Florida’s Everglades make up the largest sub-tropical wilderness on the United States mainland and were designated a national park in 1947. Both temperate and tropical plant communities are represented in the park’s 610,684 hectares (1,509,000 acres), including cypress swamps, pinelands and sawgrass prairies. Florida Bay, the largest body of water within the park, covering 2072 sq km (800 sq miles), is home to fish, shellfish, coral and sponges. The park is particularly well known for its abundant birdlife. Other endangered species protected in the park are the Green turtle, the Key Largo Cotton mouse, the American crocodile and the Schaus swallowtail butterfly. The park’s five visitor centres provide information on the flora and fauna in the Everglades, as well as details of various park trails. Hiking and canoeing trails start at Flamingo Visitor Center, Gulf Coast Visitor Center and Shark Valley Visitor Center. Shark Valley Center also hires out bicycles and visitors can take a narrated tram ride or a boat tour of the park.

Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, USA
Tel: (305) 242 7700
Website: www.nps.gov/ever

Air: Miami International Airport or Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers). Rail: Train: Miami Amtrak Station.

Visit Florida
PO Box 1100, Tallahassee, FL 32302-1100, USA
Tel: (850) 488 5607. Fax: (850) 224 2938. Website: www.flausa.com
Visit Florida (UK)
Roebuck House, First Floor Mezzanine, Palace Street, London SW1E 5BA, UK
Tel: (020) 7630 6602 or (09001) 600 555 (24-hour information hotline; calls cost 60p per minute).
Fax: (020) 7630 7703. E-mail: cbrodie@flausa.com

United States of America