The Everglades

For centuries before it was a National Park, this landscape was a sanctuary for the Seminole and Miccosukee people. To them, the Everglades was not a swamp to be drained, but a provider of medicine, food, and protection.

During the 19th century, these tribes used the "impenetrable" nature of the sawgrass prairies and cypress domes to resist forced removal, creating a legacy of resilience that is woven into the very soil of the park.

In the early 20th century, the "River of Grass" was viewed as a wasteland to be "reclaimed" for agriculture. It was through the tireless work of conservationists like Marjory Stoneman Douglas and Ernest F. Coe that the tide turned.

Their vision led to the park's dedication by President Harry S. Truman in 1947, marking a pivotal moment in American history where a landscape was preserved not for its mountains or canyons, but for its biological necessity.

To the south lies Flamingo, where the sawgrass meets the salt of Florida Bay. Here, the mangrove forests act as a rugged barrier, protecting the coast and providing a gateway to the remote backcountry routes that define the American subtropics.

To understand the scale of the park, one must visit its two extremes. At Shark Valley, the heart of the freshwater marsh, an observation tower offers a panoramic view of the horizon where the sky meets the endless sweep of the glades.