The national park of Everglades is located at the extreme south-west of the American State of the Florida.

General information

Created in 1947, classified with the World heritage of UNESCO in 1979, the National park of Everglades (“eternal marshes”) occupies, in the south of the Florida, an immense marshy area. On the level of the Biodiversity, Everglades represent on 6.070 km ², major but such a single ecosystem in the world.

Indeed, this gigantic subtropical Marsh invaded by the Mangrove, shelters many animal species and floral, protected. It is an area where nest of important populations of birds and the only one where the Lamantin S cohabit with Alligator S and Crocodile S.

Situation

Located at the south of Florida, between the Biscayn bay and the port of Miami to the east and Tampa in the west, this Natural park, single in the world in fact an immense populated marsh of more than 10  is; 000 islands where the Mangrove abounds. This national park, very supervised by the local guards, shelters an exceptional fauna and a flora.

Practical advices

Circulation

• In the car: there are only 2 cross “roads”: the Tamiami trail (which connects Tampa to Miami) and Alligator Alley, become now Everglades Parkway US 75 (attention: toll).

Caution: there is only one service station on these roads, to fill the tank before leaving, on a side like other. There also exists of other minor roads: Flamingo trail, Anhinga trail, etc

• But for all those which have the nostagie sirens and of Flipper the dolphin, the hydroplane, represents the ideal Means of transport to sail on the marshes and to traverse the mangrove, best is to take one of these named “airboat”.

The National park of Everglades is interdict to any motorized boat, but around are proposed more or less long ballades on private grounds. The machine, the “funny one of machine” as the Cajuns say is rather rustic. It is not, in fact, that broad a Barge from 5 to 8 m flat-bottomed length, out of wood, plastic, aluminum where goods and passengers are placed with before (what releases the sight) whereas with the back a species of “headland is” on which are perched the pilot and a pétaradant engine which actuates an enormous propeller. The machine starts carefully of the landing stage; it backfire already strong because of free exhaust. In large grasses, the first “gators” mollement dissimulated are quickly discovered. If the machine sinks with 55 miles (70 km/h) in straight line, it is much less at ease in the turns which it is necessary to negotiate well in advance… However nothing (if they are not the trees) stops this machine, neither water, neither mud, nor the grasses.

The stay

• Hotels: they are with Miami, Tampa and Flamingo City.

Bear Lake, the Flamingo Visitor Center as well as the Micosukee Indian village are the other places of interest to visit. There, one will be able to get Indian memories “authentic”: Paintings, lances, Tomahawk S, etc

• Camp-site: it is difficult to plant its tent in wild camp-site.

But especially attention with the “devouring” mosquitos!

Fauna and Flora

The Flora: Everglades, a lesson of botany

An astonishing landscape… flat, surprisingly flat, here neither skyscrapers, nor mountains, only the trees draw a watershed. Here Cypress bald person S and Séquoia S disputes it, in splendor, with the pine S and the oaks of the marshes.

If the Mangrove is let with difficulty penetrate, one can discover there frays with the hyacinths of water and the Roseau X, of superb Orchidée S but also of the plants carnivores…

Further, in Flamingo city, the Palm tree S and the Cactus take again their rights…

Fauna

Birds

A flotilla of Aquicultural S: - Pelican S, Eagle with white head (Bald Eagle), sinning Osprey (osprey); Owl of the marshes; Gallinule violet of America… - a crowd of wader S: snow-covered brushes, ashy Héron and Large héron, pink flamingos,…

Mammals

Splendid Loutre S piscivorous mixes with the Lamantin S (or manatee in English) Herbivore S.

The raccoons them, play to hide - well badly and in family - close to mangrove or at the edge of the trail in the hope to receive some Friandise (attention: rigorously prohibited!).

Reptiles

The caiman S even “babies” have already pretty teeth which seek only one easy prey to devour: eggs, rodents, snakes… not to confuse them with the Crocodile S.

One finds there also several kinds of tortoise S, of which typical the Tortue with orange belly.

There are also other types of meetings: snakes, spiders of all kinds… (attention, some are poisonous!) without speaking about fish, shellfish (crayfish S and shells of all species…

External bonds

• Card of the park on site UNEP-WCMC

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