NAIOA PARK FLORID
Everglades National Park was established in
1947 to protect for this and future generations a
sprawling subtropical wilderness-a complex of
unique plant-and-animal communities threatened
with destruction. Some of the habitats, such as
the everglades themselves, and some of the ani-
mals-crocodile, manatee, roseate spoonbill,
reddish egret, wood stork, and bald eagle-are
rare or unseen elsewhere in the United States.
Among other plant and animal inhabitants are the
alligator, snook, tarpon, pink shrimp, royal palm,
mahogany, and mangroves. This great biological
exhibit in an aquatic setting presents a living
drama of nature in unspoiled surroundings and
gives us the opportunity for an authentic wilder-
HOW TO ENJOY THE PARK
Each season has its own advantages for park visi-
tors: the winter dry season is the best time to see
abundant wildlife, While the summer wet season
provides calmer waters and better fishing.
Your first stop should be the visitor center near
the park entrance, 12 miles from Homestead on
Fla. 27. From exhibits, films, publications, and
talks by park personnel you will learn something
of how the land was formed and how fire, rainfall,
and changes in water level and salinity affect the
plant-and-animal communities. You will then be
better prepared to understand the landscape and
the living things seen on your trip through the
park to Flamingo.
The park's campgrounds, at Long Pine Key and
Flamingo, are furnished with drinking fountains,
tables, charcoal burners, and restrooms. House-
trailers are permitted in the campgrounds, but
there are no water, electrical, or sewage "hook-
ups" for trailer use. (A sewage disposal unit is
located at Flamingo.) Camping fees are charged
at established campgrounds, in addition to the
park entrance fee. Stay is limited to 14 days from
December 15 through April 15.
Long Pine Key Picnic Area and Campground is
6 miles from the park entrance, and you will have
to bring all supplies except water. (Supplies can
be purchased in Homestead and Florida City or
other nearby towns.) Flamingo Campground of-
fers facilities for picnicking and camping. Limited
staple groceries are available at the Flamingo
You may also camp, without charge, at desig-
nated sites on the beaches or in the back country;
access is by boat or on foot. You must first obtain
a campfire permit at park headquarters or a ranger
Long Pine Key campers should have their mail
addressed to General Delivery at either Homestead
or Florida City, FL 33030. Other visitors may re-
ceive mail at the Flamingo post office, also 33030.
Boats up to 60 feet long can be accommodated at
Flamingo Marina. Parking for boat trailers is
ample, and a free launching ramp is nearby. Slip
fees for boat storage are based on the length of
the boat. Small powered skiffs and canoes can be
rented at the marina. A park ranger or one of the
concessioner employees can give you full informa-
tion about the many services offered. Marina
facilities are also available at the town of Ever-
glades. Navigation charts can be purchased in
Homestead, Miami, the town of Everglades,
Flamingo Marina, and marinas along the Florida
Visitors who explore the park by boat must know
and practice water-safety rules and must have a
keen awareness of potential dangers. Every boat
must be equipped with a U.S. Coast Guard-ap-
proved lifejacket for each passenger. Remember:
you are safest with an experienced guide, and
navigational charts of the area are indispensable.
Before starting out in your private boat, file a
"float plan" of your proposed trip-then you can
be assured that a park ranger will be looking for
you if you get into difficulty.
There is a marked 99-mile-long boat trail, the
Wilderness Waterway, on the inland route from
the town of Everglades to Flamingo. Four marked
canoe trails are in the Flamingo area. Contact a
park ranger for specific information.
GOOD PARK MANNERS
Please help protect the park's natural values by
leaving the plants and animals undisturbed so that
others who come after you may enjoy them. Prac-
ticing good outdoor manners, such as putting lit-
ter in trash receptacles and observing the rules of
safety and courtesy, will make your visit more
enjoyable-for you and for others.
Plants and Animals. Years of protection have
made many animals lose their fear of man; thus
you can view them at close range-but they are
still wild. Do not feed or disturb them, or damage,
remove, or disturb the plants in any way.
Hunting or the use of firearms or other hunting
apparatus capable of inflicting injury to wildlife
Fishing is permitted in most areas of the park in
accordance with Florida laws. Fresh-water fish-
ing with rod and reel requires a Florida fishing
license, but no license is required for fishing in
salt water. Ask a park ranger or watch for signs
about the few areas that are closed to fishing.
Fire sweeping across the 'glades can be a terrify-
ing and destructive force. Smoking is not per-
mitted on nature trails, and campfires may be
built only in designated camping areas.
Maximum speed on the park road is 55 miles per
hour. Reduced speed limits are posted. Drive
slowly; the road is designed for enjoyment of the
Pets must be under restrictive control and are
not allowed on the trails.
Airboats and 'glades buggies are not permitted
in the park.
Help protect the park by reporting to park rangers
any fire, accident, violation, or other unusual
happening. They are here to help you enjoy the
area, so do not hesitate to ask their assistance.
ALONG THE ROAD TO FLAMINGO
0 Entrance station.
2 Royal Palm Area: Royal Palm Interpretive
Station -displays, refreshments, restrooms;
Anhinga Trail -alligators, birds, and other
wildlife; Gumbo Limbo Trail -a jungle trail
through tropical hardwood hammock.
4 Long Pine Key area -campgrounds; picnic
area; and auto trails.
6.5 Pineland Trail -trail through the pinewoods
12.5 Pa-hay-okee -boardwalk and tower to help
you see a panorama of the Everglades.
19.5 Mahogany Hammock -elevated boardwalk
into mahogany forest.
24.5 Paurotis Pond-parking for view of rare
palms. Limited picnicking facilities.
26.5 Nine Mile Pond -good wildlife area in
spring. Limited picnicking facilities.
30.5 West Lake-exhibits. West Lake Trailfs
elevated boardwalk into tropical ma,
swamp. Excellent example of a hu ane's
effects on a natural community. j
38 Flamingo--exhibits, naturalist p ip,
hiking trails, marina, sightseein
restaurant, motel, service station, nic
All trails along the park road listed above are less
than one-half mile long and require approximately
30 minutes walking time.
It is possible to make this 38-mile trip over the
paved road in less than 1 hour-but you would
miss much! Allow yourself at least one-half day
to become acquainted with the plant and animal
life along the way. Take time to explore the trails
at the ends of short spur roads-Royal Palm, Pa-
hay-okee, Mahogany Hammock, and others.
Here you will find a visitor center, restaurant,
motel, large boat marina, campground, picnic
area, and service station.
Exhibits at Flamingo Visitor Center summarize
the park story you saw at the stops and on the
trails along the main park road; tell of conserva-
tionists' struggle, prior to the park's establish-
ment, to prevent the extinction of Everglades' rare
and endangered bird species; and introduce the
Cape Sable area.
Flamingo is your base of operations for explora-
tory trips into th. vast wilderness of Whitewater
Bay and the hundreds of miles of winding, man-
grove-lined rivers and lakes, the channels and
keys of the bay, the gulf area, and the mangrove
coast with its tropical beaches, Flamingo is an
excellent base for sports fishermen, wildlife en-
thusiasts, and photographers.
There's always something to do at Flamingo. Park
naturalists give talks and walks; foot trails of
various lengths offer wilderness hiking oppor-
tunities; sightseeing boats move in and out of the
marina landings; and a skilled skipper who knows
the intricate waterways can usually find a berth
for you on his charter fishing boat. These boats
are checked for safety and are well equipped with
bait, tackle, and supplies needed to catch fish.
The Everglades Park Company (28494 South Fed-
eral Highway, Miami, FL 33157) operates the ma-
rina, store, restaurant and snack bar, sightseeing
boats, service station, and motor lodge. Make
reservations well in advance. Rates are lover
from May 1 to December 1.
THE WESTERN WATER GATEWAY
The Western Water Gateway is the boater's
entrance to salt waters of the Ten Thousand Is-
lands and the gulf coast-a mecca for sport
Sammy Hamilton Boat Tours, Everglades, FL
33929, operates sightseeing boats in the Ten
Thousand Islands in inland areas. Trips originate
at the Gulf Coast Ranger Station in the town of
Everglades on Fla. 29.
Sandfly Island Nature Trail, reached by boat
only, from the town of Everglades, offers history
and natural history of the Ten Thousand Islands.
Park facilities for visitors at the town of Ever-
glades are not yet completed, but motels are avail-
able; for campers, the nearest sites are at Collier-
Seminole State Park, 19 miles west of the town of
Everglades on the Tamiami Trail.
FLORIDA KEYS AND KEY LARGO
The Florida Keys lie between the Straits of Florida
and Florida Bay. The geographic location gives
the boating public access to various types of boat-
ing waters. The waters on each side of the keys
provide opportunities to angle for bonefish,
marlin, sailfish, tarpon, and other prized gamefish.
Information on this area is available at the Na-
tional Park Service ranger station on Key Largo. A
free boat-launch ramp is located at Little Black-
water Sound on U.S. 1. Other access points to the
bay are found along the entire chain of keys.
Most of Florida Bay is within the boundary of
Everglades National Park. Most of the islands are
closed to boat landings because many species of
birds nest on the islands at various times of the
year. Please check at the Key Largo or Flamingo
Ranger Station for information on islands open
to the public.
Available to persons interested in big game fish-
ing are oceanside marinas, located at numerous
points along the keys, where one can hire a char-
ter boat or join a group of fellow fishermen on a
Florida Bay, with its many mangrove-covered
islands, shoals, and finger channels, offers excel-
lent fishing for smaller salt-water game fish, in-
cluding sea trout, snapper, redfish, snook, bone-
fish, and tarpon. Because of shallow and fluctuat-
ing water levels, boaters should use navigation
A wide range of lodging ad
restaurants is available to th
vary, depending on the season