Deep Down in the Everglades

Deep Down in the Everglades

paulfuchs2016

March 15-17, 2022 —

After a somewhat underwhelming visit to Biscayne National Park, Maria and I tempered our expectations for Florida. We figured Biscayne would be one of the coolest spots we would visit, so we assumed that our remaining stops would disappoint. I already had low expectations for the Everglades, anyway. Most of what I’d heard about the park included: pesky mosquitoes, flat lands, dangerous alligators, sticky heat, and swamp. So, it was hard to stay overly optimistic as we departed the comfort of North Palm Beach for the park.

The drive from the coast – in keeping with my expectations – was far from exciting. We spent about an hour traversing the outskirts of Miami, then crossed into the grasslands near the park’s boundary. We kept our eyes open for alligators, but failed to find any. The clouds arrived early in the morning and blocked out the sun, casting a dreary shadow over our surroundings. My mind kept wandering to thoughts about camping with mosquitoes. It was all a bit… bleak.

When we finally rolled up to the Shark Valley entrance station at 10:30 AM, my perspective completely changed…

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Day 1: So Many Alligators!

As we approached the Shark Valley Visitor Center, an explosion of wildlife greeted us. Birds abounded in the nearby shrubs and grasslands (technically freshwater slough). Alligators lined the edge of the nearby canal. We no longer felt surrounded by development or population centers. We stepped out of the car, and I quickly changed my mind about the dreary-looking clouds. Though they threatened rain, they provided much-needed shade from the harsh sun. The humidity felt more bearable with their presence.

Maria and I stretched our legs and layered on sunscreen and bug spray. Then, we embarked on our first activity of the Everglades: biking the Shark Valley Tram Trail. The paved loop runs straight south from the visitor center along a canal. Once reaching its southernmost point – a huge observation tower – it works back north via a winding road through freshwater slough. While it’s possible to ride a paid tram on the trail, we opted for the bike route. The trams are crowded, touristy, and impersonal with nature. Taking a bike allows for a more intimate experience with your surroundings and provides some casual exercise. In short: I recommend taking the bike.

Biking Along the Canal

The ride started off strong. We passed a LOT of alligators that were lounging along the side of the canal. Any space not taken by gators was occupied by wading birds, like herons, egrets, ibises, and anhingas. The amount of wildlife was delightful and surreal. That – coupled with the shade the clouds offered and a light breeze – made for a pleasant ride.



During the ride, we discovered that alligators are actually quite docile. While media often depicts them as aggressive, terrifying, man-eating lizards, in reality they spend most of their time basking in the sun. Fatal alligator attacks happen, yes, but they are rare and typically caused by inappropriate behavior on the humans’ part. If you leave a gator alone, give them space, and don’t feed them, there’s a 99.99% chance they won’t bother you. This was emphasized many times by various park rangers we talked to during our stay. That truth allowed us to appreciate each alligator we saw and kept Maria calm in their presence.

Endless Miles of Swamps

Shortly after noon, we reached the observation tower at the trail’s southern terminus. At 70 feet high, it is the highest elevation that visitors can reach in the park. Due to the flat and low landscape all around, visitors atop the tower can easily see 10-20 miles in every direction.

Maria poses in front of the Shark Valley Observation Tower
Maria posing with the observation tower, with plenty other visitors in the background

With binoculars in tow, Maria and I spent thirty minutes taking in the views. We created panoramas, took pictures and videos of alligators below, and observed birds through the binocular lenses. At one point, a ranger with a group of young students requested that everyone remain quiet for sixty seconds, allowing those on deck to listen to the sounds of the “river of grass” without disturbance. We even spotted a crocodile (yes, not an alligator) among the brush below the tower. We didn’t think much of the sighting at first, until a ranger later told us that only two crocodiles had been recorded living in that part of the park. So, it was a much rarer sighting than the crocodiles we’d later see down by the coast.

Freshwater slough stretches below a blue sky
A panorama of the northern part of the Everglades


We came down from the tower and took shelter from a thunderstorm that had materialized overhead. Once the rain cleared, we returned to our bikes and began heading north back to the visitor center. Without the canal around us, we saw less gators. But, grasslands replaced the trees, allowing us to see birds hunting and wading for miles around us. The breeze continued to keep us cool as the sun tried to decide if it wanted to shine or not.

Little Baby Alligators

Upon our return to the visitor center, we witnessed a family of newborn alligators lounging in an alcove by the tram trail. The mother sat nearby, eyeing her family’s observers to ensure they kept their distance. After watching the baby gators for a bit, we ventured into the visitor center.

Baby alligators crawl over one another among grass
Can you spot the baby gators blending in with their surroundings?

While looking at souvenirs, one of the rangers approached us to inquire about our plans in Everglades. When I told him we planned to camp at Flamingo, the park’s hub on the coast, he was shocked. “Don’t you know how bad the mosquitoes down there are?” Clearly, I didn’t, or I wouldn’t have booked a campsite there. He recommended that we check for open spots at the Long Pine Key campground, which is considered a much more mosquito-tolerable spot. I thanked him for the information, but – unable to do anything about it until the evening – spent the afternoon worriedly thinking about those damn blood-sucking insects.

An Airboat Full of Tourists

In the meantime, Maria and I moved on to Everglades Safari Park for an airboat ride. I’d been on an airboat before, but never in the Everglades themselves. Unfortunately, the experience just reminded us that the touristy activities at national parks are always several steps down from everything else. We still enjoyed the ride, but having 20+ people around us with their phones out detracted from the experience. Plus, we’d just finished seeing dozens of alligators at Shark Valley, so seeing a few more didn’t blow our minds.

A gaggle of tourists observe their surroundings aboard an airboat in Everglades National Park
Our view from the airboat: the swamp obscured by lots of people

A complimentary gator show followed the airboat ride, bringing our total “gator count” for the day to 85. Then, we returned to Gloria and began the drive towards the campgrounds. While Maria napped, I took out my phone to investigate that park ranger’s claims about the mosquitoes in Flamingo. Surely he was exaggerating, right?

Nope.

Praying the Mosquitoes Away

Turns out, the mosquitoes in Flamingo are historically horrendous. While it depends on the time of year and precipitation levels (the wet, hot summers see the worst mosquitoes), the area is notorious for the biting insect. It is so bad that there is a “mosquito meter” on the Flamingo Visitor Center that warns visitors of their current intensity. Maria with her O+ blood would be eaten alive there. I began pleading with God that Long Pine Key would have an open campsite.

We pulled up to the Long Pine Key office 45 minutes later and told the attendant about our predicament. His response? He said: “The mosquitoes in Flamingo would pick up your tiny car and fly away with it!” Thanks, friend, for calming my nerves!

After 10-15 minutes of anxiously waiting for the second attendant – who knew how to work the computer – to return, she delivered our verdict. The campground had an open site!

Setting Up Camp

My mood immediately improved. The attendants transferred our reservation to Long Pine Key and we thanked them profusely. We pulled up to our campsite and I began erecting our tent while Maria cooked dinner. The weather was gorgeous. The late afternoon sun cast golden colors and large shadows across the beautiful pine forest that surrounded us. The air was pleasantly warm thanks to a light breeze coming from the south. Mosquitoes were few and far between. We were happy campers.

Maria prepares dinner next to a tent at the Long Pine Key Campground in Everglades National Park
Our campground and its surroundings. Not too shabby!

Sunset in the Everglades

We concluded our day with dinner and a visit to the Pa-hay-okee Overlook to watch the sunset. There were few others on the short trail, which allowed us to listen to the wildlife during golden hour peacefully. We returned to Long Pine Key, showered, changed into fresh clothes, and retreated to our tent as the stars appeared. Day 1 in the Everglades was a resounding – and surprising – success.

The sun sets at the Pa-hay-okee Overlook in Everglades National Park
Sunset from Pa-hay-okee Overlook

Day 2: Birthday in a Kayak

After an excellent night of sleep, we awoke in the early hours of dawn on Maria’s 24th birthday. My gift to her was the promise of another great day in the Everglades (and – later that week – a fancy seafood dinner in Key West). We filled up our water containers and hopped into Gloria for the 40-minute drive to Flamingo, where we had reserved a kayak. In the early-morning light, we listened to 80s rock and pop as we passed through many unique ecosystems. Pineland became freshwater marl prairie, which became cypress, which became mangrove, which became coastal prairie.

We arrived in Flamingo and retrieved our kayak from a Flamingo Adventures booth. The attendants told us that mosquitoes in the area had been mild lately, suggesting I was far more worried about our camping situation the day before than I should have been. However, it was good news for us that morning, since it implied a fairly bug-free kayaking excursion.

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Crocodile Dundee

Maria and I casted off onto the Buttonwood Canal at about 8:30 AM. Immediately, we met our first visitor in the canal: a crocodile cruising through the water. Since crocodiles prefer saltwater environments, they are much more common near the coastal Flamingo area than they are inland. This encouraged us to keep our eyes peeled for more: we were eager to rack up a decent amount of crocodile sightings.

A crocodile wades through the Buttonwood Canal
Our first crocodile friend of the day. Like alligators, they like to keep to themselves, and don’t bother you as long as you don’t bother them

Kayaking Through the Wilderness

As we trekked further north, the sounds of the road and the Flamingo facilities gradually disappeared. As the first ones on the canal, we were completely alone with the sights and sounds of nature. It was a peaceful and serene experience. We saw and heard plenty of birds and an occasional fish swam by us. The sun was low enough that we were entirely in the shade, and there were few bugs around to bite us. We were happy kayakers.

Maria smiles in a kayak in the Buttonwood Canal in Everglades National Park
Maria deciding that kayaking isn’t a bad way to spend a birthday

Manatees!

About an hour in, I spotted something large break the water several hundred feet ahead of us. It didn’t look like a gator or a crocodile at first glance, and I knew there were manatees in the canal. I told Maria and our hearts both leaped with anticipation. Manatees are one of her favorite animals: she’d never seen one in the wild, and I’d never seen one up close. Sure enough, the mystery animal broke the water again close to our kayak, and this time we were sure of it: it was a manatee!

The sea cow glided past our kayak moving the opposite direction, so we turned around sharply to follow it. We both were bursting with excitement, and my heart was racing. Maria steered the kayak as I got out my phone to take a video. We followed it for about ninety seconds before deciding to leave it alone, satisfied with the encounter. Maria turned around simply to exclaim to me: “That was SO COOL!”

It was – indeed – SO COOL!


Fighting the Wind in Coot Bay

After our close manatee encounter, we spotted a couple more of the sea cows coming up for air around us. We didn’t get as close to the others as we did to the first, but it was comforting to know that we had so many gentle giants in the water around us. Thirty minutes later, the canal deposited us into Coot Bay. We spent another thirty minutes traversing the shallow waters in the bay. During that time, we witnessed birds flying overhead and a school of fish jumping out of the water. Once the wind started to pick up, we hastily turned around. We had learned our lesson the previous year about kayaking against strong wind, and did not want a repeat lesson.

Maria guides a kayak through Coot Bay in Everglades National Park
Maria leading the charge as we venture into Coot Bay

We spent another two hours making our way back to the starting point. During the return trip, we passed dozens of kayakers and a couple of motor boats. If we had gotten started thirty minutes later than we did, we would have missed out on our earlier intimacy with the natural surroundings. There’s my reminder to all those reading this: the earlier you start the day in a national park, the better. As we moved back south, we caught brief glimpses of other manatees and saw several more crocodiles. When we returned to the dock around 12:30 PM, we both felt fulfilled by our morning on the water.

Walking, Not Hiking

We spent the remainder of our day engaging in some chill activity. We began the afternoon by eating lunch on the coast by the Flamingo Visitor Center, which was under construction. Then, we ventured on to the campground we almost stayed at and did a brief walk around Eco Pond. On the way back to our campground, we stopped by the Snake Bight Trail. The hike itself was easy, straight, and completely flat. Its end viewpoint, however, made the 4-mile round trip worthwhile. Our timing was lucky enough that only one other person was on the boardwalk at the trail’s end. This gave us time to silently observe the surrounding wildlife with our binoculars and study Florida Bay in the distance.



Moving on from Snake Bight, we popped over to the Mahogany Hammock Trail. This short boardwalk trail highlighted the impressive biodiversity in Everglades, especially in its varied ecosystems. The park’s freshwater marl prairie areas contain hardwood hammock “islands,” one of which this trail explored. Upon venturing onto the boardwalk, it felt like we’d been transported to a rainforest. Tall, lush vegetation abounded around us, making for an interesting and beautiful walk.

Paul stands on a boardwalk in the Mahogany Hammock Trail
Me standing on a boardwalk, part of the Mahogany Hammock Trail

We departed Mahogany Hammock around 5:30 PM and returned to Long Pine Key, where we wound down for the day. I helped Maria cook a Mexican-inspired dinner using entirely nonperishable food, which was surprisingly delicious. Both her parents and mine called us to wish Maria a happy birthday. We used those calls to excitedly tell them about our adventures over the previous two days.

Learning About the Everglades

To conclude our day, we attended our first-ever… drum roll please… ranger program! Since the amphitheater was a 5-minute walk from our tent, we figured we’d check it out. The program we attended focused on Everglades’ portrayal in the media. Movies, TV, and music all love to make Everglades look like a dangerous, obstacle-ridden place filled with deadly flora and fauna. The program’s leader used her time to debunk many of those misconceptions, making for an entertaining and informative hour under the stars. After that, we were off to bed.

Curious park-goers sit in an amphitheater as a park ranger gives a presentation
The amphitheater at the Long Pine Key campground, where we enjoyed a ranger program

Day 3: Wildlife and Nike Hercules Missiles

At 12:30 AM, I woke up to laughter. Loud laughter. The campsite across the path from ours had been vacated the day before. Its new residents apparently arrived during the middle of the night, and it seemed sleep wasn’t on their agenda. My annoyance got the best of me. I rolled over to Maria – who was also awake – to indicate I was about to say something. She shook her head, but it was too late. I shouted: “HEY! It’s 1 in the morning, can you at least try and be quiet?!?”

Thankfully, my aggravated-dad vibe was enough to quiet them down, and I fell back asleep.

At 6 AM, I woke up to laughter. Again. Our neighbors – who I determined were college students from the Miami area – had never gone to bed. They had stayed up all night talking, laughing, drinking alcohol, and smoking weed. If they had been at a resort, a college campus, or a beach, I could have excused their behavior. But at a national park’s campground? A place where people come to enjoy the serenity of nature and where quiet hours are posted? It was ridiculous.

I resisted the urge to approach them and give them a piece of my mind. Doing so seemed pointless anyway, since I had woken up only 30 minutes before my alarm, and dawn was already breaking. As Maria and I began disassembling our tent, they piled into one of their cars and drove off. Good riddance, I thought. I spent much of our preparation time in the morning fuming over their behavior. We finished packing our campsite, re-loaded Gloria, and departed Long Pine Key for our final hours in the Everglades.

Sunrise and Wildlife

Our first stop – the Anhinga Trail – was the perfect cure for my annoyance at those college kids. The trail is one of the park’s most popular due to its wildlife, and we were able to experience that quality to its fullest in the early-morning light.

The sun rises over the Anhinga Trail
Sunrise on the Anhinga Trail

All around us, birds chirped, cawed, and babbled. The trail follows several ponds and marshes that are filled with fish and birds hunting them. During our visit to the trail, we witnessed anhingas slithering through the water, ibises trekking through grass, herons flying overhead, gallinules hopping across lily pads, and cormorants perching in the trees. We even spotted an alligator and some turtles. It was a surreal and beautiful experience. We talked to a couple of birdwatchers to learn more about the birds we were seeing, adding an educational layer to the morning. Neither I nor Maria consider ourselves a bird enthusiast, but we still absolutely loved the trail.


Everglades and the Cold War

After that delightful stop on the Anhinga Trail, we decided to check out the HM69 Nike Missile Base, a historical site at the heart of the park. Built shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis, the site was designed to protect against a possible Soviet attack from the south. The site was used during the Cold War, and its use ceased in 1979. It was later added to the U.S. Register of Historic Places in 2004, and now stands as a historically significant point-of-interest within Everglades.

We timed our stop perfectly, arriving the moment a park volunteer was opening one of the missile barns. The volunteer – a U.S. Army veteran – gave us and another family a rundown of the site’s history. Then, we walked around the barn, observing several historical artifacts and a de-armed Nike Hercules missile. It made the small part of me that is still fascinated by aerospace engineering very happy.

A Nike Hercules missile sits in a warehouse in Everglades National Park
I wouldn’t want to be the target at the other end of that missile…

To wrap up our time in the park, we stopped by the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. There, we perused a museum on the Everglades’ wildlife, bought a souvenir, and took our obligatory photo with the national park’s entrance sign. It was a clean conclusion to a solid morning in the park, and the whole morning was the cherry on top of our visit.

Maria and Paul pose atop the entrance sign of Everglades National Park
Our final photo on park property before heading to Key West

In Conclusion…

Everglades National Park was the biggest surprise of my week with Maria in Florida. I expected boring flatlands, pesky mosquitoes, occasional wildlife, and lots of heat. Instead, the park treated Maria and me to a tour through fascinating & distinct ecosystems, a showcase of Florida’s most interesting wildlife, a pleasant camping experience (minus those college kids), temperate weather, relatively bugless outdoor activities, and some wonderful memories. I loved the park way more than I imagined I would and left for Key West with a smile on my face.

Challenges of the Everglades

Of the American national parks, Everglades faces some of the most dangerous existential threats. Since the park is effectively one massive, shallow river flowing from the north, it relies on upstream water supplies to thrive. In the mid-20th century, huge amounts of water were diverted from the park into cities. This impacted the park’s health dramatically, which has only partly recovered since then due to recent water diversion infrastructure projects. Nearby cities – like Miami – disrupt the park’s ecosystems, and surrounding population centers threaten endangered species housed in the park like the Florida panther.

The rising sea level is a more recent threat to the park. Since Everglades is at such low elevation, small changes in the ocean level present a hazard. Saltwater encroachment on the park’s predominantly freshwater environment poses a grave concern to its wildlife. If the sea continues to rise at projected rates, much of the park could be underwater in the not-so-distant future. Projects are underway to try and mitigate this effect, but we also need to address the climate change causing that effect.

Finally, non-native species – especially the Burmese python – pose a continued threat to the park. The aforementioned python has devastated certain small mammalian species’ populations in the park, like the marsh rabbit’s. The National Park Service has a program in place for visitors to report python sightings – check into this before you visit.

In short: Everglades is a stunning haven for Florida’s most fascinating flora and fauna. Its existence and a healthy future for its wildlife are largely dependent on our day-to-day and long-term actions. Everglades reminded me how important it is to fight my own complacency. Choosing sustainability in the way I live – and inspiring others to join me – could have a large butterfly effect in our fight against future ecological disasters both in Florida and on a larger scale. I urge you to join me in that effort. Search for ways to reduce the plastic waste and garbage you generate. Cut meat – especially beef – out of your diet. Choose green energy where possible. Rely on more sustainable modes of transportation where reasonable. If you ever need ideas or suggestions: give me a shout.

I adored Everglades National Park, and I encourage all those reading this to seek out the same adventure that Maria and I did. Hopefully, the attention we give to the park will shine a spotlight on big issues that still need solutions. Whenever you visit the park, I hope it affects you like it affected me.

— Paul

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