History & Culture

Everglades National Park

Slow-moving water, endless sky, and quiet resilience define the Everglades—a landscape shaped as much by patience as by power.

History of the Park

Human history in the Everglades stretches back more than 10,000 years. Indigenous peoples, including the Calusa, Tequesta, and later the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes, adapted to the region’s wetlands through fishing, shell mounds, canoe travel, and seasonal movement. These cultures developed sophisticated ways of living within a flooded landscape rather than trying to control it.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, large-scale drainage and development efforts dramatically altered South Florida, threatening the Everglades’ survival. Conservationists—most notably Ernest F. Coe—advocated for protection, emphasizing the region’s ecological importance rather than its scenic grandeur. Their efforts led to the establishment of Everglades National Park in 1947, signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, making it the first U.S. national park created primarily to preserve an ecosystem rather than landmarks or scenery.

National Park Sign

Park Culture

Learn about the local culture surrounding this park.

The Everglades is often described as a “river of grass”—a slow, shallow sheet of water flowing south from Lake Okeechobee through sawgrass marshes, sloughs, mangrove forests, and coastal estuaries. This subtle geography supports an extraordinary diversity of life, including alligators, crocodiles, wading birds, panthers, and countless aquatic species uniquely adapted to seasonal flooding.

Culturally, the Everglades represents endurance and balance. Tribal communities maintain ongoing cultural ties to the land, while modern South Florida life remains deeply connected to the park’s health through water supply, storm protection, and climate resilience. Unlike parks defined by towering peaks or cliffs, the Everglades invites a quieter form of awe—one rooted in stillness, observation, and respect for an ecosystem where even small changes ripple outward.

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