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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