipwrecks. The final things you should so is find sanctuary in the corkscrew swamp, witness the migrating birds and finally take a trip to the turtle tropics.
Don’t forget to ride with Ride the Wind on Air Boat Rides in the Everglades!
