Top 10 Facts about the Everglades National Park in Florida

By Everglades NPS -Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about the Everglades National Park in Florida

There are so many reasons why the Everglades is one of the top attractions in Florida.

The park has exceptional beauty and a massive acreage of marsh, mangrove, alligators and several other endangered species.

Located in South Florida, this park was established in 1947. It has been in existence for more than 7 decades, its beauty never fades.

This unique landscape has a subtropical climate making it a habitat for a diverse species but still remain a vulnerable ecosystem.

The park, however, faces threats such as invasive species, climate change and reduced water flows.

A lot of restoration and preservation of the park is ongoing in the park especially along the hiking trails to preserve some endangered plant species.

With that said, there is a lot more about this Park that you did not know.

Here are our picks for the top 10 facts about the Everglades National Park.

1. It is home to one of the largest wetlands in the world

The Everglades is one of the largest wetlands not only in the United States but also globally.

It is 1.5 million acres in size with the unmatched beauty of subtropical wilderness as well as being the third-largest park in the United States.

There are nine different habitats that have been identified in the park such as pine Rocklands, coastal lowlands and marine waters.

This park is famously known for its mangroves, sawgrass prairies and freshwater sloughs.

About a million tourists visit the park annually for different activities.

2. It took two decades to establish the Everglades national park

Draining of the Everglades started in the 1800s. this was done by investors which led to harmful destruction of the park.

Designation of the land as a national park started in the 20^th century. This effort was led by Ernest Coe a landscape architect in 1928.

He led this campaign to protect the fragile ecosystem of the park. It is a breeding place for tropical wading birds.

In 1934, Congress passed legislation to make the Everglades a National park.

It took another 13 years to acquire the land and mark the boundaries.

There are about 36 endangered animal species in the park.  

This park was designated as a UNESCO heritage site in 1976 alongside Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve.

3. The Everglades has unique flora and fauna

Florida Panther By Everglades NPS – Wikimedia

The Everglades National Park is home to different species of plants and animals.

There are 350 bird species, 300 freshwater and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals and 50 species of reptiles.

Some of the endangered species in this park include the manatee, American crocodile and the Florida panther.

Many different species of birds choose to stay at the Everglades during winter.  

The alligators found in the marl prairies burrow into the mud during the dry season.

These holes they burrow are in turn used by fish and other animals as homes until it floods again.

4. Native American tribes inhabited the park more than two centuries ago

A Calusa chickee at the Florida Museum of Natural History By Moni3 – Wikimedia

Historians believe that the Everglades had human occupants more than 20 centuries ago.

two distinct Native American tribes lived in the southern peninsula.

One of the tribes, Tequesta lived on the eastern side while the Calusa lived on the western side.

The Calusa were large in number and the Everglades acted as a natural boundary between the two tribes.

They were later on joined by other Indian tribes from northern Florida and Africans that escaped from slavery during the Creek War.

In 1842 after the end of the Seminole Wars, the Seminoles were lived near Oklahoma.

5. There are traces of tools used by the indigenous tribes of the Everglades

Archaeological findings at the Everglades show the type of tools the native tribes used in their daily activities.

They ate shellfish, fish, small mammals and wild plants. The tools they used were made of bones, wood, shell and animal teeth.

These tools were sharpened by soft limestone. Shark teeth were used as blades while sharpened reeds were used as arrows and spears.

Archaeologists and anthropologists have found evidence indicating that more than 20,000 people lived around the Everglades in the 16^th century.

6. There are so many adventurous things to do in the Everglades

By Mwanner – Wikimedia

Visitors to the Everglades can choose to canoe or kayak through the hundreds of miles of water trails.

The other activity at the park is biking through pine Rocklands or taking part in world-class fishing.

One popular activity at the park is slough slogging that is led by a ranger. This is a hike through the swamp while wearing protective shoes.

Hiking on dry ground is also an option and it varies in difficulty levels.

There are ranger-guided hikes as well as self-guided hikes that are half-mile long.

Camping at the park is available year-round. The campsites can be accessed by car, boat, or hiking.

7. Everglades National Park is home to the largest contiguous mangroves in the western hemisphere

The salty environment of the Everglades has allowed the mangroves to flourish.

These mysteriously beautiful plants serve an important role by cleaning the water as well as be a shelter to other marine creatures.

They also act as wind and hurricane breakers hence prevent erosion of the coastline. The mangroves are found along the coastline of South Florida.

8. The largest remaining subtropical wilderness left in North America

The Everglades is located between temperate North America and the tropical Caribbean.

This subtropical environment is home to diverse plants and animal species.

All these make the Park a complex ecosystem that attracts millions of tourists annually.

It provides adventurous individuals, nature enthusiasts, or a group of friends with an excellent experience.

9. Fire at the Everglades is important and common

Being a wetland, the thought of a fire at the Everglades may be unimaginable.

During the dry season, fire is caused by the drought-like setting.

While it may be thought to be destructive, fires at the Everglades balances out the ecosystem.

10. It is a source of clean drinking water to more than 8 million people

Photo by GLOBENCER on Unsplash

Cities along the west coast of Florida depend on desalinization for freshwater.

Millions of Floridians rely on the clean flowing water at the Everglades for their drinking needs.

Authorities at the park are doing a great job in keeping it clean from any possible contamination.