Tamiami Trail Scenic Highway

Stretching across southern Florida, the Tamiami Trail (US 41) carves a legendary path through one of America’s most extraordinary wild landscapes — the Everglades. Built in the 1920s to connect Tampa and Miami, this historic route crosses vast sawgrass prairies, cypress swamps, and mangrove forests teeming with wildlife found nowhere else on Earth.

Travelers will spot alligators basking along canal banks, great blue herons standing motionless in shallow waters, and — with luck — the elusive Florida panther. Key stops include the Big Cypress National Preserve Visitor Center, Shark Valley’s popular tram road and observation tower offering sweeping 360-degree views, and Everglades National Park’s Gulf Coast entrance near Everglades City, where airboat tours and kayak excursions reveal hidden waterways.

Small communities along the route, including Ochopee — home to the nation’s smallest post office — add quirky roadside charm. Fresh stone crab and gator bites await at casual seafood shacks near Everglades City.

The best time to drive is November through April, when temperatures are mild and mosquitoes manageable. Allow a full day to explore at a leisurely pace, stopping often to absorb the vast, primordial beauty of this irreplaceable American wilderness.

Explore Nearby

• Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site — State Park in Oregon
• Yachats State Recreation Area — State Park in Oregon
• Willamette National Forest — National Forest in Oregon
• Umpqua National Forest — National Forest in Oregon
• Total Covered Bridge — Covered Bridge in Oregon