Royal Palm Trails

Royal Palm is the Everglades' greatest hits packed into a lazy afternoon stroll. You're really getting two trails here — the Anhinga Trail and the Gumbo Limbo Trail — both branching from the same parking area and both flat as a pancake. The Anhinga Trail is a boardwalk loop over Taylor Slough where alligators sun themselves close enough to make you reconsider your life choices, and anhinga birds spread their wings to dry like feathered scarecrows. The Gumbo Limbo Trail ducks into a shady hardwood hammock draped in air plants and resurrection ferns — it feels like stepping into another continent entirely. Neither trail will tax your legs, but both will fill your camera roll. This is the trail for anyone who wants maximum Everglades wildlife with minimum effort, and for families who need proof that flat hiking can still be thrilling.