Everglades National Park

Florida

Everglades National Park, established in 1947, is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River. Covering over 1.5 million acres in southern Florida, it preserves the southern 20% of the original Everglades ecosystem, a vast network of wetlands and forests fed by a slow-moving river flowing from Lake Okeechobee into Florida Bay. The park is globally significant for its biodiversity, hosting 36 threatened or protected species including the Florida panther, American crocodile, and West Indian manatee. It contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere and serves as the most important breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America. The Everglades also play a critical role in recharging South Florida's Biscayne Aquifer, a major freshwater source. With a flat limestone terrain shaped over millennia, the park's ecosystems range from peat-covered flooded areas to marl soils, supporting diverse plant communities. Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance, the park offers unparalleled opportunities to experience a fragile and unique subtropical wilderness.