Check out a mysterious castle, meet manatees and watch birds landing en masse during Fido’s Everglades adventure.
The Lake Where It Began
The Everglades' recognizable marshland formed when the runoff of water from Lake Okeechobee slowed down around 17,000 years ago. Walk with your Weimaraner along a section of Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, a 109-mile multi-use pathway that encircles the 7th largest lake in the U.S., and see where it all began. Then, head to nearby John G. and Susan H. DuPuis Jr. Wildlife and Environmental Area where you can walk on pet-friendly trails through more than 21,000 acres of ponds, wet prairies, cypress domes, pine flatwoods and remnant Everglades marsh. Be sure to stay after sunset to see the stars come out to play.
Visit a Legendary Castle
Coral Castle is an “unusual accomplishment” and a unique pet-friendly attraction on the edge of the Everglades. The impressive limestone structure and all of the sculptures inside are said to have been carved single-handedly by Latvian-American eccentric Edward Leedskalnin. Bring your leashed dog with you to wander around the sculpture garden that features a 9-ton gate that moves with just a slight push, a telescope and functional rocking chairs, all of which have been laboriously carved out of stone.
Cruise Over Wetlands
Everglades National Park isn’t one of the most pet-friendly parks in the system, but four-legged visitors can still get a taste of its incredible flora and fauna from the comfort of a boat with Everglades National Park Boat Tours. This regular naturalist tour is a laidback and informative way to see the park and learn about its quirks. For a different boat adventure, join Tour the Glades for a motorboat expedition in the waters next to the Ten Thousand Islands where you’ll meet famous Florida residents, the manatees.
In the hammock of tranquility.
Photo by @they_call_me_sweet_deeSniff Out Sublime State Parks
State parks are often a great pet-friendly alternative to national parks, offering similar sights but with fewer restrictions for canine visitors. Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, or “The Amazon of Florida,” has a 5-mile-wide flowing swamp running through it. Check out the East Main Tram Trail with your Terrier, an easy and quiet path that traverses a cleared tram road once used for logging. You’re likely to spot Gray Catbirds, Painted Bunting and other native birds on your trek. If you want to see more native plants and animals, head to nearby Collier-Seminole State Park. The Collier-Seminole Prairie Hammock Trail winds through the backcountry, highlighting one of the largest mangrove swamps in the world along with its scaly citizens.
Chill on Chokoloskee Island
Chokoloskee Island, known by locals as “the Last Frontier,” is the largest of the Ten Thousand Islands off the coast of southwest Florida. Four-legged visitors can reach this secluded spot with their owners via a bridge from Everglades City. Upon arrival, Fido’s first port of call should be the historic Smallwood Store. Friendly pups are welcome inside this 1906 trading post to peruse the aisles of gifts and hear about the history of Chokoloskee. As sunset approaches, join one of Smallwood Stores’ sunset cruises to a nearby bird rookery where you’ll get the chance to see the spectacular sight of birds landing on mangroves as the sun goes down.
Cruise Down the Everglades Highway
Spanning the Florida Everglades from Miami to Naples, The Tamiami Trail is the southernmost stretch of U.S. Highway Route 41 and a great place to get a feel for the region from the comfort of your car. Along the way, pause at Ochopee Post Office, the smallest post office building in the U.S., which isn’t much bigger than a dog house. Then, wander the pet-friendly trails that surround Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center before you hop back in your car and continue on to Collier-Seminole State Park.