Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park is a special place in Florida that helps protect a big, important area of wetlands. It is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. Every year, about one million people visit this amazing park.

Everglades National Park was made a national park in 1947. It is very important because it was the first park created to protect a delicate environment made of wetlands and forests. This area is a key place for many animals, including tropical birds, mangroves, and animals like the Florida panther and the West Indian manatee.

For thousands of years, people have lived near the Everglades. But in the past, there were plans to drain the wetlands to build homes and farms. This changed the natural water flow, which hurt the park's plants and animals. Today, there are big efforts to restore the Everglades and help it return to its natural state.

Geography

Everglades National Park covers 1,508,976 acres, which is about 2,357.8 square miles or 6,106.6 square kilometers. It is located in Dade, Monroe, and Collier counties in Florida, at the southern tip of the Atlantic coastal plain. The land there is very low, with most of it only 0 to 8 feet above sea level. However, there is a special Calusa-built shell mound on the Gulf Coast that rises 20 feet above sea level.

Geology

The land in South Florida, where Everglades National Park is located, is very flat. The park sits on a special kind of rock called limestone, which helps create many different plant and animal homes. Long ago, this area was part of a huge landmass called Gondwana, which included Africa. Over time, the land moved and shallow seas filled with tiny shells, sand, and coral. These materials turned into limestone.

The land in Florida rose above the water between 100,000 and 150,000 years ago. When sea levels went up, water got closer to the land. This caused flooding around Lake Okeechobee and created big storms. Plants from both northern Florida and faraway islands in the Caribbean began to grow there. The limestone looks flat but has small rises and dips from water wearing it away. The amount of time water stays in one place decides what kind of soil forms there. Soil made from old plants, called peat, forms where water stays for more than nine months a year. Where water is less frequent, a grayish mud called marl forms from tiny water organisms. These soils help decide which plants can grow in different parts of the Everglades.

Climate

Everglades National Park has a tropical monsoon climate. This means summers are long, hot, and very wet, while winters are warm and dry. Scientists have noticed that some parts of the park are seeing higher water levels, similar to how the sea level is rising. This shows how the park's low-lying areas are affected by changes in the climate and the movement of saltwater.

Hydrography

The Everglades does not get its water from underground springs like other parts of Florida. Instead, it has a large underground layer of rock called the Floridan aquifer far below the ground. The ground in the Everglades can hold a lot of water because of the special rock underneath.

Most of the water in the Everglades comes from rain. Some of this rainwater evaporates and then falls again as rain over cities, giving them fresh water. Rain that falls north of the Everglades, including on the Kissimmee River and Lake Okeechobee, eventually flows into the park. When Lake Okeechobee overflows, the water spreads out in a wide, slow-moving river.

Ecosystems

Main article: Geography and ecology of the Everglades

When the Everglades National Park was created in 1947, it became the first U.S. park to protect animals and plants from a region rather than just mountains or canyons. The park has nine different ecosystems that change size based on water levels and other factors.

Freshwater sloughs are slow-moving rivers covered in water, home to birds like herons and waders, as well as alligators and snakes. Freshwater marl prairies lack moving water but still support many animals, with alligators creating water holes that help smaller creatures survive during dry times.

Tropical hardwood hammocks are small, dry areas with tall trees and many animals living below. Pineland areas, with their sandy soil and slash pines, need regular fires to stay healthy and support birds and mammals. Cypress trees grow in water-filled areas, providing homes for birds and small animals. Mangrove trees along the coast protect against storms and serve as nurseries for fish and birds. Coastal lowlands are salty marshes that flood during storms, supporting special plants and animals like seaside sparrows. Florida Bay, the park's largest water body, supports coral, seagrass, and many fish and birds.

Human history

Native peoples

Main article: Indigenous people of the Everglades region

Humans likely first lived in the South Florida region between 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. Two tribes of Native Americans developed on the southern tip of the peninsula: the Tequesta on the eastern side and the Calusa on the western side. The Everglades served as a natural boundary between them. The Tequesta lived in one large community near the mouth of the Miami River, while the Calusa lived in about 30 villages. Both groups traveled through the Everglades but rarely lived there, staying mostly along the coast.

Both tribes mainly ate shellfish, fish, small mammals, game, and wild plants. Since they only had soft limestone, most of their tools were made from shell, bone, wood, and animal teeth. They used shark teeth as cutting blades and sharpened reeds for arrows and spears. Shell mounds still exist in the park today, providing archaeologists and anthropologists with clues about the materials the native people used to make tools. Spanish explorers thought there were around 800 Tequesta and 2,000 Calusa when they first made contact. The National Park Service believes there were probably about 20,000 natives living in or near the Everglades when the Spanish arrived in the late 1500s. The Calusa lived in social strata and could build canals, earthworks, and shellworks. They were also able to resist Spanish attempts to take over.

The Spanish had contact with these societies and set up missions further north, near Lake Okeechobee. In the 1700s, invading Creeks absorbed the remaining Tequesta into their group. By 1800, neither the Tequesta nor Calusa tribes existed anymore. Disease, warfare, and being taken away as slaves caused both groups to disappear. Today, the only evidence they ever lived in the park is a series of shell mounds built by the Calusa.

In the early 1800s, people called Spanish Indians and Muspas lived in southern Florida. Around the same time, Creeks, escaped African slaves, and other Indians from northern Florida who were pushed out by the Creek War formed what is now called the Seminole nation. After the Seminole Wars ended in 1842, the Seminoles were supposed to move to Indian Territory near Oklahoma. However, a few hundred Seminole hunters and scouts stayed in what is now Big Cypress National Preserve to avoid being forced to move west. Some survivors of the Spanish Indians were also sent to Indian Territory with the Seminoles. From 1859 to about 1930, the Seminoles and Miccosukee lived in isolation, making a living by trading. In 1928, work began on the Tamiami Trail, a road along the northern edge of Everglades National Park. This road brought more people into the Everglades.

Some members of the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes still live within the park today. Park management requires approval from tribal representatives for new policies to ensure they do not conflict with the park's purpose.

American settlements

Following the end of the Seminole Wars, Americans began to settle along the coast in what is now the park, from the Ten Thousand Islands to Cape Sable. Communities grew on the two largest pieces of dry land in the area: on Chokoloskee Island and at Flamingo on Cape Sable. Both places set up post offices in the early 1890s. Chokoloskee Island is a shell mound, built about 20 feet high over many years by the Calusa. The settlements at Chokoloskee and Flamingo were trading centers for small groups of farmers, fishermen, and charcoal burners living in the Ten Thousand Islands. Until the 20th century, both settlements and more isolated homes could only be reached by boat. Everglades City, on the mainland near Chokoloskee, became wealthy for a short time starting in 1920 when it served as the headquarters for building the Tamiami Trail. A dirt road from Florida City reached Flamingo in 1922, and a causeway finally connected Chokoloskee to Everglades City on the mainland in 1956.

After the park was created, the government took private property in the Flamingo area and added it to the park as a visitor center.

Land development and conservation

Main article: Draining and development of the Everglades

Several efforts were made to drain and develop the Everglades in the 1880s. The first canals built did little harm because they could not drain much water. Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, who became governor in 1904, made drainage a big part of his campaign, calling it "The Empire of the Everglades". Broward ordered drainage work between 1905 and 1910, which was successful enough that land developers sold land for $30 per acre. They settled the town of Davie and developed areas in Lee and Dade counties. The canals also moved water that allowed fields to grow sugarcane.

In the 1920s, South Florida experienced a big increase in people, leading to a land boom that author Michael Grunwald called "insanity". Land was sold before any homes or buildings were built, sometimes even before any plans existed. New landowners, wanting to make money from their investments, quickly built homes and small towns on land that had recently been drained. Mangrove trees along the coast were cut down for better views and replaced with palm trees. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started building larger canals to control rising waters in the Everglades. However, Lake Okeechobee kept changing levels, the area often had heavy rain, and city planners kept struggling with the water. The 1926 Miami Hurricane caused levees around Lake Okeechobee to break, and hundreds of people south of the lake drowned. Two years later, the 1928 Okeechobee Hurricane took 2,500 lives when Lake Okeechobee overflowed again. Politicians who said the Everglades could not be lived in were proven wrong when a four-story wall, the Herbert Hoover Dike, was built around Lake Okeechobee. This wall stopped water from flowing into the Everglades.

After the wall was built, South Florida had a severe drought in 1939 that caused major wildfires. The large number of people moving in hurt the plants and animals. Foreign trees like melaleuca (Melaleuca quinquenervia) were brought in to help with drainage, and Australian pines were planted by developers as windbreaks. Timber was cut down for lumber. Alligators, birds, frogs, and fish were hunted in large numbers. Whole groups of wading birds' nests were shot to collect their feathers for women's hats in the early 1900s. The biggest change people made was diverting water away from the Everglades. Canals were made deeper and wider, causing water levels to drop sharply. This created problems in food webs. Salt water began to mix with fresh water in the canals, and by 1997, scientists found salt water seeping into the Biscayne Aquifer, which supplies water to South Florida.

In the 1940s, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a writer and former reporter for The Miami Herald, began researching the Everglades for a story about the Miami River. She spent five years studying the land and water and published The Everglades: River of Grass in 1947. She described the area in detail, including a chapter about how it was disappearing. Her book has sold 500,000 copies since it was published. Douglas devoted herself to protecting the environment and earned nicknames like "Grand Dame of the Everglades" and "Grandmother of the Everglades". She started an organization called Friends of the Everglades to protest a planned jetport in Big Cypress in 1968. The group, which now has over 4,000 members, continues to work to protect the Everglades. Douglas spoke and wrote about the importance of the Everglades until she passed away at age 108 in 1998.

Park history

Further information: Ernest F. Coe

People in Florida wanted to protect parts of the Everglades starting in the early 1900s. In 1916, they created Royal Palm State Park near Homestead. In 1923, naturalists from Miami suggested making the area a national park. By 1928, Florida created a commission to study protecting the land. The commission was led by Ernest F. Coe, who became known as the Father of Everglades National Park. He wanted a large park but had to agree to a smaller size.

Getting money to buy the land was hard, especially during the Great Depression. In 1934, the U.S. House of Representatives approved creating the park, but no money was given for five years. Finally, in 1947, President Harry Truman dedicated the park. That same year, storms caused many canals to be built, changing the water flow.

The Central and Southern Florida Flood Control Project built many canals and structures to control water. This project took water away from the park, causing problems. By the 1960s, the park was suffering. Efforts began to fix these issues and protect the park’s natural resources.

Restoration efforts

Further information: Restoration of the Everglades

In 1989, President George H. W. Bush signed a law to add land to the park and improve its water flow. In 2000, Congress approved the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) to restore the area. This plan aims to fix water management issues that hurt the park. It includes storing fresh water and building new wetlands to clean the water before it reaches the park. The plan also plans to remove canals that divert water away from the Everglades.

CERP projects aim to capture a lot of fresh water daily, store it, and release it to areas in South Florida. The plan also includes building man-made wetlands and destroying old canals. Over the years, hurricanes have caused damage to park structures, but the natural areas often recover.

Park economics

Everglades National Park brings in money through visitors. In 2005, the park had a budget of over $28 million. Visitors in 2006 spent money in the park and nearby areas, supporting local jobs and economies. While restoring the park costs money, it also brings economic benefits by improving the environment.

Administration

The park was placed into Administrative Region I in 1937. This region was later called the Southeast Region and then restructured into the Southeast Area. It is now part of Region 2.

Activities

The Everglades National Park is busy from December to March when it is cooler and there are fewer insects. The park has five visitor centers. The Shark Valley Visitor Center is west of Miami on U.S. Route 41. From there, you can walk a path to an observation tower. The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center is near Homestead and starts a long road through different ecosystems. The Guy Bradley Visitor Center and marina at Flamingo is open mostly during busy times. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center is near Everglades City and gives access to a long canoe trail. The Royal Palm Visitor Center was the first center and is still part of the park. The western coast and the Ten Thousand Islands can only be reached by boat.

Trails

There are many walking trails on Pine Island, where you can see interesting plants and animals. The Anhinga Trail is short and takes you through a marsh where you might see alligators and birds. The Gumbo Limbo Trail is another short walk through a forest with tall trees. Longer trails wind through pine areas and have boardwalks through cypress forests and dense woods. Near Flamingo, tougher trails go through mangrove swamps where you can watch birds. Some trails might be hard to walk on depending on the season because of insects and water levels. Rangers lead tours during busy times.

Camping and recreation

You can camp year-round in Everglades National Park. There are places to camp with some services at Long Pine Key and near Flamingo. Some spots are for recreational vehicles, but they don’t have all the services. You need special permits for back-country camping along the canoe trail, the Gulf Coast, and the keys. Some back-country sites are open-air structures, while others are on beaches or the ground.

Small motorboats are allowed, but most areas are quiet zones to protect animals. Jet skis, airboats, and other fast water vehicles are not allowed. You can use kayaks and canoes on many trails. You need a state license to fish. Fresh water fishing licenses are not sold in the park, but you can get a salt water license. Swimming is not recommended because of animals like alligators, crocodiles, and sharp coral. The park is a great place for watching and photographing birds because of its many different species.

Dark skies site

Some parts of Everglades National Park are great for looking at the stars because there is not much light pollution. The best places to see the stars are in the remote southern and western areas, like Flamingo and the Ten Thousand Islands. The Milky Way looks brightest when you look south toward areas with the least light. From 2006 to 2024, the park has kept light levels low, helping protect the dark sky.

Threats to the park and ecology

Diversion and quality of water

Today, less than half of the Everglades that existed before people started changing it remains. Many bird populations have dropped by 90 percent since the 1940s. This happened because water has been taken away to give to growing cities in South Florida. In the 1950s and 1960s, many miles of canals, levees, gates, and pumping stations were built to send water toward cities and away from the Everglades. With less water, fish become easier for animals to catch, and plants like sawgrass can dry up and catch fire. This hurts many animals that depend on the Everglades, including birds. Water quality is also a problem because of things like nitrates and mercury in the water. These can harm both animals and people.

Urban encroachment

Cities growing near the park put pressure on its water and wildlife. Florida is getting more people every day, and building homes, shops, and factories close to the park can harm its balance of nature. Pollution from these areas can also affect the park’s plants and animals.

Climate change and sea level rise

Climate change, especially rising sea levels, is a big worry for the park. The land in the Everglades is very low, so saltwater can easily move in. This hurts fresh water areas and the animals that live there, like birds and the Florida panther. As sea levels rise, it will be harder to keep the right amount of fresh water in the park. Changes in weather patterns also affect how much rain the area gets, which can further change water levels and hurt the park’s plants and animals.

Endangered and threatened animals

Many animals in the park are protected because they are in danger. The American crocodile, once hunted for its skin, now lives only in South Florida and faces threats from losing its home and accidents on roads. The Florida panther, one of the world’s most endangered big cats, has about 230 left in the wild. They face many dangers, including losing their home, accidents with cars, and health problems. Several kinds of sea turtles, like the green and loggerhead turtles, are also endangered because of losing their homes, illegal taking, and fishing practices. The Cape Sable seaside sparrow, a bird found only in the Everglades, has fewer than half the numbers it had in the 1980s. The Everglades snail kite, a special bird that eats apple snails, also struggles because of changes in water levels and loss of its food. The West Indian manatee, now listed as threatened, still faces dangers from boat collisions and losing its home.

Drought, fire, and rising sea levels

Fire can be a natural part of the landscape after lightning storms, but when there is not enough water, fires can become very harmful. Some trees and plants can take many years to grow back after a fire. Rising sea levels, caused by changes in the Earth’s climate, are another big challenge. Since 1932, sea levels have risen, and in the future, much of the park could be covered by saltwater. This would greatly change the park’s land and affect many important places. Plans are in place to help fix water problems in the park, but the situation remains difficult.

Non-native species

Animals and plants that are not natural to the Everglades can cause big problems. Without the natural controls they have in their own homes, these outsiders can grow too fast and hurt the park’s native species. Many foreign plants were brought in for decoration and have become invasive, like the melaleuca tree and Brazilian pepper. Some animals, such as the Burmese python, have also caused serious harm by eating native animals. Controlling these invasive species costs a lot of money and takes hard work, but it is important to protect the park’s natural balance. Efforts are underway to remove harmful plants like Australian Pine Trees that take water and space from native plants.