Somewhere along the Tamiami Trail deep in the Florida Everglades, you may see a small brown sign tucked in the trees that says “Shark Valley”. The arrow on the sign points you down a tiny, non-descript rural road that seemingly leads to nowhere. But just a few hundred yards down that road, you’ll find yourself at the Shark Valley Visitor’s Center, fully immersed in Everglades National Park. And the Shark Valley wildlife tour was incredible! We saw just about every type of wildlife the Everglades can offer, in their natural habitat, completely undisturbed by man.
The Shark Valley Wildlife Tour Was Literally Spur-of-the-Moment, and also the Highlight of the Trip
Just a few weeks ago, Florida wasn’t even on the radar for any adventures in 2023. But alas, my first adventure of the year brought me back to my old stomping grounds in South Florida, where I met up with my buddy Jake and his wife Amanda. She collects National Park Passport stamps, so we set out for the day with the goal to collect stamps from and experience the National Parks, Preserves, and Wildlife Areas in the Everglades region. Her big prize for the day was the stamp from Big Cypress National Preserve.
As we drove west along the Tamiami Trail from Miami towards Naples, we saw the sign for Shark Valley tucked in the trees. We had never heard of Shark Valley, and had left our itinerary for the day open, so we decided to go check it out.
One thing traveling to every state in the Lower 48 has taught me over the years is that attractions down tiny rural roads tend to go one of two ways: they either underwhelm and disappoint or are one of the highlights of your trip. As we turned down this tiny non-descript road, we fully expected the pavement to end and the road to turn into a dirt road to nowhere. We were pleasantly surprised to see the “Welcome to Everglades National Park” sign right after turning off the Tamiami Trail.
What is at Shark Valley?
For such a small area, you’ll find an abundance of attractions and activities at Shark Valley.
- Large Visitor’s Center and Gift Shop
- Bike Rentals and Tram Tours
- Information about the wildlife that frequents Everglades National Park
- 15-mile (25 km) loop trail through the heart of the Everglades, with a large lookout tower at the south end (furthest from the visitor’s center).
The loop trail is unfortunately too long to hike, but you can either bike it or take the tram tour. If you’ve ever been to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Shark Valley Observation Tower is a spinning image of Klingman’s Dome.
Take the Tram Tour for the Best Shark Valley Wildlife Viewing
Even in mid-January, temperatures in Shark Valley were over 85°F (30°C). Many of the bikers we saw, particularly near the Visitor’s Center, looked like they were instantly regretting the decision to bike. On the other hand, the open-air tram featured a beautifully refreshing breeze, great photo ops, and fantastic tour guides. I’ll let you make your own decision, but it was an easy decision for us.
You can buy tram tickets at the Visitor’s Center or online. The Tram Tour is approximately two hours long and tickets are $29 each. And pro tip: you’ll get the best photo ops if you sit on the left side of the tram.
We Got Our First Gator Sighting Before the Guides Could Finish Introducing Themselves
Gators are one of the primary reasons people come to the Florida Everglades. When you come to Shark Valley, you’re pretty much guaranteed to see gators. So it’s no surprise when we departed the Visitor’s Center on the tram, it took less than a minute before we saw our first gator. We all had a good chuckle when the guide joked “okay, you’ve seen everything, tour’s over”. You’ll lose count of the number of gator sightings shortly thereafter. They are literally everywhere you look. The following gallery is a very small sampling of the gators we saw on the tram tour.
One of the more interesting things about gators we learned on the trip was when we saw two gators checking each other out. The guide said we may be witnessing some gator romance. However, unless you’re dealing with really large gators, there’s no way to tell males from females just by looking at them. So if they were two males, we could just as easily witness them rip each other’s heads off. We wisely moved on before the gators took any action.
Shark Valley is a Bird Watcher’s Paradise
The Florida Everglades are world-famous for their rich and diverse bird life. At Shark Valley, you’ll get some of the best birding the Everglades has to offer. Many of the birds we saw were mere feet from the road. I didn’t even have my telephoto lens with me, and the photos still turned out great!
You’ll see plenty of egrets, storks, herons, and much more on the Shark Valley Tram Tour. Make sure to keep your eyes peeled for anhinga both swimming in the slough and drying their wings in the sun.
Climb to the Top of the Shark Valley Observation Tower for a Different Perspective of the Everglades
Because Florida is so flat (it’s the flattest state in the US), you don’t need to gain much elevation to get a whole new perspective of the Everglades. At the south end of the loop road, you’ll find the Shark Valley Observation Tower. At 70 feet above sea level, it’s the highest point in Everglades National Park. The National Park Service claims you can see for 20 miles in each direction. Unfortunately, the top levels of the tower were closed, so we couldn’t get high enough to see that far.
Even from the bottom level of the tower, you get incredible panoramic views of the Everglades. More importantly, you get a completely different perspective to see wildlife. From directly above, watch fish and turtles swimming directly below the tower. But hands down, the coolest sighting from atop the tower was a crocodile sunning itself directly below.
The lower level of the tower is wheelchair accessible. There are also restrooms and water bottle filling stations at the tower.
I Saw My First Florida Crocs at Shark Valley
No, I’m not talking about the shoes. I’ve seen plenty of those roaming around Florida over the years. For all the time I spent criss-crossing the Everglades on various adventures, you’d think I’d have seen a crocodile by now, but nope. Heck, I even lived in Florida for 6 years and didn’t see any then, either.
However, that being said, it’s quite likely that I had seen crocs in the Everglades before and just didn’t realize it. As we departed the lookout tower after the first croc sighting, the guides said there were 2 known crocs along the tour route. Less than 5 minutes later, we found the second one in the slough right next to the road.
So how do you tell the difference between alligators and crocodiles? Even though they look nearly identical, it’s surprisingly simple. Crocodiles have long, narrow snouts, while alligators have snouts that are shorter and wider.
Don’t Forget About the Plant Life, Either
The Florida Everglades are a rich oasis of plant life, too. After all, its flora is what makes up the habitat that supports such an incredible diversity of wildlife.
The first thing you’ll notice when you’re on the Shark Valley Loop Road is the lack of trees. Shark Valley is actually a fresh water slough, so it resembles a marsh. And while there are plenty of species of trees in South Florida that can grow in that environment, there are none along the Loop Road. Even the mighty cypress trees, which can reach over 100 feet in height, are heavily stunted at only 10 to 15 feet tall.
So why are there no trees in this part of the Everglades? It’s because there’s only about 6 inches of soil before you hit the solid limestone layer underneath. Root systems simply can’t go deep enough for trees to grow. Trees that grow too tall for their root systems are easily taken out by the hurricanes that frequently pass over South Florida.
There are No Mangroves at Shark Valley
Mangroves grow best in water that’s 50% fresh and 50% salt. As a result, they are only found along the coast, regardless of where in Florida you are. Because Shark Valley is roughly 60 miles (100 km) from the nearest coast, you will not see mangroves there. However, don’t despair. There are plenty of mangrove swamps in other parts of Everglades National Park.
Overall, the Shark Valley Tram Tour was a Fantastic Experience
If you’re looking for a safari-like experience in South Florida, we highly recommend coming to Shark Valley. You’ll be able to see much of the rich and diverse flora and fauna the Everglades has to offer, in their natural habitat. There were even a few fleeting moments where it took me back to the magical African Safari in Zambia last October. The tour guides were wonderful, and it only takes up two hours of your day. You’ll be left with plenty of time to explore the rest of Everglades National Park or any of the surrounding areas.
Walk Some of the Many Boardwalks in the Everglades
Walking the boardwalks is one of my favorite things to do in Florida. They let you see parts of the swamps and sloughs that would otherwise be inaccessible through traditional hiking. While there are no boardwalks at Shark Valley, there are plenty in both other parts of Everglades National Park as well as Big Cypress National Preserve.
After stopping at the Visitor’s Center, we took a lovely walk on the Kirby Storter Boardwalk in Big Cypress National Preserve. It’s an easy out-and-back walk that’s about two thirds of a mile (just over 1 km) round trip. In addition to its famous cypress trees, you’ll see a completely different assortment of flora and fauna that call Big Cypress Swamp home.
End Your Day on the Shores of the Gulf of Mexico near Everglades City
No cross-peninsula adventure in Florida is complete without seeing the Gulf of Mexico. And there’s no better place to end your Everglades adventure than the aptly-named Everglades City. You’ll be transported back in time to the old Florida, before high rises, glitz, and glamor came to South Florida. Salty fishing villages dotted the shoreline, and life was slow.
Furthermore, it’s a local’s secret that Everglades City has some of the best airboat rides in South Florida. We unfortunately didn’t have time to go airboating on this adventure, but having done it plenty of times in the past, we highly recommend it if you’re in the area.
Final Thoughts
The Florida Everglades are one of the most biologically diverse areas in North America. They offer fun and engaging opportunities for all ages and interests.
If you’re at all interested in wildlife, you’ll have a fantastic time exploring Shark Valley. While it’s certainly not the same experience as an African Safari, it will give you a little taste of the safari adventure. And you’ll probably learn a lot about both the flora and fauna while you’re there.
