Map of the Shark Valley trails (click to enlarge)

See the Hiking web page for an interactive location map.

Length: .2 mile, one way
Difficulty: Easy, suitable for wheelchairs.

When I wrote about the Shark Valley Tram Tour, I advised that even if you took the tram around the 15-mile loop road that you should also walk some of the road, especially a section on the west side next to the canal, because you can see the animals up close and take photos on your own schedule. A better plan, one that will include an educational walk through the forested area of Everglades National Park’s Shark Valley, is to hike the Bobcat Boardwalk Trail and then walk along the park road to another short trail in the area, the Otter Cave Hammock Trail. Between the two trails and the road you can form a nice semi-loop hike that starts and ends at the Shark Valley Visitor Center. The route is slightly over 1.5 miles long and takes about 1.5 hours, with much of that time spent taking photos and observing the many birds, alligators, and turtles in Shark Valley. A trail brochure claims bobcats can be found along the trail at night.

The hike starts at the back of the Visitor Center at the tram loading area, with the first destination being the eastern trailhead for the Bobcat Boardwalk Trail. To get there, follow the park road in a clockwise direction (to the left), the same way the trams are heading. The trailhead is located a tenth of a mile down the road; you can’t miss it.