Saturday, February 13, 2010

Everglades Bike Trail

The Shark Valley Loop Trail begins in the northern section of Everglades National park and is an ecological highlight of Everglades. This 15 mile trail loops through a grand saw grass prairie, offering close-up views of flora and fauna. The loop trail can be hiked or biked, or a 2-hour narrated tram ride offers visitors an opportunity to sit back, relax and listen to a park interpreter explain the natural history of the Shark Valley area. Biking is recommended for those wanting to complete the entire loop in a timely fashion and bikes can be rented at the Shark Valley concession area. To the right of the paved trail is a waterway in which we saw well over 50 alligators as well as hundreds of waterfowl.



These two baby gators are piggyback...



A 65 foot tall observation tower is located at the 7 mile mark, along with bike racks and washroom facilities.



...and these 5 gators were at the base of the tower...



Here are some more wildlife shots from the trail -- purple gallinules...



A female anhinga...




One of a multitude of gators...




Tri-colored heron...




The east side of the loop is wide open and gently zig-zags through the saw grass prairie. Wildlife is generally less visible on this side of the loop yet this area seems a bit more wild than the west side. We did still see a number of alligators as well as multiple species of wading birds.

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