A Return to the River of Grass

The familiar National Park Service sign at the entrance.

 There are some places that are woven into the fabric of your memory. For me, having grown up practically on the border of Everglades National Park in Southwest Miami, it's one of those places. I've always loved its subtle, immense beauty, so when the opportunity arose to show it to my friend Tim, who had never been, I jumped at the chance.

While my brother and his family had a beach day, we headed down to the main park entrance. The Everglades isn't a park of dramatic peaks and valleys; it's a "River of Grass" that stretches to the horizon under an enormous sky, often filled with dramatic, fast-moving storms. The beauty is in the details: the intricate roots of a fallen tree, the airplants clinging to branches, the delicate patterns on a butterfly's wings. For a Coloradoan, the most telling landmark might be Rock Reef Pass, proudly announcing its summit at a breathtaking three feet above sea level.

It’s a landscape that asks you to slow down and look closer, and sharing that experience was the real treat of the day.

Welcome to the Everglades, a place like no other.

The intricate and powerful root system of a windfall tree.

A beautiful White Peacock Butterfly
(Anartia jatrophae) soaking up the humidity.

Life finds a way to thrive everywhere,
like this Leatherleaf Airplant (Tillandsia utriculata).

The mangrove-lined shores of the Wilderness Waterway.

The end of the road: the stunning,
wide-open space where the Everglades meets Florida Bay.

The Main Park Road, a ribbon of asphalt
leading through the vast wilderness.

Approaching one of the highest points on the main park road.

As a transplant Coloradoan, I always get a chuckle out of this.
A mountain pass at three feet!

The weather is a show in itself,
with storms that build and pass in minutes.

Wherever you are today, I hope the road less traveled takes you to places you hold dear in your heart.

Don Bergquist – 19 June 2025 – Everglades National Park, Florida, USA