Everglades National Park, Fort Lauderdale: How to Visit and What to Do Nearby

Everglades National Park covers 610,000 hectares at the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979. The park protects a slow-moving sheet of water—nicknamed the "River of Grass" by Marjory Stoneman Douglas—that flows from Lake Okeechobee south through sawgrass prairie to Florida Bay. The ecosystem supports 36 threatened or protected species, including the American crocodile, the Florida panther, and the West Indian manatee. The Anhinga Trail, a 1.3-kilometer boardwalk, offers close-range wildlife viewing year-round. is just one of many options in Fort Lauderdale. Major attractions worth considering include Big Cypress Reservation, Butterfly World, and Dania Beach Pier.