Anhinga Trail

Anhinga Trail is a 0.8-mile round trip from the Royal Palm Visitor Center: a paved path leads to a looping boardwalk over sawgrass marsh and Taylor Slough. It is an easy, wheelchair-accessible walk for looking into the water, not a route for climbing. Allow 30 to 60 minutes if you stop at the viewing platforms. The raised boardwalk brings you close to the wetland without taking you into it, and the short commitment makes this a good choice before or after the park's longer drives.

From the visitor center, follow the pavement beside the water. After about 0.2 mile, the boardwalk branches left; continue on the paved path to a marsh-view observation deck, then return to the boardwalk. Follow its loop across the slough, stopping at the viewing platforms and taking the short spur over a wider channel. On the return stretch, the view opens across sawgrass before the boardwalk meets the pavement again. Follow that paved lead back to Royal Palm. The 0.8 miles includes the access walk and viewing spurs, not just the boardwalk.

Taylor Slough is slow-moving freshwater with deeper channels that still hold water in the dry season. When the surrounding Everglades dries, animals gather in these pools, which is why winter often brings the best chance to spot alligators, fish, turtles and wading birds. Look for anhingas, herons and egrets along the water and in the trees. Spring nesting birds and summer orchid sprays on pond apple trees add different details, but wildlife changes with the season and sightings are never guaranteed. At sunrise or sunset, the open sky over water and sawgrass makes the boardwalk itself a strong frame for a photo.

Anhingas swim with most of the body underwater and the long neck and head above the surface, then spear fish with a pointed bill. Their waterlogged feathers help them dive, but they often perch with their wings spread, backs to the sun, to dry and warm themselves. Cormorants can look similar at a glance; the anhinga's longer, thinner neck is a useful clue when one is perched beside the slough.

The paved approach is described as part of the Old Ingraham Highway. The road was planned to connect South Florida through the Everglades; the section to Royal Palm was already complete when the area became a state park in 1916, and a large part of the proposed highway was built by 1922. The road project also involved the Homestead Canal, cut to drain land for construction. Today, the quiet pavement leads to a wetland trail where water and wildlife are the main event.

The trail starts at Royal Palm Visitor Center, four miles from the main park entrance. Flush restrooms, drinking water and a bottle-filling station are at the visitor center. The route stays on pavement and boardwalk and is officially listed as wheelchair accessible. Alligators can be close to the path: keep at least 15 feet from wildlife, stay on the walkway, and do not touch or feed animals. Keep children beside you near the water. Mosquitoes and biting flies can occur year-round and may be severe in hot, humid summer weather, so bring repellent then. Pets are not allowed on park trails.