Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S. Located in southern Florida (25.39 degrees N, 80.68 degrees W), it is the 3rd largest in the lower 48 states (That means besides Alaska and Hawaii). It became a park in 1934 when Ernest Coe finally convinced Congress to make it a National Park after quite a few years.
Alligator with Turtles
Basically, Everglades National Park is a bunch of saw grass marshes and mangrove forests. One of it's nick names is "the River of Grass," as you can see (Right). But there are also parts covered in water, as seen below. There are hiking trails through the marsh as seen in the bottom right. Other things to do include canoeing and camping.
Lots of people come for birdwatching and watching other animals. It's a very popular activity. Many exotic, rare or endangered species call the Everglades home. Animals including alligators, soft shell turtles and wood storks also live there.
Softshell Turtle (left), Wood Stork (above)
Having been formed by excess water from Okeechobee Lake, the Everglades are home to many marsh animals, one of their most famous being the alligator. It can get really hot in the summer due to the location- it's about as south as you can get in Florida- so it's great for reptiles.The Everglades were made a National Park because of it's biological resources. The Everglades are almost unique. As any tourist should know, people worked hard to keep it this way. We shouldn't let their work go to waste.
