Why America’s largest tropical wilderness was once dismissed as a worthless, muddy swamp

Countries & Cities · Published 29 September 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before its 1947 dedication, the Everglades faced intense pressure to be drained for development. Unlike other national parks created to preserve grand geologic features like mountains or canyons, this site was the first protected specifically for its fragile, shifting ecosystem of flora and fauna.

Covering over 1.5 million acres across three Florida counties, Everglades National Park protects the remaining portion of a vast, slow-moving wetland system. Historically, water flowed from Lake Okeechobee in a broad sheet, moving at a nearly imperceptible rate of 0.25 miles per day. This constant, shallow movement shaped the landscape, creating parallel ridges of peat and drainage channels known as sloughs. The park is unique for its biodiversity, hosting nine distinct, interdependent ecosystems that range from freshwater marl prairies to the largest mangrove forest in the Western Hemisphere.

The region’s human history is equally complex. Indigenous groups like the Tequesta and Calusa inhabited the area for thousands of years, leaving behind shell mounds that still rise above the flat terrain today. By the late 19th century, however, industrial interests sought to drain the wetlands for agriculture and urban expansion. As the Miami metropolitan area grew, canal-building and water diversion projects significantly altered the natural flow, leading to ongoing, politically charged debates over restoration. Today, the park is one of only three global sites to hold the triple designation of World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance.

The park’s survival depends on the delicate balance of its water supply. Because the region lacks underground springs, it relies entirely on rainfall and the permeable limestone substrate to store fresh water. Climate change and rising sea levels now threaten these habitats with saltwater intrusion, while upstream water management remains the critical factor in the health of seagrass meadows in Florida Bay. Despite these pressures, the Everglades remains a vital nursery for diverse species, from the endangered Florida panther to hundreds of tropical wading birds, proving that even a landscape once labeled a swamp holds immense ecological value.

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