Anhinga Trail at the Everglades

The Everglades Welcome You Back!!!

As marinas, parks and green spaces reopen in our city, the Everglades are a fantastic place to come and get some fresh air while practicing safe social distancing guidelines.

Here's what's happening at the park:

All areas of Everglades National Park are now OPEN. Park waters remain open for access from outside the park.
You are encouraged to pre-pay for your Entrance fee online, you can get a digital pass here.
Visitor Centers at Ernest C. Coe and Shark Valley have reopened.
Campsites are open. Self-registration permits are available outside of the Flamingo and Gulf Coast Visitor Centers.
Several tours and concession services have resumed with enhanced health and safety measures:
- Shark Valley's Tram Tours are running on a limited capacity and Bike rentals can be booked online.
- Flamingo's Back Country Tours are running and kayak and canoe rentals and bicycles can be booked online. Check Groupon Discounts here.
- The Gulf Coast 10,000 Island Tours are running and kayak and canoe rentals can be booked online.
- The following outside concessions are conducting Airboat and Eco Tours now:
  - Gator Park: Everglades National Park Airboat Tour and Wildlife Show
  - Everglades Safari Park: $23.60 Discount tickets at Klook.com,
  - Everglades Holiday Park, from Miami incl. transport: Half-Day Everglades Airboat Ride & Wildlife Show
  - Sawgrass Recreation Park: Everglades Airboat Tour with Exhibit Entrance, Private Tour for your group only, Night Tour (Wednesdays and Saturdays only)
  - Everglades Area Tours: Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Eco-Tour meet at Everglades Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center Hwy 41/Hwy 29 Everglades City

For more info check out Everglades National Park: Alerts and Conditions

The Anhinga Trail is probably one of the most popular and frequented at Everglades National Park and with good reason: it is easy to get to, it is home to tons of wildlife, the boardwalks and pathways that traverse the area get you close to the action and you can enjoy the many landscapes surrounding this spot.

This is easily one of our top picks, if you only have time for one trail, the Anhinga Trail is a great choice.

The trail begins by the Royal Palm Visitor Center, it is a short trail but in all its compactness it manages to deliver an unbelievable display and variety of ecosystems as you go on the paved paths and elevated boardwalks that traverse the terrain.

Everglades Anhinga Trail Lush Vegetation

Lush Vegetation all around

Boardwalks over the marshes

Everglades Anhinga Trail Sawgrass Prairie

Endless Sawgrass Prairies

Platforms get you up close with the wildlife

The trail is named after the Anhinga, a really spectacular bird. You will certainly see them at the trail perched on trees drying their wings...

Anhinga drying wings by the Anhinga Trail

The boardwalks are just wonderful for wildlife viewing, they get you very close, the alligators swim in and out of view, go under the boardwalk to reappear on the other side. During the dry season you see them sunning by the waterholes. One popular spot is straight to the end of the main paved stretch. As you approach the trail, walk to the end without entering any of the loops, right at the end there is a small platform:

This is a great spot not only for sighting alligators but all kinds of birds as well. Besides anhingas, you find cormorants, white egrets, ibis, green herons, little blue herons, and the gorgeous great blue heron:

There's also the turtles...

Best times for wildlife viewing is in the dry season in the winter and early spring. Royal Palm is open year-round, and even during the summer we have been able to see alligators, maybe not in large numbers, but we have always seen a few.

If I only had time to do one trail, this would be my pick on this side of the park.

How much time does it take to "do" the Anhinga Trail? As long as you want to make it. You can go through the boardwalks in about an hour, but this is really a great place to come and spend some time. You never know what you will encounter. Just sit by one of the many shaded outposts and wait. You will see more this way. Patience pays.

Check out some more pictures of the Anhinga Trail here.

Anhinga Trail at a Glance

Where?: The Anhinga Trail is located at the Royal Palm Visitor Center just a couple of miles down the main Visitor Center of Everglades National Park.

See the Florida Everglades Map here.