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Picture Set [1], [2]
The Everglades was the first national park created to protect a threatened ecological system. The park was
created in 1947 and extended to the east in 1989 to protect the Shark River Slough. The Shark River Visitor Center
is on the Tamiami Trail just a few miles from the eastern edge of the Big Cypress Preserve. This isn't much of a
visitor center; it's basically a location to catch a ride on a tram to take a tour of northern portion of the glades.
One of the trams for the tour; I didn't take the tour.
I did walk the tram route for a short distance and take a short nature walk near this site. This fellow was in
the canal next to the tram route.
These young gators were also residents of the canal.
And this larger gator.
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center was my next stop. It's located on the east side of the park, near Homestead, Fl.
A road through the park goes from this center to the Flamingo Visitor Center on the southern tip of Florida.
The road is about 38 miles long with various stops along the way.
A Florida panther sculpture in front of the center.
A display of the Everglades inside the center. It shows the Mango hammocks on the coast, grassy areas,
forested areas, agriculture areas and then Urban areas.
Spanish Moss does well here also.
The Royal Palm site was the first stop on the road through the park. Two nature trails could be taken at
this location, the Anhinga Trail and the Gumbo Limbo Trail. A heron of some type along the Anhinga trail.
Viewing across a small lake at another observation deck.
A display nearby discussed to change in plant life caused by just inches of elevation change.
A view of the Gumbo Limbo trail.
A rest area along the trail, a nice place to sit and eat a snack. This day it was a nice day to be snacked
on by mosquitoes.
After the Royal Palm site, I went to the southern end of road and at an unused camping site, I spotted this ibis.
Mango tree hammocks off shore.
Maybe a dead gumbo limbo tree as a result of a hurricane.
Picture Set [1], [2]
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