Undiscovered Florida 2018 - 18

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Above: Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge (Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB; JoNell Modys)

South Florida Wild At Heart

D

azzling nightlife and big-city
excitement grab the headlines in
South Florida but the subtext is even
more exciting-miles of wilderness, acres of
greenery, ZIP codes far removed from bigcity bustle and within those cities,
the unexpected.

Go Big or Go Home
How big? Try half the size of Rhode Island.
It's Lake Okeechobee, the nation's eighth
largest freshwater lake at 730 square miles,
but second only to Lake Michigan when you
factor in being entirely contained within the
contiguous United States.
It is a true natural wonder. And a
protected one. High flood levee controls
basically keep the lake hidden at street level,
so hotels and home developments looking
for a view are out of luck. Explorers are the
fortunate ones, as the Lake Okeechobee
Scenic Trail (LOST) circles the perimeter for
110 miles and is mostly paved for excellent
cycling and hiking.
With the exception of Okeechobee
County, "Big O" is divided between the South
18

Florida counties of Glades, Hendry, Martin
and Palm Beach.

Natural Neighbors
Lake Okeechobee is the headwaters
of another huge natural wonder, the
Everglades-called the "Grassy Water" by
the Seminoles-which though associated
with South Florida, technically start with the
Kissimmee River north of the lake.
The actual Everglades National Park is
only a portion of Everglades lands, but it
offers easy access to day trippers looking
to absorb some of the region's magic.
Known as the largest subtropical wilderness
in the United States, Everglades National
Park is not just treasured domestically but
internationally. It is a World Heritage Site, an
International Biosphere Reserve, a Wetland
of International Importance, and a specially
protected area under the Cartagena Treaty.
Preserves adjacent to the park-and
convenient to the cities of Naples and
Marco Island-include the Florida Panther
National Wildlife Refuge, the Ten Thousand
Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Collier-

Seminole State Park and Fakahatchee Strand
Preserve State Park, known as "the Amazon
of North America."
Northeast of Naples near Bonita Springs,
the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
is a pristine wilderness with bragging rights
to the largest colony of nesting storks in the
U.S. and the largest forest of ancient, towering
bald cypress trees in North America.
Turning toward the coast and Fort
Myers Beach, the terrain changes in the
coastal retreat of Sanibel Island, home
to the J.N. "Ding" Darling National Wildlife
Refuge, whose 6,000 acres houses native
birds, raccoons, otters, alligators and other
wildlife. Experience it on foot, by canoe or
on a four-mile scenic drive.

Eco-Centric
You may not want to come back to the
modern world after experiencing the
natural side of South Florida, but if you do,
many local attractions are themed around
the environment. Learn more about South
Florida's marine and coastal habitats at the
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca
Undiscovered Florida


http://visitflorida.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Undiscovered Florida 2018

Undiscovered Florida 2018 - 1
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