Review: Everglades National Park

Let’s start big picture here.
Everglades National Park is just a quick hour’s drive from South Beach. While it may seem like a totally “touristy” thing to do, it would be a shame to come all the way to Miami and not pay a visit to what is undoubtedly one of the country’s most famous national parks, and one of the world’s most varied (and fascinating) ecosystems. Occupying 1.5 million prime acres of Southern Florida, these famed wetlands are home to hundreds of species of plants and wildlife—many of them endangered. From mangroves to pinelands, the ecosystem is diverse, but you’ll surely want to experience as much of it as you can in a day. Though you can see much of the park via boat, bike, or tram, you’ll want to be prepared for the experience. That means coming with comfortable sneakers or walking shoes, pants and a long-sleeved shirt (unless you want to become mosquito bait), sunscreen, sunglasses, bug spray, a hat, plenty of water, and lots of curiosity.

Any standout features or must-sees?
This is one of the few places where alligators and crocodiles peacefully coexist, so getting to see one—ideally both—is on practically every visitor's must-do list. While Everglades Safari Park (an independently owned but officially sanctioned airboat tour company) is one great way to get an up close view of a gator. Crocs are harder to come by—and your best chance at seeing one is via the Flamingo Visitor Center.

Was it easy to get around?
There’s no denying that the Everglades is a vast place, but as visitors are the lifeblood of this national park, it shouldn’t be hard to find your way around. Though there are plenty of lovely walking trails, even the park’s boat and trams tours will require some walking, so don’t expect to take it easy. In addition to various wheelchair-accessible visitor centers, more than a half dozen of the Everglades’ trails were carved out with easy-access-for-all in mind; in addition to paved or boardwalk-like surfaces, there are a variety of trails that are less than a mile long, making them easily traversable for every type of visitor.

All said and done, what—and who—is this best for?
Anyone who loves the great outdoors and the chance to see unique flora, fauna, and wildlife in their natural habitat will love the variety of experiences and sites that the “River of Grass” has to offer. On the other hand, if your general response to seeing a bug or a swarm of mosquitoes is to shriek and run the other way, perhaps you might want to stick to the beach.