Everglades National Park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the third largest national park in the contiguous United States. It was also the first national park ever created to protect an ecosystem (versus being established to protect geographic features like other national parks). After talking to park rangers at Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Homestead (one hour from Miami) we decided to walk Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail. Anhinga Trail winds through sawgrass marsh and is known for its abundance of wildlife. It was here that I realized I have a favorite bird, a purple gallinule. Gumbo Limbo Trial is known for the many species of tree snails, of which I don’t have a favorite.
It is apparent after our visit today that one could easily spend an entire week exploring Everglades National Park. There are five entrances to Everglades National Park, most are hours apart. Even if we were not leaving now in order to go to another national park today it still wouldn’t have been enough time to scratch the surface.
“All my life through, the new sights of Nature made me rejoice like a child.” -Marie Curie