shark river slough

The Shark River entrance to ENP gets really packed, so be sure you book a tram tour in advance during peak season. The experience is fine, but don't make this the only place you stop in the area. Be sure to supplement your Shark River visit with a stop in Big Cypress National Preserve while you're driving along Tamiami Trail! Wildlife abounds along this highway and in the preserve, too.

This is a short walk with a ton of wildlife at arms length. Birds, gators. The only downside is that it is incredibly busy.... But still worth it.

Great stop on our way north. We came so close to the wildlife on our walk and saw baby aligators for the first time. So many animals it will take days to explain about. Great place ond super friendly staff. A must see when in the Everglades.

All that is on the tram ride condensed into a mile walk. Crocs @ arm distance, Anhinga nests with baby Anhinga in them, fish of infinite variety and turtles abound in this short walk up the slough.

Spend the day on a boat here for a lifelong memory and perhaps some great fishing. Birds, dolphin, just gorgeous!

It was really neat to see this "grass river" (a super shallow river, over a mile wide) and learn about the ecosystem in the Everglades.

I have done a slough slog in bogs in MN and to this day it was one of my favorite ecological hikes. I was only able to view the expansive Snake River Slough from the sidelines, but would highly suggest a direct interaction as a delightful way to connect with nature and get a bit dirty.

My family and I had the opportunity to slough slog with a park Ranger. It was amazing and the only true way to really experience the Everglades. As you drive through the prairie of the Shark River Slough, you park your car on the side of the road and simply begin walking through the Everglades. In the Spring dry season there was little to no water on the prairie, still the sawgrass is still thick up to your chest. You walk about 0.75 miles into the Everglades to a Cypress Hammock. There you experience the island habitat that shelters panthers and gators. While we saw neither there was a gator path with fresh tracks that day that the gator had left that hammock. The hammock was also so cool to see the vermiliads growing in the cypress trees. We also saw lots of birds and baby grasshoppers by the dozens. The whole time we were learning about the Everglades flora, fauna and how it was formed and functions from the ranger. Then you walk back through a stunted cypress forest. When you return it is amazing to think you just walked out with no trail, especially when we saw a moccasin when we first stepped off the road. Simply amazing experience that I could not recommend more. See the pictures.

Second time to visit the Slough and WOWed even more than the first time. First visit was in the Spring/early Summer and there were wildflowers everywhere! Second visit was early Spring and in the dry season. No flowers... but soooo much wildlife everywhere. Perhaps the only thing we didn't see was an otter. There must have been at least 100 alligators in the creek, on the road, and in the grass. It was very exciting to see so many birds as well.The tram is slow (great for taking photos) and the guide knowledgable.

We participated in a free, ranger-led, slough slog. It was an amazing way to experience the Everglades! The water was surprizingly clean! In the ranger led adventure, the ranger will bring you out through the slough to a cypress hammock. The entire time, our ranger gave us information about the everglades and let us ask questions. I bever would have done it without a Ranger. At the end of the slog, we were wet to our bellies, but felt awesome and adventurous!