Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
ThoughitcertainlywoundedtheEverglades—damageismostvisibleinthehigh,head-
less palms and the tall pines with missing limbs—Andrew, like all hurricanes, was part of
the park's natural cycle. These storms' rains are critical, and while the fierce winds often
topple trees, they also distribute seeds, open new windows for sun-loving flora, fertilize
plants as they decay, and carve fresh habitats for other fauna.
3.
Royal Palm Visitor Center
As you head west toward the Royal Palm visitor center (located off a spur road leading
south), you may encounter sunbathing turtles, great egrets, and hordes of butterflies. The
visitor center, a concrete oasis tucked beneath palms, serves as the starting point for two
short but exciting nature trails, each one providing a chance to see wildlife up close. From
the Anhinga Trail you might spy alligators, marsh rabbits, and of course, the animal that
gives the path its name, a bird with a razor-sharp bill that it uses to spear fish. While walk-
ingtheGumboLimboTrail,youcanstudyawidevariety ofaerial orchidsandferns,along
with the gumbo limbo itself, a graceful smooth-barked red tree once used for making ca-
rousel horses.
4.
Pa-hay-okee Overlook
Whenthewatersarehighandtheairisstill,theshimmeringsawgrasslooksasifit'sgrow-
ing from glass. The tranquil glades then become an aquatic mirror, with clusters of green
extending aboveandbelowthesurface.Inreality,ofcourse,themirrorismoving.Flowing
southward from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay, the water of the Everglades—only six
inches deep in many spots—glide at the rate of less than one mile per day across porous
limestone bedrock. At the Pa-hay-okee Overlook, some 10 miles west of Royal Palm, you
can appreciate the sheer immensity of this expanse, a massive sheet of water whose move-
ment to the ocean is all but imperceptible on most occasions.
5.
Mahogany Hammock
Within minutes you'll reach Mahogany Hammock, a thick jungle alive with the strains of
animal music: the bellowing of alligators, the dizzying buzz of mosquitoes, and the unmis-
takable ribbits of frogs. A boardwalk winds through the area, which contains one of the
oldest and largest mahoganies in America, a towering tree dating back some 300 years.
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