The Tamiami
Trail is the name of the route, mostly US 41 from Tampa to Miami, hence the
name, Tamiami. Locally, the name is
pronounced, “Tammy Yammy” Trail. No
matter where we are in South Florida, we find ourselves driving the Tamiami
Trail to the Everglades. From the west
end of Rt. 41 the Everglades City part of the glades is closest but from the
Miami area, the Flamingo area with the Anhinga Trail and more popular areas of
the Everglades are closer.
The list below provides a set of mile markers for our
favorite stops on the Tamiami Trail:
Far less visited than the more popular Everglades NP areas
near Miami, the areas near Everglades City have a lot to see and do. The visitor center has a knowledgeable staff
and a gift shop. A couple of boat trips
are available from the gift shop including the 10,000
Islands tour and the Mangrove
Wilderness tour. We took the 10,000
Islands tour when we were there in 2013.
This is a large boat that accommodates 20 or more visitors and goes
through areas of the park that are more open water. The Mangrove Wilderness tour that we took in
2016 is on a much small boat that seats only 6 visitors and goes into the
mangrove areas up the streams.
Mile Marker 74 – Big
Cypress National Preserve Welcome Center
This visitor center has a nice interpretative display and a
small boardwalk where we have seen a manatee every time we have visited. The roads behind the visitor center offer a
number of trails for sightseeing.
Mile Marker 72 – Ochopee
Post Office
This former storage shed is the smallest US Post Office in the
US.
Mile Marker 70 – H.
D. Williams Wayside Park
This small roadside park is perpendicular to the Tamiami
Trail and follows Turner Road for a short distance. The boardwalk is along a Turner River Canal
that contains alligators and many bird.
The parking area is usually very busy for this popular stop.
Mile Marker 59 – Loop
Road Intersection with the Tamiami Trail
We were not familiar with this loop road until we were there
in 2016 but it is by far one of our favorite Florida locations now when it
comes to wildlife viewing. This paved
and gravel road is not well traveled with many visitors to the area unaware of
the road. We were able to get very close
to many alligators, birds, turtles and even a water moccasin snake. The 24 mile loop goes from mile marker 59 to
about mile marker 40 of the Tamiami Trail.
Mile Marker 55 – Big
Cypress National Park Oasis Visitor Center
If you take the Loop Road you will miss the Oasis Visitor
Center. However, doubling back or
visiting on the return trip is advised.
This visitor center has more amenities than many in on the Tamiami Trail
including good restrooms and a boardwalk that parallels Rt. 41. There are usually naturalists on the
boardwalk pointing attractions out to visitors.
We have seen many alligators, birds, turtles and invasive walking
catfish in the water there. A trail from
the visitor center goes out through the area.
Mile Marker 40 - Loop
Road Intersection with the Tamiami Trail
Mile Marker 35 – Everglades
National Park Shark Valley Visitor
Center
Entering the Everglades National Park at the Shark Valley or
the two visitor centers south of Miami (Ernest Coe and Flamingo) costs visitors
$20 for a seven day pass. Of course a
National Park Annual Pass works as well.
The highlight feature of the Shark Valley area is the 15 mile loop
trail. Although we have never walked to
the end of the trail, there is an observation tower that provides a
breathtaking view of the Everglades.
Visitors can rent bicycles or ride the tram around the 15 mile loop
trail. In 2016 we walked over 2.5 miles
out the trail before we turned around and came back, When we were there in 2013 we saw a great
deal of bird life as well as many alligators in the first half mile of the
trail. On our 2016 trip while we saw a
number of birds and a good many alligators, it was far short of what we saw
three years earlier.
This is the first of two visitor centers in Everglades
National Park in the area south of Miami.
This visitor center is near the park entrance and gets far more visitors
than the other park visitor centers.
There are many rangers and naturalists to answer questions as well as
gift shops. The very popular Anhinga Trail
and Gumbo
Limbo Trail are nearby. Many trails depart from near the visitor center as
well as the road to Flamingo that has a number of pull offs and trailheads for
sightseers and hikers.
This visitor center is at the end of the road in the east
part of the Everglades. There are many
naturalists and rangers pointing out wildlife and sights. There is a marina and boat trips available out
into the park. During our visit there in
2013 we were fortunate to see both American alligators as well as American
crocodiles. This is one of the few
places where both species coexist. There
are several osprey nests that often have young when we are there. We have also seen manatees and many species
of birds. Between the Ernest Coe Visitor
Center and the Flamingo Visitor Center there are many places to stop for hikes,
birding or photography.
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