46 RIVERS & SHORES
the
everglades
SOUTHERN FLORIDA
The constant creep of slow water weaves a
spell in Everglades National Park, beautiful-
ly shaping and transforming one of the wild-
est and most diverse wetland ecosystems in
North America. Cypress swamps, sawgrass
marsh, mangrove forest, and numerous
other habitats across the park’s 1.5 million
acres (6,070 sq km) provide a rich refuge
for wildlife that includes such rare species
as the manatee, Florida panther, and Ameri-
can crocodile.
DON’T MISS
Take a naturalist-led boat tour to get to the dense,
swampy heart of the Everglades, twisting through
thick mangrove forest, or to the park’s more open
saltwater margins on the trail of alligators, raccoons,
bobcats, dolphins, and other wildlife.
A heron takes wing in Everglades National Park, fly-
ing over cypress swamps and mangrove forests that
form one of the world’s most important wetlands.