Backpacker Magazine....

THE EVERGLADES:

HIKING FLORIDA'S RIVER OF GRASS

You can almost walk on water in Everglades National Park. Pioneering conservationist and author Marjory Stoneman Douglas dubbed the Everglades the 'River of Grass' and the appropriate moniker stuck. Dry trails running through the park make it possible for hikers to virtually walk on water.

On this river, water imperceptibly flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico. The watery ecosystem occupies more than 1.5 million acres at the southern tip of the Florida peninsula, with diverse habitats ranging from marine, estuarine, and mangrove communities to pinelands, hardwood hammocks, and freshwater sloughs and prairies.

The park's 7.5-mile (one-way) Coastal Prarie Trail provides the perfect introduction and you won't even get your boots wet, unless an alligator gets a bit too close for comfort. The trailhead for the hike is at Flamingo Visitor Center, 30 miles into the interior of the park. The complex has a has too many tourist amenities for comfort, so hikers will want to make a beeline for the trails, where crowds typically don't make it more than a mile.

Typically less busy than other park hikes (thanks to length and remoteness), the Coastal Prairie Trail actually follows an old 'road' that was once used by wild cotton pickers and fishermen heading to Florida Bay. The trail leads through shady buttonwoods and expanses of succulent coastal plains, skirting interior mangrove-fringed lakes.

Wildlife encounters are frequent, including herons, hawks, bald eagles, egrets, pelicans, cormorants, ibis, osprey, roseate spoonbills, and lots of alligators (all typically in the first few miles). Sharp-eyed idlers will surely spot a crocodile or southern bald eagle. On land, look for stately hardwood hammocks, mangroves, gumbo limbo trees, royal palms, slash pines, wild orchids, and other salt-tolerant plants, like cactus and agave.

The hike leads to Clubhouse Beach, a wild sandy stretch along Cape Sable on Florida Bay. Though the round-trip hike of 15 miles can be completed in one day, this beach is a great place for wilderness camping. The campsite is fringed by coconut palms, remnants of earlier failed attempts to domesticate the region.

Once there, the possibilities include further exploration by foot (no formal trails, but the canals and mangroves will let you know when to turn around), as well as refreshing swims in Florida Bay, which is typically calm. At night, far away from the lights of Miami, the stars put on a show for lucky campers and lots of four-legged company. Though the mating calls of 'gators may not exactly lull you to sleep, they'll make for a unique bedtime story.

A backcountry camping permit is required, but it's easy to get at the Flamingo Visitor Center that day (no more than 24 hours in advance). Fresh water and other appropriate provisions must be packed into this site.

QUICK TAKE: Coastal Prairie Trail, Everglades National Park, Florida

WHY GO: Wildlife, wildlife, everywhere. Ibis, egrets, and 'gators, oh my.

DRIVE TIME: The entrance to Everglades National Park is just 60 miles (one hour) southwest of Miami and the Flamingo Visitor Center (and Coastal Prairie Trail trailhead) is just 30 miles (a half-hour) further.

THE WAY: From Miami, take Florida's Turnpike south to Homestead, then follow the signs for Everglades National Park.

TRAILS: There are several stops and short hikes on the drive to Flamingo Visitor Center including the Royal Palm Visitor Center (be sure to walk the short Gumbo Limbo Trail and the Anhinga Trail), Long Pine Key, and Mahogany Hammock. Once in the Flamingo area, popular hikes include: pretty Eco Pond (a half-mile loop that is ideal at sunset); Christian Point Trail (1.8 miles one-way to an open coastal prairie); and Rowdy Bend Trail (2.6 miles) and Snake Bight Trail (1.6 miles), which both lead to a boardwalk on Florida Bay. For an up close and personal intro to the 'Glades, sign up for a 'slough slog,' a ranger-led hike right through the slough in a foot or so of muck and water.

ELEVATION: Zilch, unless you happen to step on a 'gator.

CAN'T MISS: Wilderness camping at Clubhouse Beach and sunset birdwatching at Eco Pond.

CROWD CONTROL: Some of the more popular trails are crowded on weekends in the winter, but weekday hikers and those heading out on the Coastal Prairie Trail will rarely have much company.

PIT STOP: The Flamingo Restaurant and Buttonwood Lounge are ideal pre- and post-hike stops for simple local cooking and company.

WALK SOFTLY: The Everglades are in great danger of being destroyed. Multi-billion dollar restoration projects are attempting to reverse damage from drainage for development and agriculture. Stay to established trails and follow any special instructions provided by rangers when you get your backcountry camping permit. You're bound to see lots of alligators, but they very, very rarely show any interest in humans...unless stupidly provoked. Most other animals are also accustomed to hikers and should not be approached.

MAPS AND GUIDES: The Main Visitor Center and Flamingo Visitor Center both provide free maps that should do the trick, though there also books available. One of the best bets is still Everglades: River of Grass, by the late Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

MORE INFORMATION: Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, (305) 242-7700. Entrance to the park will set you back 10 bucks per car, but it's good for seven days.