Shark Valley: The Heart of the Everglades by Bike or Tram

Despite its fearsome name, Shark Valley has nothing to do with sharks and everything to do with experiencing the Everglades up close. This stretch of Everglades National Park offers one of the best and most accessible ways to feel the pulse of the famous river of grass.

The name comes from the Shark River Slough, the broad, slow-moving sheet of water that flows through here on its way to the sea. There is no actual valley and certainly no sharks, just an endless sweep of sawgrass prairie shimmering to the horizon.

A fifteen mile paved loop road carries visitors into the heart of it. You can pedal a rented bicycle, walk a stretch, or ride an open-air tram with a guide. Along the way, alligators bask right beside the path, often just feet away, while herons, anhingas, and turtles go about their business.

At the far end of the loop rises a sweeping observation tower. Climb its gentle ramp and the whole Everglades opens up beneath you, a vast, watery wilderness stretching as far as the eye can see.

Shark Valley turns the Everglades from an abstract idea into a living, breathing place you can roll right through. It is wild Florida at its most generous, sharing its wonders with anyone willing to come and look.

Official page: Shark Valley (Everglades National Park)