The part of our trip that I was most excited about was our day in the Everglades and it did not disappoint. This was the only day of the trip that I really had planned out – Anhinga Trail, followed by a fan boat ride, and finally the tram at Shark Valley.
The Anhinga Trail is named for the anhinga bird, which means “devil bird” in the Brazilian Tupi Indian. It also has the nicknames “water turkey” due to its turkey-like tail and “snake bird” due to its snake-like neck. Anhingas swim underwater and stab fish with their sharp bills. Its feathers are not waterproof so when they emerge from the water, they stretch their wings out wide to dry out.
The Anhinga Trail is a roughly a one mile loop on paved path and boardwalk. The trail begins at the Royal Palm Visitor Center. As soon as we walked behind the building, we were immediately greeted by an alligator swimming around in the pond. It was funny because we had been SO excited to spot our first alligator on the road into the park that we did a u-turn to go back and get a better look, and this spotting was so exciting too that we stayed and watched him swim for about 5 minutes. Little did we know that we would end up seeing close to a hundred alligators that day!
The scenery along the trial was stunning. The trail went next to and across Taylor Slough. A slough is a channel of freshwater that flows through a sawgrass prairie. Lily-pads dotted the surface of the water against a backdrop of grasses and blue sky.
The water level rises and falls throughout the year (although Taylor Slough is unusual in that it never dries out completely), and the wildlife varies depending on the water level and time of year. While our April visit was technically in the dry season (roughly December – May), we were told that the water level was higher than normal for this time of year. There was one section of the trail that was dry sawgrass with little to no water, and we were lucky enough to spot a Great Egret in the grasses.
After crossing the prairie, we headed back into a wetter section of the trail. The wildlife was abundant in this area. The water was full of Florida red-bellied turtles, Florida softshell turtles, frogs and large fish.
There were birds everywhere too. From the trail’s namesake Anhinga resting in the pond apple trees to the Cormorants on the roof of the shelter, there were birds all around the trail.
And of course there were alligators. So. Many. Alligators. They were in the water, on the grass, and even on the path. It was amazing to get so close to these prehistoric looking creatures. I never would have imagined I’d get close enough (safely) to see their teeth, claws and spiky tails. They are truly stunning animals.
And we were in for one last treat as we headed back to the visitor center… a baby alligator hiding among the lily pads and branches!
This trail is great for all ages and abilities, although I would urge caution with young children due to the proximity of the alligators to the path. The entire path is stroller-friendly so I would definitely keep little ones strapped in if possible. We really took our time there, watching the wildlife, taking pictures, and just generally enjoying the day, and our visit lasted just over an hour.
I cannot say enough about the Anhinga Trail. We absolutely loved our time there and if it had been the only thing we had been able to do in the Everglades, we still would have had an amazing visit. It’s a can’t miss activity for sure. To see such an abundant variety of wildlife in such a short walk was really incredible. Throw in the stunning scenery and this trail really can’t be beat.
