Southwestern Florida is blessed to have the beauty and the bounties of nature despite the man-made changes that it has seen over the years. Nowhere does this beauty shine more brightly than in the Everglades. Thanks to the conservation efforts of all the people who love the Everglades, the stunning waterways, the mangrove forests, the swamp areas and the teeming wildlife can all be seen by people who want to visit the place. However, the Everglades is a complicated network of interconnected rivers and trails which can be highly treacherous especially for first timers on the area. If you are a first-time visitor, it would be advisable to plan your trip carefully.
Much of the touring in the Everglades are handled by The Everglades National Park. The best way to start your trip is by going to their Visitor Center and have the staff brief you on what to expect in your excursion. The Visitor Center is mainly for people who haven’t been to the Everglades before and so there will be pamphlets and written information as well as the friendly staff members who are more than willing to answer whatever questions you may have regarding the Everglades and the tour.
There will be three entrances into the national park and you will get to pick one of them. But don’t worry too much about this because whatever entrance you pick and even if you go through just that one entrance alone, even if you visit the Everglades many times over, the exploration area will be so vast that there will be always new pathways in the kayak trails or in the hiking trails that you will discover. The three entrances are: The Shark Valley entrance, the Homestead National Park entrance and the Everglades City Entrance. All three entrances have something unique to offer.
The Shark Valley offers a 15 mile biking trail that’s surrounded by lush vegetation and peaceful streams. The place is so pristine you can see birds like herons and even alligators on the side of the street. They are used to seeing people so you don’t need to worry much about these animals so long as you don’t provoke them. The Homestead National Park entrance leads to an interior park which gives you an opportunity to stop for a picnic. This is ideal for those who wish to explore the Everglades for just half the day. The Everglades City entrance is great because it offers you an alternative to explore the Ten Thousand Islands right alongside experiencing the Everglades too.
Once you’re in the park, the best way to see the birds and even the alligators real close is through the Anhinga Trail. It’s a wooden boardwalk a little more than a kilometer long and it offers the best views, especially for the nature photographers who like to capture that picture perfect moment. And the best part is being in the boardwalk is totally safe so no need to worry about the bad gators.
For all things that are related to Naples, Florida, check out our website in Divine Naples and go to the Tourist Guide section. Or, better yet, visit us personally in our visitor center in 4th Ave. South, downtown Naples.
