大沼泽地国家公园

Covering 1.5 million acres and spanning the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, Everglades National Park is just a slice of the great wetland—called Pay-hay-okee ('grassy waters') by the Seminole Indians—that once stretched north from Florida Bay, 120 miles long and 50 miles wide. Half land and half water, it's a complex and fragile ecosystem with a bird population that was once so numerous they’d black out the sky when flocks rose into the air.

Today, the region is still home to thousands of animal, bird and plant species, tangled mangrove thickets and shallow, labyrinthine channels, but its integrity is hanging by a thread following water projects that have effectively diverted the steady flow the Everglades needs to survive.

Luckily, environmentalists have made their voices heard, and today, government, big agriculture and conservation groups alike are working to restore the region’s ecological balance. Visitors can explore the peripheral marshland—beginning almost in Miami’s backyard—via wooden walkways and bicycle trails, but to really explore the mystery of the Everglades you’ll want a kayak or canoe, and ideally a knowledgeable and sensitive guide. All around, the beautiful, constantly shifting light across the landscape is unlike anything else, underscoring the region’s endangered fragility. Despite the drop in the avian population since the 19th century, birdwatching can still be outstanding, especially when the winter’s migratory guests are added to the 347 resident species. Flora fanciers have more than a thousand species to study beyond the ubiquitous saw grass, and if you look hard enough you may spot some of the swamp’s animal residents: alligators, turtles, manatees and, if you’re exceedingly lucky, one of the rare Florida panthers who call the park home.