Everglades National Park is located in the state of Florida and is the third-largest national park in the United States with about 1.5 million acres.http://www.everglades.national-park.com/info.htm#size As the largest subtropical wilderness in the country, the Everglades region is made up primarily of wetlands and marshland. With one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world, the park is home to 36 species on the endangered Species list.http://www.everglades.national-park.com/info.htm#eco

The Everglades National Park was established as a National Park by president Harry Truman in 1947. It was added to the list of International Biosphere Reserves in October 26, 1976 and was designated a World Heritage Site on October 26, 1979.http://www.everglades.national-park.com/info.htm#wor

The national park is open every day of the year and averages over a million visitors each year.http://www.everglades.national-park.com/info.htm#size

The park offers a wide range of activities for its guests. The Coe Visitor Center has monthly art exhibits as well as many Ranger-led activities including a two hour tram tour into the Everglades.http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/upload/SV%20Winter%20Programs%20FY10%20thru%20May%201.PDF Other Ranger-led activities include boat tours, canoe explorations, nature walks, eco tours and bike tours.http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/upload/Gulf%20Coast%20RLA%20-2010.PDF

There are hiking and bike trails located throughout the park that visitors could explore on their own. Guests are also able to use their own equipment to go boating, canoeing and kayaking. Since one third of the Everglades is water, there are many fishing opportunities.http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/fishing.htm

The park also offers two drive-in campgrounds that accommodate both tents and RVs. Back-country camping is available with ground sites, beach sites and elevated camping platforms throughout the park. Sites can be reached by canoe, kayak, boat or hiking.http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/camping.htm

The first known inhabitants of the area were the Calusa Indians. They were a highly organized people and left behind many large-scale architectural shell works, shell tools, carved wood and long distance canoe trails. The Spanish arrived in 1513 and by the 1700s, the disease carried in by settlers had decimated most of the population. With the Calusa gone, other native tribes were pushed into the area by the white settlements. They include the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes.http://www.nps.gov/ever/historyculture/people.htm

The early colonists hoped to make the swampland available for development. In the early 1800s, they started draining the swamps through a series drainage ditches. By the end of the 1800s, the Florida coast was still rather vacant. The small communities that lived there could be reached mainly by boat.http://www.nps.gov/ever/historyculture/people.htm

Conservation efforts for the area were begun in the early 1900s by May Mann Jennings. Her work led to the establishment of the Everglades National Park in 1947.http://www.nps.gov/ever/historyculture/people.htm