As I prepped for our trip to the Everglades and reviewed hiking opportunities, the Anhinga Trail was mentioned again and again. Like many of the trails in the Everglades it is largely a boardwalk trail through a wetland, and is the most visited trail in the park.
The Anhinga Trail is located in the Royal Palm area of the Everglades. The Royal Palm is primarily a tree of the Carribean basin, as noted in the green areas on the map below, and only occurs naturally in a couple locations in the U.S., both in southernmost Florida. The small Everglades population is circled in red.
The tree is truly a contrast to everything that the Everglades appears to be – untamed and unkept. The Royal Palm, by comparison, appears regal and manicured. It looks as if it would be more at home on the ritzy coasts of Nice, France and Monaco. We only noted it in this very small section of the Everglades. It can be easily identified by the prominent section of green trunk toward the top of the tree. It can reach majestic heights, commonly growing 50 to 80 feet.
The Royal Palm section of the Everglades has an interesting history. In 1916, at the encouragement of The Florida Federation of Women’s Club, it was designated The Royal Palm State Park. In 1934, Congress authorized the creation of Everglades National Park, but funding and the acquisition of properties lagged. In the meantime, widespread water mismanagement in south Florida led to drought conditions, and in 1945 wildfires destroyed many old-growth trees in Royal Palm. Concern for this area, and the surrounding habitat, led to a prioritization of its protection, and President Truman dedicated Everglades National Park in 1947, with the acreage of Royal Palm State Park being incorporated into it.
As we pulled into the parking area, the popularity of the venue was clear as groups of people were coming and going. After passing through a large shelter one has a view onto a small pond that was teaming with wildlife. The draw was immediately clear.
Here we saw our first alligator of our Everglades adventure, just below a gravel path, that was separated from the wetland by a low stone wall.
Perched in the trees surrounding the watering hole were numerous birds including this Anhinga, for which the trail is named.
The trail then leaves the pond area on the gravel path, with a channel of water to the left and we were treated to one outstanding sighting after another.
The wildlife was no more than twenty feet from us, allowing for some great photography.
We were surprised how close the wading birds would get to the alligators.
The channel was filled with the native, wetland bloomer Spladderdock, with Saw Grass reaching to a tree line in the distance.
The gravel path ends at a boardwalk overlook onto a larger pool, which featured even more wildlife than the prior one. Here we were calling out wading bird species, one after another.
Tricolored Heron and Great Blue Heron
An Anhinga with a Great Egret.
We also had a view of a large alligator on some raised limestone.
Nearby a long boardwalk arose and arced around the wetland as noted in the earlier map. It gave more expansive views onto the wetland.
Unfortunately I did not get a chance to identify these short, multi-trunk trees with buttressed bases. They provided interesting structure to the wetland and clearly were favored by the birds.
The photographer particularly enjoyed watching male and female Common Gallinules gracefully stepping from one Bladderdock leaf to another while feeding, but always with a leery eye out for the alligator that was lurking nearby.
Also noted in this area were numerous Double-crested Commerants. They are expert divers to secure their prey.
They had staked claim to the roof of a shelter built into the boardwalk.
Here we also saw a number of Anhingas. The female Anhinga has a light brown neck and upper chest, while the male’s neck is largely black.
They swim through the water with only their head above the surface, which gives them their nickname – Snake Bird. We watched two Anhingas spear fish with their sharp beaks and proceed to consume them. In the first two photos below you can see the beak piercing the fish. The Anhinga then tosses the fish up to remove its beak, catches it in midair, and then proceeds to swallow it.
This Anhinga demonstrates the bright blue coloration around the eye that develops in both males and females during mating season, signaling that they are ready to pair up. It is termed “eye shadow”.
It was also at the tip of the boardwalk where the photographer captured this Great Egret landing.
After the boardwalks one doubles back along the gravel path to the trailhead.
In summary, while the Anhinga Trail is busy, it is not crowded. The gravel path is wide, as are the two sections of boardwalk. Honestly, it was fun to share the experience with all the visitors, seasoned birdwatchers and general tourists alike, all of whom were awestruck by the concentration and diversity of species. I enjoy hearing others be impacted by nature and wildlife observations – hoping that new advocates for the national parks and Mother Earth will be born. The proximity of the animals allowed for excellent observation and photography. The master birders amongst the crowd were also a great resource as one new species after another presented itself. The Anhinga Trail’s reputation as a “must see” is on target.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns.
Overview:
Location – at the Royal Palm Visitor Center, 4 miles from the Everglades’s Homestead Entry Gate.
Parking – Paved lot for 60+ cars and buses.
Facilities – indoor restrooms at visitor center.
Trail Conditions – initially a gravel path that transitions to a boardwalk over the wetland. Round trip, the walk is 0.8 miles.
Print Map Link – none needed.
Benches – yes.
Kids – kids of all ages should do well here and enjoy all the wildlife sightings.
Dogs – prohibited on all trails within the Everglades.
Paired Hikes – the Gumbo-limbo Trail arises at the Royal Palm Visitor Center as well.
Links: