Everglades National Park is a
national park in the U.S. state of Florida that protects the southern 25 percent
of the original Everglades. It is the largest subtropical wilderness in the
United States, and is visited on average by one million people each year. It is
the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states after Death Valley and
Yellowstone. It has been declared an International Biosphere Reserve, a World
Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance, only one of three
locations in the world to appear on all three lists.
It is the largest designated sub-tropical wilderness reserve on the North
American continent. Its juncture at the interface of temperate and sub-tropical
America, fresh and brackish water, shallow bays and deeper coastal waters
creates a complex of habitats supporting a high diversity of flora and fauna. It
contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere, the largest
continuous stand of saw grass prairie and the most significant breeding ground
for wading birds in North America.
The park is home to several rare and endangered species. It is also the third
largest national park in the lower forty-eight states, after Death Valley and
Yellowstone. Each year, more than one million people visit the Everglades.
The Everglades is considered one of the great biological wonders of the world.
The expansive wetlands stretch across more than six hundred thousand hectares.
It is a place where plants and animals from the Caribbean Sea share an ecosystem
with native North American species.
Unlike most other national parks, Everglades National Park was created to
protect an ecosystem from damage. The Everglades is home to about fifteen
species that federal officials say are threatened and endangered. They include
the Florida panther, the American crocodile and the West Indian manatee.
The Everglades is one of the only places on Earth where freshwater alligators
and saltwater crocodiles live in the same area. The dry, winter season is the
favorite of most visitors, when insects like mosquitoes are less of a problem.
The rainy season lasts from June to November. There are many ways to explore the
Everglades. Visitors can see alligators while hiking the Anhinga Trail.
Declared a national park on 6 December 1947 under the May 1934 Act of Congress.
The park was accepted as a biosphere reserve in 1976, inscribed on the World
Heritage List in 1979, and was designated a Ramsar site (Wetland of
International Significance) in 1987. The total area of the national park was
increased in 1989 from its original size of 566, 788ha to its current size.
However, the Everglades has often been called the most endangered national park.
Water supplies and the natural flow and cycle are still problems. Diminished
flows of water from the north have increased the intrusion of salt water into
the southern section of the park near the coast. The water which does flow into
the park is somewhat polluted by agricultural runoff. Very high levels of
mercury have been detected in the park's fish. The park is under serious stress
from three major sources--the increasing domination of non-native plants, water
quantity, and water quality.
The Everglades Alligator Farm one of the few real working alligator farm, that
doesn't process alligators. Alligator eggs are collected every year, and sold to
other alligator farms around the state. Home of the famous 14 ft. "Grandpa"
alligator, the farm has an awesome staff of Airboat drivers, Alligator Experts,
and even Snake handlers.
A trip to the Everglades Alligator Farm includes an exciting airboat tour of the
surrounding river of grass, a walking trail around the farm to see the
alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and wildlife, a great display of local and
exotic snakes, and informational wildlife shows every hour. Everglades Alligator
Farm is open daily between the hours of 9 am to 6pm. If you are headed to Key
Largo or Key West, this is an attraction you absolutely won't want to miss!
You can biking, camping, Fishing, hiking, Backpacking, paddling, snorkelling,
scenic driving and simply even walking all would be fun for visitors.