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Long boardwalk across marsh

Bobcat Boardwalk

The 0.3-mile Bobcat Boardwalk at Shark Valley is a popular destination in winter and spring to see migratory and nesting birds.

Everglades National Park  |  Shark Valley
( 25.755800, -80.766400 )      0.3 miles

The Bobcat Boardwalk at Shark Valley is a popular destination in winter and spring to see migratory and nesting birds.

Most visitors opt to bike or take the tram around the 14-mile paved loop through the River of Grass, which provides a stop at a tall observation tower along the route.

For folks who walk a portion of the paved loop, the Bobcat Boardwalk is always a part of their explorations. The boardwalk allows you to observe a sprawling saw grass prairie and tropical hardwood hammock.


Resources

Resources for exploring the area
50 Hikes in South Florida book coverSouth Florida Explorers Guide book coverHikers Guide to the Sunshine State book coverPaddlers Guide Florida The Hiking Trails of Floridas National Forests Parks Preserves book cover  
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.

Overview

Location: Miccosukee
Length: 0.3 mile loop
Trailhead: 25.755800, -80.766400
Fees: Everglades National Park entrance fee
Restroom: At the visitor center
Land Manager: National Park Service
Phone: 305-242-7700

The parking area is open 8:30-6. Follow the paved loop south to the start of the trail. Return back the same way you came, or use the paved loop to return to the parking area.


Directions

 
From the junction of SR 997 (Krome Ave) and US 41 west of Miami, drive 18 miles to the Miccosukee Reservation; the park entrance is on the south side of the highway.

Hike

Walk behind the Visitor Center and follow the paved trail paralleling the canal. In a few moments you come to the Bobcat Boardwalk trailhead on the left. Turn left and follow the boardwalk into a bayhead swamp.

It continues across an open sawgrass prairie with nice views. Purple pickerelweed blooms rise out of water-filled solution holes in the prairie. The boardwalk meanders into a stand of willows. A bench lets you rest above a flowing stream.

Entering the tropical hardwood hammock, you can see that the trees have been battered but are still recognizable—cocoplum with its round leaves, white stopper with its skunky smell.

Under a canopy, a set of benches provides a shady stop. The boardwalk makes a sharp left and crosses more open prairie onto another tropical hammock island thick with fallen trees.

Emerge at the paved loop at an interpretive sign explaining periphyton, the goopy-looking greenish brown blobs that float everywhere and are the primary biomass of the Everglades.

Exit from the boardwalk and turn left to follow the paved loop back around to the visitor center.

Long boardwalk across marsh
Bobcat Boardwalk

Explore More!

Learn more about Everglades National Park

Lily dotted swamp with prairie to the horizon beyond Everglades National Park In its 1.5 million acres sweeping across South Florida, Everglades National Park offers outdoor experiences ranging from accessible boardwalks and paved trails to rugged adventures in harsh wilderness.

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Young alligator perched on solution hole Otter Cave Hammock Trail Complementing Shark Valley’s loop trail and Bobcat Boardwalk, the Otter Cave Trail gets you out into the Everglades at a walking pace, where you’ll see more wildlife.
Limestone crevice beyond a tangle of tree roots Castellow Hammock Preserve At Castellow Hammock, you’re stepping into Florida’s past as you follow the nature trail into a remnant of tropical forest

Park Maps Reserve Campsite Official Website

Category: Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature Trails, South Florida, Southeast Florida, TrailsTag: Accessible, Birding, Boardwalks, Botanical, Everglades, Everglades National Park, Miami, National Parks, Picnic, Shark Valley

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Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Grassy footpath lined with lyonia under pines

Jack Creek Tract, Lake Wales Ridge WEA

Jack Creek Tract, Lake Wales Ridge WEA
Trail in pine forest leading to bridge

Lake Placid Scrub

Lake Placid Scrub
Well worn path through a wet pine flatwoods landscape

DuPuis Loop Trail

DuPuis Loop Trail
Bridge edged by alligator flag

Okaloacoochee Slough Tram Loop

Okaloacoochee Slough Tram Loop

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