After finishing up at the Anhinga Trail, we had some time to kill before our scheduled airboat ride. We had stopped at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center on our way into the park and a ranger there had suggested the Pahayokee Overlook Trail if we had some extra time. The trail was only about 20 minutes from the Anhinga Trail, although it was in the opposite direction of where we needed to go for our airboat ride.
The Pahayokee Overlook Trail is a boardwalk that leads to a platform overlooking the river of grass. (Pa-hay-okee in Seminole means “grassy waters”.) It is less than 1/4 mile long so the drive there was longer than the walk.
This trail was very different from the Anhinga Trail. There was no wildlife and the scenery was barren in comparison to Anhinga. But that was the whole point of the trail and overlook – to show off the prairie landscape that is so unique to the Everglades. There was nothing but sawgrass for miles, and since it was the dry season there were only a few patches of shallow water.
The interior section of the boardwalk was actually interesting because it was dominated by cypress trees. While cypress trees dotted the landscape of the prairie, they were completely covering the section of land between the boardwalk and the parking lot. Cypress tress are really unique because they are conifers but their needles change color and drop off in the fall. The Everglades has both pond and bald cypress in abundance due to their ability to grow in water.
After the excitement of the Anhinga Trail, the Pahayokee Overlook Trail was a bit of a let-down. The kids didn’t find it interesting and while I think it is important to experience this landscape, our next two stops (airboat ride and Shark Valley Tram) offered their own views of the prairie. I would say this is a trail that can be skipped if you are heading to the northern part of the park. If you are going down south to the Flamingo area, it is probably worth the quick stop to view the expansive and unique landscape.
