EVERGLADES 101

The Everglades is vast (2,400 square miles), mysterious and pretty wet in most spots—but you can still experience it easily with a day trip to Shark Valley. This entry point into the wild heart of Florida is about a 90-minute drive from Boca to Tamiami Trail (about 30 miles west of Miami), where you will find a 15-mile loop trail you can explore via a guided two-hour tram tour or self-guided bike ride. And get ready for spectacular glimpses of alligators, wading birds, turtles and endless vistas of saw grass marshes from the observation deck at the halfway point.

“For many, the tour—conducted by knowledgeable park-trained naturalists—is their first introduction to the park,” says General Manager Robert Nodell.“So, think of it as an Everglades 101.”

The covered, open-air trams run on environmentally friendly, plant-based biofuel to stem the effects of pollution from conventional vehicles.“You’re basically running on plants,” Nodell adds. “Alfalfa, to be specific.”

Shark Valley is named for the two estuaries supplied by the Everglades River (Shark River and Little Shark River) whose waters provide feeding and nursing habitats for several species of sharks, including blacktips, lemon and bull sharks.

“I think people have a misconception of what the Everglades is, mainly because movies or television shows depict it as a dark, murky swamp, when it’s really very bright with shallow water and wide-open expanses of saw grass dotted with tree islands,”says Nodell.

The tram shuttles were started by the Park Service in 1972 due to chronic traffic jams along the once single-lane road. The road was expanded into a 15mile loop that allows trams and bicycles to travel in opposite directions.

“At the halfway point of the tour, you’ll see the 45-foot-high Everglades Observation Deck with incredible views that extends 20 miles out in all directions. It’s truly an amazing experience.”

SHARK VALLEY VISITOR CENTER

36000 S.W. Eighth St., Miami 305/221-8455 sharkvalleytramtours.com