We got mosquito repellant and some nice pins from this park store. The bathroom was quite adequate. The trail was amazing!
I found the people at the visitor center very, very helpful and informative. The facility was very nice, clean and interesting
The Royal Palm Visitor Center is the access point for two trails: the Anhinga and the Gumbo Limbo. Both trails are worth doing as they are very different. If you only have time for one, do the Anhinga trail which has the most wildlife, including anhingas and alligators in their natural habitat. It takes about an hour for walking and viewing time and is all on a hard made-up surface and a boardwalk, which makes it easy going and baby-buggy and wheelchair friendly. The other trail is the Gumbo Limbo, which takes about 30 minutes and is the closest you get to walking through a rain forest and shows you how nature recovers quickly, as the area was devastated by Hurricane Andrew. If you're embarking on the Gumbo Limbo trail, do use a mosquito spray, they are vicious. There are many signs along both trails explaining what to look for to get the most out of your visit.The Royal Palm Visitor Center and both trails are free, however, there is a $10 per car fee to enter the Everglades National Park, which is great value and worth every cent. Do come prepared as at the visitor center there are limited facilities to buy food and drink (vending machines only). Best advice is to make a stop before you enter the Everlades National Park to purchase water, food and mosquito spray.The visitor center and trails are a definite 'must-see' on your next trip. Do hope you enjoy as much as we did, the highlight of our trip to Florida.
In the mornings, vultures flock in the parking lot, gnawing on the rubber parts of cars (e.g., wiper blades). Borrow a tarp and bungee cords from next to the visitor center ASAP and cover your vehicle. There's a small gift shop, restrooms, and vending machines... but, most people hit the trail right away! The Anhinga Trail here is top-notch.
The Visitor Center it's full winter program on December 21st which included the "Slough Slog" also known as the Cypress Dome tour. You get a walking stick and wade through mud and nature into a Cypress Dome. The 1:30 tour takes a maximum of 15 people and there were 8 adventurous souls on our tour. You drive about 10 miles away from the Royal Palm and then walk for less than a mile, but the tour goes slowly since you have to make sure not to slip in the mud. A walking stick is provided and we saw an owl, a snake, and an alligator on our 90 minute walk (total time is 2 hours including the drive to and from Royal Palm Visitor Center). It was an authentic nature walk and a lot of fun to get wet and muddy, yet it was a pretty mild walk. Highly recommend it.
We parked up at the Royal Palm Visitor Center and walked round the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo trails. We spotted around 7 alligators on the Anhinga and plenty of lizards on the Gumbo Limbo. Don't be disappointed if you don't immediately spot the alligators, they are there, you just need to be patient and keep your eyes peeled! There are covers available for your car to protect against vultures. We did see some although they weren't on any cars. We used a cover just in case though.
Fab to see animals like alligators in their natural environment. August is not the best time to visit, even so we spotted 3 alligators within a few minutes. We also saw lots of anhinga birds and massive lubber grasshoppers. If you do go mid summer, go prepared with jungle formula - I got bitten to death by mosquitoes going through the Gumbo Limbo trail. Otherwise we really enjoyed our visit!
These two short trails were among the most interesting we took. The trail heads were close together but the trails were through totally different habitats. Ahninga, named for the cormorants, winds around a pond, while the Gumbo Limbo is named for the strange red barked trees on the viney forest trail. Apparently part of the tree was an ingredient of the original Gumbo.The Visitor center has bathroom facilities, a gift shop and some food available.
We took a free tour with the park ranger and it was just enough to get our feet wet. (Not literally.) If you just want to see some wildlife and of course some alligators, this was a great way to do that for free and simple. Make sure to take the free tour. We would have missed 80 percent of the wildlife without someone there whose trained to spot it. It was a great little tour and we got some great pics of alligators.
Small visitor centre where the Anhinga Trail starts - this trail takes less than an hour and is the best. Good washroom facilities at the visitor centre.You can check out the large map and decide on your next activity.